Narrative of Sojourner Truth
A Bondswoman of Olden Time, with a History of Her Labors and Correspondence Drawn from Her Book of Life ; Also, A Memorial Chapter
$24.12
- Paperback
288 pages
- Release Date
1 November 1998
Summary
Truth’s landmark slave narrative chronicles her experiences as a slave in upstate New York and her transformation into an extraordinary abolitionist, feminist, orator, and preacher. Based on the complete 1884 edition, this volume includes the “Book of Life,” a collection of letters and sketches about Truth’s life written subsequent to the original 1850 publication of the Narrative, and “A Memorial Chapter,” a sentimental account of her death.
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780140436785 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0140436782 |
| Author: | Sojourner Truth, Nell Irvin Painter |
| Publisher: | Penguin Books Ltd |
| Imprint: | Penguin Books Ltd |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 288 |
| Release Date: | 1 November 1998 |
| Weight: | 227g |
| Dimensions: | 14mm x 128mm x 193mm |
| Series: | Penguin Classics |
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Critics Review
“The time is long overdue for a compelling look at the legendary Sojourner Truth. Margaret Washington deserves our gratitude for reclaiming Truth and shedding light on the most enigmatic black woman of the 19th century.”
– Darlene Clark Hine, Professor of History, Michigan State University
Sojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth, born Isabella around 1797 in Ulster County, New York, was a slave who rose to become a prominent abolitionist, orator, and preacher, ultimately recognized as an icon for strong Black women. She gained her freedom through state law in 1827 and moved to New York City the following year. There, she worked in affluent households and became involved with unconventional religious communities, including the commune of the Prophet Matthias in the early 1830s.
By 1843, she had reinvented herself as the traveling preacher Sojourner Truth and resided in Northampton, Massachusetts, for the majority of the next thirteen years. Despite being illiterate, she dictated her autobiography, Narrative of Sojourner Truth, to her neighbor Olive Gilbert, and it was published in 1850. The subsequent year, Truth began traveling to promote her book and advocate for abolition and women’s rights. In the 1870s, her friend and manager, Frances Titus, compiled a new edition of the Narrative, incorporating the “Book of Life,” a collection of writings from Truth’s admirers. Sojourner Truth passed away in Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1883. In 1884, Titus published another edition that included “A Memorial Chapter.”
Nell Irvin Painter is the author of Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol, Standing at Armageddon, the United States, 1877-1919, The Narrative of Hosea Hudson, and Exodusters: Black Migration to Kansas After Reconstruction. She holds the position of Edwards Professor of History at Princeton University and currently directs the program in African-American Studies.
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