9 h 22 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 9 h 22 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What does a mother risk when slavery gives another person power over her life and her children?
Harriet Ann Jacobs tells her own story under the name Linda Brent. Born into slavery in North Carolina, Linda begins with memories of a childhood that feels safe. That safety cannot last. In the Flint household, Dr. Flint becomes a constant threat, and Linda must seek a way beyond his grasp.
Published in 1861, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl brings the struggle over Linda's children into a firsthand account of slavery. A loving grandmother offers a contrast to a cruel master. Jacobs speaks directly to her readers, asking them to understand what slavery does to women—and to answer with more than pity.
What you’ll discover
- A woman's firsthand account See slavery through the experience of a woman who insists that readers face its harm.
- Motherhood under threat Follow Linda's struggle over her children as she searches for a way out.
- A grandmother's love Meet the loving grandmother whose presence stands against the cruelty surrounding Linda.
- Choices under pressure Consider the hard choices Linda faces as she tries to escape Dr. Flint's grasp.
- An appeal to conscience Encounter a narrator who asks you not only to feel, but to question and act.
Who will love it
This book is for readers who like true stories told in a direct, personal voice. It speaks to anyone drawn to American history, women's lives, family loyalty, and the fight for freedom.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A Happy Childhood Hides the Truth
- The Flint House Teaches Cruelty Daily
- Uncle Benjamin Chooses Freedom Over Safety
- At Fifteen, Linda Faces a Master's Pursuit
- A Forbidden Love Forces a Desperate Choice
- Terror and False Piety Close In Together
- Linda Defies the Plantation and Runs
- Seven Years in a Space Like a Coffin
- Motherhood Drives Every Choice in the Book
- A Plain Voice Speaks Directly to the North
Who’s who
- Linda BrentThe narrator, an enslaved girl who wants to keep her dignity and to win freedom for herself and her two children.
- Dr. FlintA physician and slaveholder who pursues Linda and refuses to sell her, caring more about power than money.
- Mrs. FlintHis jealous wife, who blames the enslaved girl for her husband's conduct and wants to see her humbled.
- Aunt MarthyLinda's grandmother, a free baker who saves her earnings and shelters her family with fierce, steady love.
- BenjaminLinda's young uncle, a proud and daring man who flees slavery again and again.
- Mr. SandsA white lawyer and neighbor who becomes the father of Linda's children and promises to protect them.
- Uncle PhillipLinda's uncle, a carpenter who builds her hiding place and works to guard the family.
- Benny and EllenLinda's children, whom she will risk everything to keep out of Dr. Flint's hands.
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- Hardcover
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Incidents dans la vie d’une jeune esclave, écrits par elle-même
by Harriet A. Jacobs · 1861
A mother hides in a crawl space above her grandmother's storeroom to stay close to her children.
Medium level5–10 hours to readfrançais
Excellent
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In short
What would you do if the law said your children belonged to the man who tormented you? Harriet Jacobs, writing as Linda Brent, answers with a life of cunning, courage, and seven years in hiding.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A Happy Childhood Hides the Truth
Linda is born enslaved, but she does not know it until she is six. Her father is a skilled carpenter, and her mother, her brother William, and she share a comfortable home. To Linda it feels like any free child's life.
The heart of the family is her grandmother, Aunt Marthy, who bakes crackers at night to save money to buy her children. Then her mistress borrows three hundred dollars from her and never pays it back, because an enslaved person cannot hold property under Southern law.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1861
- Language
- français
- Reading time
- 6 h 5 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Jacobs, Harriet Ann. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/incidents-in-the-life-of-a-slave-girl-written-by-herself.
Jacobs, H. A. (2026). Incidents in the life of a slave girl, written by herself. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/incidents-in-the-life-of-a-slave-girl-written-by-herself (Original work published 1861)
Jacobs, Harriet Ann. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/incidents-in-the-life-of-a-slave-girl-written-by-herself.
@book{jacobs2026incidents,
author = {Jacobs, Harriet Ann},
title = {Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/incidents-in-the-life-of-a-slave-girl-written-by-herself},
note = {First published 1861}
}
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What is Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl about?
It tells how Linda Brent grows up enslaved in a Southern town, resists her master's pursuit, hides for years to protect her children, and seeks freedom for her family. It also shows how slavery harms mothers and children.
Is Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl a true story?
Yes, the author says the narrative is not fiction. Harriet Jacobs wrote it under the name Linda Brent and changed the names of people and places. It was published in 1861.
Who is Linda Brent?
Linda Brent is the name Harriet Jacobs used for herself as narrator. She is an enslaved girl who resists Dr. Flint, hides in her grandmother's attic space, and fights to protect her son Benny and daughter Ellen.
The author
Harriet Ann Jacobs
1815–1897 · American autobiographer and abolitionist
Harriet A. Jacobs (1815–1897) was an American writer and abolitionist born into slavery in Edenton, North Carolina. She escaped slavery and later lived in the northern United States. Her autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, appeared in 1861 under the name Linda Brent. She died in Washington, D.C.
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