Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself

A woman born into slavery recounts her life from a sheltered childhood through escalating abuses, including sexual harassment by a master and tensions with a jealous mistress. She describes efforts to protect her children, the sale and separation that follow, long concealment in a small hidden garret for years while planning escape, and perilous journeys to free territory and abroad. Alongside narrative episodes are reflections on religion, community, and the particular vulnerabilities of enslaved women, plus direct appeals to Northern readers—especially women—to recognize the system's cruelties and to act on behalf of fugitives.