The mysterious author of The Bondwoman's Narrative. Who was Hannah Crafts?📄🔍

A bookish mystery for the ages! Who was the author behind The Bondwoman’s Narrative? Was her name really Hannah Crafts? And was she actually a Black woman? These questions and more arose when Henry Louis Gates Jr. found a long-lost manuscript that appeared to have been written by a formerly enslaved Black woman.📄✍🏽
Though the manuscript was published in 2002 and became a New York Times bestseller, it would be decades before the author’s identity was finally revealed. Join me as we embark on a bookish curiosity voyage to solve a 150-year-old mystery and discover-at last-the true identity of the author behind The Bondwoman’s Narrative. 🔍🐛
⚠️ Trigger warning: slavery, SA, infant mortality
📝 Point of clarification: At the time when this story begins, Swann Galleries in New York held annual auctions of Printed and Manuscript Americana, but as of the date this video is being posted, their website suggests this practice is no longer conducted annually. For more information, please visit the Swann Galleries website: www.swanngalleries.com/
📃 Yale Library Collections (view the full scanned manuscript):
collections.library.yale.edu/...
📚Affiliate Links📚:
⭐ The Bondwoman’s Narrative by Hannah Crafts
bookshop.org/a/99851/97804466...
⭐ The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts by Greg Hechimovich
bookshop.org/a/99851/97800623...
❤️ Support indie bookstores! Use code BHM24 to save 15% on selected titles written by Black authors (available Feb 1-29, 2024) at bookshop.org/info/black-histo...
Find me on:
🌟G O O D R E A D S: / hannah-greendale
🌟I N S T A G R A M: / hannahgreendale
🌟S T O R Y G R A P H: app.thestorygraph.com/profile...
🌟X: / hannahgreendale
🌟W I S H L I S T: bookshop.org/wishlists/4339f8...
💌 Business inquiries only: [e-mail]
Chapters:
00:00 Hello, bookworm
00:46 How it started
06:14 About the book
09:42 Determining race
13:32 Searching for Hannah Crafts
15:46 There's more!
17:03 Timeline of Hannah's life
21:52 Book recs
23:28 Happy reading!
#thebondwomansnarrative #hannahcrafts #blackauthors #bhmbooks #blackhistorymonth #thelifeandtimesofhannahcrafts #history #hellobookworm #mystery #mustreads #history #blackhistory #bhm #reading #deepdive #books #booktube

[@kamidsjournee]

I love historical biography/autobiographies. Thank you for sharing your review here. The determination of ppl amazes me.

[@hellobookworm]

My pleasure. ☺ I'm glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for watching.

[@ReadingIDEAS.-uz9xk]

Best wishes with your reading choices this year. I hope they make you happy.

[@BoomerBookings-yf2de]

I knew I should not have tuned in. I just added both books to my library by going straight to Amazon and ordering them. You tell a good story that I bet has those books flying off the shelves. Liberty.

[@hellobookworm]

🐛What a lovely compliment. ☺ Thank you! I hope you enjoy the books. Happy reading!

[@stephenoconnor520]

Hannah, this is so good. I'm so glad you're doing these again...and in this way which is so very natural and intimate. Thank you

[@hellobookworm]

Thank you so much, Stephen! This video was a lot of work but also so fun to make and exciting to share. I appreciate you watching it. Cheers!

[@Beach652]

Super interesting! I'd never heard of any of this but am very intrigued now. Glad the author's manuscript made it into safe hands and that she found liberty. 😊

[@hellobookworm]

🐛Thank you for watching this video! I'm glad you found it interesting. ☺

[@Leoslittlebooklife]

So fascinating and intriguing! And well narrated, Hannah!

[@hellobookworm]

Thank you, Leo!

[@mf4900]

Wow, wow, wow, Hannah. This is incredible. I need to read both -- and I've recommended to a bibliophile friend as well. She is going to LOVE this. I got chills. Thanks for taking all the time to put this one together.

[@hellobookworm]

Thank you so much for watching! I'm really glad you enjoyed it. 🥰 I hope you and your bibliophile friend enjoy the book, and I'd love to hear your thoughts once you've had a chance to read The Bondwoman's Narrative. Happy reading!

[@TomerArmarnik]

Wow what a real life mystery of this fascinating book. Thank you for sharing with us here the true life search for liberty.

[@hellobookworm]

🐛😉

Just found your channel. Welcome to booktube, great that you've joined.

[@StephenYoder]

Fascinating. Well done. Oh, Liberty?

[@hellobookworm]

🐛😉 Thank you, Stephen. And thanks for watching!

[@jackgladney]

This is fascinating. Thank you for sharing the story.

[@hellobookworm]

I had such fun diving into this story and reading these books. I'm glad you found the story fascinating too. Thanks for watching!

[@lu5587]

I love the way you presented this books! They seem like great reads, I’ll try to find both of them. Liberty! Such a great video!!

[@hellobookworm]

🐛I'm so excited for you to read these books (especially The Bondwoman's Narrative!). I'd love to hear your thoughts on the books once you finish reading them. Cheers!

[@jeanettepaulson4525]

I loved this discussion. I paused you and went in search of it!

[@hellobookworm]

I'm so happy to hear that! ☺📚

[@lucyc5131]

Such an interesting narrative (and even better when it's real life). Really interesting in reading this book now! Liberty :)

[@hellobookworm]

🐛I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Lucy. I'd love to know your thoughts on the book once you have a chance to read it. Cheers!

[@JLo1701]

Very interesting, thank you for sharing. Liberty

[@hellobookworm]

🐛Thanks for watching! I'm gad you enjoyed it.

[@icantswim222]

Wow! Hannah, you created an amazing video here. This was truly informative and enlightening. Thank you very much for generously spending your time to prepare and share this fascinating history with us.

[@hellobookworm]

Thank you, Heather. I'm so glad you enjoyed it and found it fascinating. ☺

[@MemphisJones]

Your channel just came up on my list, welcome to booktube! I'm so glad this video came my way. I can't wait to read this book. This is amazing! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@hellobookworm]

That's wonderful! I'm so glad you're excited about the book. I'd love to know your thoughts on the book once you read it. Happy reading!

[@MemphisJones]

@@hellobookworm I will try to remember to follow up when I'm done

[@markhayward9764]

Thank you. Really interesting. Liberty.

[@hellobookworm]

🐛

[@lennyscastilloart8162]

OMG!! I couldn't watch till the end .. I just want to read both books now 💛

[@hellobookworm]

I'll take that as a compliment! ☺I hope you enjoy the books. Please stop by once you've finished them and let me know your thoughts. Happy reading!

[@lennyscastilloart8162]

It is!.. I just skipped the end of the second book cause I want to get it and find out reading it.. but your analysis is so compelling and inspiring and exciting! I love this video and your way to look at books and I can't way to watch more from you. Thank you so much for sharing your amazing mind and findings 🫂 @@hellobookworm

[@Justin_WithThreeDots]

Very interesting, thanks for putting this together! I just put in a request from the library for The Bondwoman's Narrative (and I see they have the work by Hecimovich too, so maybe I'll get that one eventually as well)

[@hellobookworm]

Oh, that's wonderful! I'm so excited for you to read The Bondwoman's Narrative. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the book once you finish it. Happy reading!

[@Justin_WithThreeDots]

@@hellobookworm I finally got this book, though unfortunately I didn’t like it as much as you did. Having said that, since I’ve finished it and thought more about it I’ve realised that some of what I didn’t like simply boiled down to unfair expectations, and I realised that I was reacting to a stylistic choice rather than poor writing. Specifically, I was having problems with the numerous occasions when things would be going poorly--sometimes even close to death--and then seemingly out of the blue a solution would fall into place a little too neatly. Having thought about it though, there was a lot of planning, suffering, action being taken, etc., and so it’s probably not fair to say it’s “out of the blue” as if by random chance. Rather, one of the central themes is trusting in God, so it’d make sense if the narrative was combining taking action yourself with being helped along with God-given help, and being unforeseen or unexpected would fit well when it comes to divine intervention. Anyway, thanks for bringing the book to my attention, I'm glad to have read it!

[@hellobookworm]

@@Justin_WithThreeDots Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Justin. I think you make a keen observation about this book and the role trust in God plays in her story. I'm happy you're glad to have read it, and I hope your next read proves even more enjoyable.

[@MemphisJones]

Liberty!!!!!!

[@hellobookworm]

🐛

[@marybrotnitsky1461]

❤freedom❤

[@kellypriede6613]

Liberty! Hanna is free.

[@hellobookworm]

🐛Thanks for watching, Kelly!