The Yellow Wife: A Novel
Sadeqa Johnson
Jan 2021 · Simon and Schuster · Narrated by Robin Miles
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25 reviews
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9 hr 31 min
Unabridged
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From the New York Times bestselling author of House of Eve—a 2023 Reese’s Book Club Pick!
*A Best Book of the Year by NPR and Christian Science Monitor*
Called “wholly engrossing” by New York Times bestselling author Kathleen Grissom, this “fully immersive” (Lisa Wingate, #1 bestselling author of Before We Were Yours) story follows an enslaved woman forced to barter love and freedom while living in the most infamous slave jail in Virginia.
Born on a plantation in Charles City, Virginia, Pheby Delores Brown has lived a relatively sheltered life. Shielded by her mother’s position as the estate’s medicine woman and cherished by the Master’s sister, she is set apart from the others on the plantation, belonging to neither world.
She’d been promised freedom on her eighteenth birthday, but instead of the idyllic life she imagined with her true love, Essex Henry, Pheby is forced to leave the only home she has ever known. She unexpectedly finds herself thrust into the bowels of slavery at the infamous Devil’s Half Acre, a jail in Richmond, Virginia, where the enslaved are broken, tortured, and sold every day. There, Pheby is exposed not just to her Jailer’s cruelty but also to his contradictions. To survive, Pheby will have to outwit him, and she soon faces the ultimate sacrifice.
*A Best Book of the Year by NPR and Christian Science Monitor*
Called “wholly engrossing” by New York Times bestselling author Kathleen Grissom, this “fully immersive” (Lisa Wingate, #1 bestselling author of Before We Were Yours) story follows an enslaved woman forced to barter love and freedom while living in the most infamous slave jail in Virginia.
Born on a plantation in Charles City, Virginia, Pheby Delores Brown has lived a relatively sheltered life. Shielded by her mother’s position as the estate’s medicine woman and cherished by the Master’s sister, she is set apart from the others on the plantation, belonging to neither world.
She’d been promised freedom on her eighteenth birthday, but instead of the idyllic life she imagined with her true love, Essex Henry, Pheby is forced to leave the only home she has ever known. She unexpectedly finds herself thrust into the bowels of slavery at the infamous Devil’s Half Acre, a jail in Richmond, Virginia, where the enslaved are broken, tortured, and sold every day. There, Pheby is exposed not just to her Jailer’s cruelty but also to his contradictions. To survive, Pheby will have to outwit him, and she soon faces the ultimate sacrifice.
From the New York Times bestselling author of House of Eve—a 2023 Reese’s Book Club Pick!
*A Best Book of the Year by NPR and Christian Science Monitor*
Called “wholly engrossing” by New York Times bestselling author Kathleen Grissom, this “fully immersive” (Lisa Wingate, #1 bestselling author...
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Ratings and reviews
25 reviews
Lea Wheeler
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August 22, 2026
I was drawn into this story from the first page. I found myself looking forward to my next chance or moment to find a quiet place to be caught up in the world of Phoebe Delores Brown,.
Courtney Meredith
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February 23, 2023
This is my 3rd time reading this book and my 1st doing the audio book vetsion. I finished this in 2 days (AGAIN lol). Phobie went through a lot, saw a lot, but did not let all that happened to her break her at all!
Douglas Laney
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January 12, 2022
A must for everyone. Real tragic history packaged in a composite narrative. One of the finest narrators anywhere.
About the author
Sadeqa Johnson is the New York Times bestselling author of five novels. Her most recent novel, The House of Eve, was an instant New York Times bestseller, Reese’s Book Club selection, NAACP Image Award nominee, and Goodreads Choice award finalist. Her previous novel, Yellow Wife, was the Library of Virginia’s Literary People’s Choice Award winner, Goodreads Choice Award finalist, Hurston/Wright Foundation Legacy finalist, and a BCALA Literary Award honoree. Originally from Philadelphia, Sadeqa currently lives near Richmond, Virginia. For more information, go to Sadeqa.net.
Sadeqa Johnson is the New York Times bestselling author of five novels. Her most recent novel, The House of Eve, was an instant New York Times bestseller, Reese’s Book Club selection, NAACP Image Award nominee, and Goodreads Choice award finalist. Her previous novel, Yellow Wife, was the Library ...
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