Book of Life

Considered the first black feminist text, Sojourner Truth's Book of Life (a bestseller when it was first published) is still today, one hundred years later, regarded as both a challenge and an accusation regarding the condition of black women in a world in which they find themselves continually used and abused. Intricate and provocative, Book of Life is an important contribution to black writing, a stimulating monograph about a fascinating woman. Born Isabella into slavery in 1797 in New York, this self-made woman who lived to over a hundred years old, freed herself and her baby from bondage, before taking on the name Sojourner Truth. Though much of her remarkable life is shrouded in mystery, it included stints as an itinerant preacher, lecturer, abolitionist and writer. Physically abused by her slavemaster and sexually abused by his wife, Truth was a battered woman and a rape survivor who went on to deliver fiery speeches against the evil of slavery and defending the rights of women. She continues to be regarded as a symbol of strong womanhood amongst both black and white women the world over. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.