Yellow Wife: Review

As part of black history month, the Women’s National Book Association, LA Chapter’s Reading group (So Cal Readers) selected to read Yellow Wofe by Sadeqa Johnson

The story instantly pulled me back in history and I wasn’t able to set it down until I finished reading the story of Pheby Delores, raised in on a plantation in Charles City Virginia.

Pheby’s mother has done everything in her power to ensure her daughter’s future freedom. Unfortunately, things don’t work out as planned and Pheby ends up leaving the relative safety of her plantation for a new life at the infamous Devil’s Half Acre, a cruel jail in Richmond, VA.

Pheby learns to understand the sacrifices her mother made for her, as she makes similar choices for the safety of her own children in becoming the mistress of Devil’s Half Acre through becoming the Jailer’s Yellow Wife.

This story brings the plight of many to the surface through revealing what the history books leave out. I was unable to set the book down until I reached the end, and wanted to know more.

Sadeqa Johnson eloquently immerses the reader in Pheby’s journey, as she struggles to create a better life for her children at the brink of emancipation.