Yellow Wife

I read this in a day because despite the heavy content, it was a breeze to read. I also skimmed a good bit because I was not enjoying it, unfortunately. I'm sad about that. :/

Where to start. I do appreciate that much of this book covers new ground when it comes to fiction about slavery in the US (at least for me), and I was pleasantly surprised when I got to the Author's Note and learned that the protagonist is based on a real woman. I'm inspired to go visit the trail that the author walked and learn more about Mary Lumpkin. Her life and her relationship to the Jailer is a unique one, and I can see why the author wanted to fictionalize it.

However, there's much more I did not like. You have to get through a very generic first ~70 pages to reach the part of the story that is unique. It's like a checklist of everything you've seen before. Having said that, a story can be full of clichés and still provide enough specificity and depth that it works. The book that comes to mind for me is The Book of Night Women by Marlon James which also checks off a lot on that list (biracial house slave protagonist who secretly knows how to read/write, for example) - but it is still an amazing book because of the quality of the writing, pacing, voice, and characterization.

Once Yellow Wife hits the part where she's a "yellow wife," the plot gets more interesting. The conundrum of self-preservation (and protecting your children) when it requires complicity in the slave trade - wow. Impossible decisions. That is a really strong part of this story, but it is disappointingly barely reflected on.

Which brings me to one of my main complaints about this book. It's so fast, there's so little introspection. There's a line or two once in a while about her thoughts, but given the situation she's in, I wanted so much more. She never sits very long in her thoughts or in a scene for that matter. As I neared the end of the book, I realized that no scene or conversation ever takes more than a page, maybe two. There's a lot of summarization, skipped time, snippets of scenes. I don't know if I've ever seen that before, or perhaps I just haven't noticed it in other books? But depth was severely lacking. Chapters 6 and 7 - a span of 10 pages - are a great example of this. The Mistress goes into labor, Mama dies, Essex runs away, and the Mistress kills her baby all within those pages. Slow down, I'm begging you.

There are many, many minor characters - such that I lost track of who was who - but I just had a vague impression of them because the story zips along without spending enough time with anyone or developing relationships. That includes Essex and Pheby who have a couple moments together at the beginning - not nearly enough to establish them as a loving couple for me to care about. It struck me, after Essex ran away, how much time passes before Pheby gives him any thought at all. I thought you were in love??

Essex and Pheby were often confusing to me. When Essex tells Pheby that the Mistress is essentially raping him, Pheby is pissed he didn't refuse. What exactly was he supposed to do, Pheby?? I understand feeling hurt and distressed by that, but in what world is it not clear why he didn't refuse? I wanted to see her feeling something more complex - hurt and betrayed, yes, but also distressed for him, understanding for his predicament, confusion at the mess. That would have made more sense. Then you have the scene where Pheby peels the excrement stained pants off of him during his imprisonment, after his torture, gagging, and somehow they are in the mood for sex? It's a stretch.

As far as I can tell, the plot with Essex is entirely fictional, as is the story of her helping some slaves escape. I appreciate what the author was trying to do with that, but it didn't make sense given the ending. You're telling me that after the Jailer treats her the way he does and punishes her for giving slaves in jail medical care, that he would discover she helped some slaves escape (implied/unavoidable), and let her live? And leave her everything in his will?? I'm confused.

One last random question I have is - how did she prevent more pregnancies? In one throwaway sentence we're told that she does ... something ... to ensure she won't get pregnant again. What would that have been at this point in history? If it existed, I don't get to learn what it was. :P

What I would have loved is more time in the story. More time to get to know Pheby's children, more time to get to know the other "yellow wives," more time to reflect on the insanity of the position the "yellow wives" are put in. I see a story in here that I could've really loved.

This book has a 4.42, so I am obviously in the minority. XD It is very readable and has a compelling story in there somewhere, so I think I get it. But for anyone else who did not like it, I'd recommend The Book of Night Women by Marlon James, Beloved by Toni Morrison (is it fair to compare to Morrison?), Kindred by Octavia Butler (if you like a speculative element), or Roots by Alex Haley.