Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom by Ilyon Woo

Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom Reviews

• 
  Jenna ❤ ❀ ❤

  
  ("Ellen and William Craft, fugitive slaves, abolitionist", The Liberator newspaper files)
  
  "I fled from them because they would not give me my rights as a human being,” ~Ellen Craft
  
  What a remarkable story about two remarkable people. Ellen and William Craft began their lives as enslaved people but were determined to find freedom.
  
  They had an ingenious idea to escape to the North: Ellen, who could pass as white due to her father also being her enslaver, dressed as a young, sickly white man. Her future husband William played the role of her slave. 
  
  Together they made their way north on a journey that was fraught with danger as they could be discovered at any time. If caught, they not only would be returned to their enslavers, but would endure horrendous torture as punishment.
  
  The courage it must have taken them to set out on this journey to freedom is impressive to say the least.
  
  Ellen and William were not safe once they reached the northern states either, especially after the Fugitive Slave Act was passed in 1850 (the two escaped in 1848). Now, all Americans, including in the Northern states, were responsible for catching and returning escaped slaves to their enslavers in the South.
  
  Thankfully for the couple, they had many white supporters who defied this law and also helped them escape to England. They ironically noted how they had escaped from the supposed Land of the Free.
  
  I could not help but wonder though, how many of these white supporters would have been on their side, or fought as diligently for them as they did, had Ellen not passed as white.
  
  Through their words, one sees that at least some people were bothered by her having been a slave because she looked like them. It seemed many of them weren't as bothered about William, who was dark skinned, having been enslaved.
  
  Even among Abolitionists, racism was rampant. In the words of one pastor-turned-activist, "Ellen Craft… is a woman who may be called beautiful; she has no trace of African blood discernible in her features, eyes, cheeks, nose, or hair". 
  
  At least this man went on to point out, that it was "no worse or wickeder" for this white-looking woman to be enslaved than it was for "the blackest woman that ever was", while noting the prejudice displayed by whites who were "a thousand times more deeply" bothered by a white-passing woman being enslaved than a dark-skinned woman. 
  
  This is an incredible story and one that had me holding my breath at times, terrified Ellen and William would be caught. It had me cheering when they were finally safe. It had me furious at the injustices they endured. It had me marveling at the strength, bravery, and determination of these two people to find a life of freedom where they could have children who would not know the terror and suffering they had known as enslaved human beings. 
  
  There is a photograph section at the end of the book that I enjoyed seeing, though I wish there were more photos of the Crafts available. Thankfully though, at least there are the one shown at the top of this review, and this one of Ellen in disguise as a young white man, during their escape:
  
  
  (Image: "Ellen Craft escaped slave" from "The Underground Railroad from Slavery to Freedom" by Wilbur Henry Siebert, 1898.)
  
  I highly recommend this book. It's a story that should be more well known and I'm thankful for the chance to read about these amazing people and their courage and fortitude in finding freedom.
• 
  Montzalee Wittmann

  Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom
  By Ilyon Woo
  This is a true story and follows the couple from their idea to death. What a story! I had never heard of the Crafts before. During my school age period, it was whitewashed as much as the Republicans are trying to make it now.
  
  This is Ellen and William Craft. Slaves in Georgia. A daring escape with Ellen dressing as a young white man of wealth but disabled. William as a pampered slave. Ellen was 3/4 white and could easily pass as white.
  
  I listened to the audio version from the library and looked up the photo Ellen took of her disguise without putting her arm in the sling with the wrapping and without the face wrap/bandages. She had scars on her arm and face so she had to hide them so this became part of her disguise. She couldn't write either so when she was asked to write her name to board the train, she would ask someone to sign for her since she couldn't write with the "injury". Many were glad to help the kind young man with the disabilities.
  
  The many famous people they met! The places they traveled to! Very fascinating! Very brave couple.
• 
  Scott Pearson

  I first heard the Crafts’ story as a student in American History class in a South Carolina high school. My teacher shared how the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 was first tested with a couple in Boston who recently escaped slavery. Mass protests made a mockery of the enslavers’ efforts, the Crafts eluded capture by escaping, and the slave-catchers returned to Georgia empty-handed. I remember that the story seemed more complicated than that, but even then, I did not pick up the nuances. Twenty-five years later, I reencountered the Crafts in Woo’s biography, and I learned their full story. Boy, I am grateful that I did so because it enlightened, entertained, and inspired me in many ways.
  
  William and Ellen Craft were born as enslaved people in early nineteenth-century Georgia. They met in Macon as adults. Ellen is nearly white in complexion, but by the “one-drop rule,” having one black parent made her black. By Georgia law, she was “owned” by her father. Both William and Ellen became skilled artisans, but earned money only for their “masters.” After falling in love, they plotted their escape. Ellen, a skilled seamstress, would dress as a privileged white man and leave Macon on a train, with William in tow appearing as her slave.
  
  They went from Macon, to Savannah, Charleston, Baltimore, and eventually Philadelphia, with many humorous yet frightening experiences along the way. They eventually ended up on the lecture circuit across New England in the late 1840s before settling in Boston. In the US Congress, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was formulated as a compromise between North and South. By federal law, Northern states would now have to allow slave-catchers freedom to re-enslave their “property.” The Crafts would be the first test case of Northern will.
  
  In Boston, a mob of free blacks, many with arms and sworn to fight to the death, encountered these Southern slave-catchers. After several days of getting the run-around, the hunters returned to Georgia unsuccessfully while the Crafts fled to Canada en route to Liverpool, England. They toured England on the lecture circuit, were formally educated how to read and write, and started a family. They continued to speak out against slavery and celebrated its ending in America in the 1860s.
  
  Kudos to Woo for revamping this story for the reading public! Anyone sympathetic to the human plight for freedom will find themselves in this book, especially students of history. Those engaged in professions of history, especially on the Eastern seaboard, will benefit from understanding how the culture of the original 13 colonies formed itself in America’s early years. We’ve been recently reminded that American history isn’t as far past as we might like to think, and this book can teach us how human ignorance and national politics can imprison us all. Thus, this book can help convey a sense of social justice in our present and future. Ellen and William Craft form noble – but sometimes tragic – heroes with creative, unique, entertaining stories. Their stories need to be known more widely, and Woo is a more-than-suitable translator for us today.
  
  
• 
  Audrey

  A riveting read about a formerly enslaved couple who have almost disappeared from history. Despite knowing the ending, be prepared to feel the tension and suspense on how Ellen and William Craft, escaped from the south to freedom in the North. But what's even more interesting, is what happened next as the two entered the lecture circuit, with well known abolitionists to advocate for ending slavery and the constant fear of being captured and forced down south again.
  
  I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
  
  ETA: Staff Pick 2/23
• 
  Ed

  I've written before about the gaps in my history lessons at school (including college). One such gap is the abolitionist movement prior to the Civil War. This well-written narrative of an enslaved couple escaping from their enslavers does a good job at filling in the gap. Their story is compelling, exciting. and amazing. It would make for a great movie.
• 
  Danielle

  {3.5}
  
  This is the true story of William and Ellen Craft, one that I have never heard about. In 1848, William and Ellen decided to make a daring almost impossible escape from slavery. Ellen, who was 3/4 white, decided to disguise herself as a disabled white man and board a train with her husband (and slave), William.
  
  
  The Craft’s traveled over 1000 miles from Georgia to the north to secure their freedom. The couple took trains, steamboats and carriages until they finally reached their destination. The Craft’s escape from slavery made major headlines with people cheering them on as well as enemies that wanted them returned to their owners.
  
  This book was very well researched. The beginning did a really good job describing the Crafts and their plan. However, it became over saturated with the history of the time period and less about the Crafts. A host of historical references were thrown in that really took away from the story.
  
• 
  Concinnous

  I've actually heard about this before and did a report on it at some point, but this looks absolutely fascinating! I would love to go further into the story and learn more!
• 
  Cassidy Youso

  So good! I'm not sure how hollywood hasn't gotten a hold of this epic story and made a movie out of it. I was sweating the whole time I was listening to the narrative of their escape from slavery.
• 
  Cynthia Dunn

  Somehow the author took what should have been an exciting and riveting story and made it dull and dry. One star for all the research that went into it.
• 
  Heidi Harris

  An excellent historical novel, I truly learned so much, including about the Crafts, who I’d never heard of before this book. I really looked forward to this book and I think my feelings were justified. However, I agree w other reviews of this book being detail-heavy and dry. There were parts that felt a bit like reading through a textbook and at times, it was tough to keep track of all the different names, roles, and the people they belonged to.
• 
  Kirsten Ribbink Hogan

  Historical is not my thing whatsoever. I did enjoy the first half of the book about the escape and how things were but lost a bit of interest later on once things got more factual.
• 
  Aundra

  In 1848, a year of international democratic revolt, a young, enslaved couple, Ellen and William Craft, achieved one of the boldest feats of self-emancipation in American history. Posing as master and slave, while sustained by their love as husband and wife, they made their escape together across more than 1,000 miles, riding out in the open on steamboats, carriages, and trains that took them from bondage in Georgia to the free states of the North.
  The book tells an amazing story that we all should know, how two people took a risk for a better life and Never forgot where they came from continued to take a risks to fight for equality for all people. They took risks and fought for our community all the way till the end. This is a story that needs to be taught to everyone.
• 
  Becky

  Incredible true story of how a slave couple in disguise escaped Georgia in 1850s. Then they escaped Boston and the fugitive slave law for Europe.
• 
  Kate Lawrence

  Five stars are not nearly enough for this remarkable--and very well written--true account of an enslaved Georgia couple who managed to escape to freedom in plain sight in 1848. That in itself makes the book worth reading, but then their subsequent lives as abolition activists in the North, after the Fugitive Slave Act was passed, continue to enthrall.
  I won't say more, so as not to include spoilers, but if you're an American history buff, and enjoy reading about heroism in the face of danger, pick this one up for sure!
• 
  Patty Hagar

  3.5 star. Historically fascinating and culturally important. I’d never heard of the Crafts and am so happy to become acquainted with their story. Interestingly woven people and occurrences that are familiar with the Craft’s journey that I didn’t know about. Well done but a bit dry and detail heavy for a full 4 star for me.
• 
  Tabitha

  The true story of Mr and Mrs. Kraft escaping slavery together by the passing wife disguise as a white male and her husband acting like her slave. This book chronolog their journey to freedom.
• 
  Janilyn Kocher

  A truly fascinating story. I had never heard of the Crafts’ story.
  A wife disguised as a man and her slave, her husband, embark on a daring and gutsy escape to the north. Woo frames their story against the broad context of American history, deepening the narrative.
  I was surprised their story was so openly broadcast once they reached Philadelphia because they were still in jeopardy.
  It’s an historic tale not to be forgotten.
  Thanks to Edelweiss and Simon Schuster for the advance copy.
• 
  Jeffrey

  I really enjoyed the historical aspect of this book. Having the author going more in-depth then just the Crafts gave me a much better understanding of this time period.
• 
  Cathy Doyle

  The story of Ellen and Willam Craft, who escaped from slavery with Ellen dressed as a white man. A well documented story of an interesting couple.