Yellow Wife: A Novel

Sadeqa Johnson

“Yellow Wife” by Sadeqa Johnson tells the harrowing story of Pheby Delores Brown, a mixed-race woman born into slavery in the antebellum South. Pheby, who has been shielded from the worst horrors of slavery thanks to her mother’s influence and promises of eventual freedom, grows up with hopes of a better future. However, when circumstances drastically change, Pheby finds herself sold to a notorious jailer, Ruben Lapier, who runs a slave jail in Richmond, Virginia. Rather than living the life of freedom she had envisioned, Pheby is forced to become Lapier’s mistress, or “yellow wife,” trapped in a world of cruelty and moral compromise.

Throughout the novel, Pheby navigates the complexities of her position as the jailer’s concubine, where she must balance her survival instincts with a desire to protect her children and those around her. Johnson explores the brutal realities of slavery while also shedding light on the resilience, strength, and agency of enslaved women. The novel is a gripping tale of sacrifice, survival, and the emotional toll of living in a deeply oppressive society. Pheby’s journey is one of painful choices and the internal conflict between her love for her family and the dark realities of the world she inhabits.