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The Bondwoman's Narrative
- Narrated by: Anna Deavere Smith
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
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Publisher's summary
The Bondwoman's Narrative tells of a self-educated young house slave who knows her life is limited by the brutalities of her society, but never suspects that the freedom of her plantation's beautiful new mistress is also at risk...or that a devastating secret will force them both to flee from slave hunters with another powerful, determined enemy at their heels.
This program includes an exclusive interview with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
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Critic reviews
"Thanks to the unrelenting probe of a Harvard University historian, again, we get the story from the woman's mouth itself. We learn the day-to-day experiences of a bondwoman through her fiction. We see in the intimacy of Craft's novel the gross, ugly vulgarity of the 'peculiar institution'." (Maya Angelou)
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A fast-paced Victorian thriller that will delight audiences today as it did 100 years ago, Lady Audley's Secret has subterfuge, kidnapping, jealousy, and fraud, all thrown into the mix and shaken up for good measure.
A mystery which keeps a listener guessing until the last moments, this production is a must-listen for anyone who enjoys playing detective.
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Narrator creates the listen
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This was the most popular novel of Radcliffe's time; Radcliffe's portrayal of her heroine's inner life raised the Gothic romance to a new level. The atmosphere of fear and the gripping plot continue to thrill today. This is the story of the orphaned Emily St Aubert, who finds herself separated from the man she loves and confined within the Castle of Udolpho by her aunt's new husband Montoni. Here she must cope with an unwanted suitor, Montoni's threats, and the wild imaginings and terrors which threaten to overwhelm her.
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Thank You, Audible
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Frederick Douglass was an American abolitionist, women's suffragist, editor, orator, author, statesman and reformer. He was called both "The Sage of Anacostia" and "The Lion of Anacostia" and is one of the most prominent figures in African-American history and United States history.
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Great Book!
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A big, brilliant, spooky collection of classic and contemporary ghost stories that will make you hesitate before turning off that light.
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Excellent performances of an abridged version
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The Sad Fortunes of the Rev. Amos Barton, through vignettes of his life, portrays a character who is hard to like and easy to ridicule. Many people do ridicule as well as slander and despise him, until his suffering shocks them into fellowship and sympathy.
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The first work...from a very old soul
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What listeners say about The Bondwoman's Narrative
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Stephanie
- 01-06-24
Unique listen
I appreciate listening to this story uniquely written by a formerly enslaved woman. The verification info from the man who purchased & published the manuscript is fascinating! What an accomplishment for Hannah Craft to write this! It is in the sentimental style of its time, but nonetheless a treasure from a woman who likely fought hard to be in the position to write this.
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- Richard
- 11-11-23
The Bondswoman’s Narrative
I loved this. Hannah’s strength, perseverance and her beliefs surpassed the misfortunes she faced and she was rewarded with a wonderful life filled with love. My only wish was all the enslaved peoples had a similar end.
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- GreenvilleGirl
- 02-13-23
Excellent! Very well done!
Excellent performance of a very important work. It does at times seem a bit sensational, but still very well done. I'm grateful to Dr. Gates for bringing this book to light. Bravo!
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- Potty Schmotty
- 10-03-18
Captivating!!!!
This book was amazing on so many levels. I loved the story, the way it was written, and the narrator. Hannah Crafts story was haunting as it showed this woman's journey through the ups and downs of "a slave's life". She was definitely one who lived under the rules of enslavement, but she was never a slave. I will be sharing this narrative with my children.
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- nancy hughes
- 01-09-22
Moving story - excellent production
Loved the story, narration and explanation of the style and authenticity of the book by Henry Louis Gates Jr. Well worth reading for students of slavery and emancipation. Very unique and moving.
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- R
- 07-27-24
Insight into the thoughts, challenges and successes in the life of a woman who had been born a slave in the 1850s United States.
After the end of the story, and after the interview with Dr. Henry Lewis Gates, Jr., it is basically stated that any resemblance to real people is by coincidence. In fact, as Dr. Gates noted, many of the people and incidents in the story were based on real people and events. It is confusing that Audible deemed it necessary to state otherwise.
I should admit that I first listened to “Finding Hannah Crafts” which I consider a companion novel and well worth listening to. By listening to it first, it made me much more willing to get through the use of arcane language.
Overall, I found both books fascinating.
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- ayodele higgs
- 05-20-14
Loved it!!!
What did you love best about The Bondwoman's Narrative?
The rich language which transported me in time.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Hannah by far was my favorite character. I loved how she leaned on scripture to get through the bad times. But Lizzie was a fun character too.
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5 people found this helpful
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- M. Elizabeth Bennett
- 02-21-24
Amazing story- so glad I listened
The narrator is unbelievably bad, but the story so good I willingly stuck with it! I sure wish they’d re-record this with a competent narrator. The novel deserves so much better! Definitely recommend, despite the poor narrator.
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- Martin C.
- 06-15-24
Harrowing page turner with historical details
Human, horrific, exciting and ultimately an exposure of the best and worst of people… from the 1850s but with recognizable traits that can still be found in humans today.
Not to be missed.
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- Ninip
- 06-08-03
The Bondwoman's Narratve
Although the protagonist speaks with a remarkably cultured voice for a slave, the cloying and often flat descriptions do sound authentic to the period. I loved the mystery of this book - was it really written by a slave, or is Gates pulling one over on us? In any case, the narrative of her sad life is shocking, because it is hard to imagine that so recently in our history we could have deprived human beings of their fundamental rights. Certainly worth listening to - in fact, perhaps more interesting to listen to than it might be to read.
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5 people found this helpful