3.5. The more I sit with this book, the more my feelings shift back and forth. Initially, I gave it four stars because I couldn't deny that the writing was good. It’s a read that breezes by while being both saddening and cruel. Yellow Wife also provides insight to the experiences of mixed women during slavery and the unlimited ways one can be held captive. But after much thought, I've settled on 3.5 stars—and here's why:

I’m not someone who typically enjoys loosely fictionalized perspectives of slavery. Especially those based around real people and the very raw and true traumatic experiences of that time. Without a doubt, the subject is critically important, and I recognize that many readers are only exposed to these topics through fictional experiences. Though this particular story is about a woman who experienced so much in enslavement and in her freedom! While I do respect the authors attempt; there’s just so many nonfiction accounts that honor these histories without veering into dramatization, which is something I kept returning to while reading Yellow Wife.

The novel fictionalizes the story of Mary Lumpkin through Phoebe. As a Virginian familiar with Mary Lumpkin's story—a tragic yet profound piece of Virginia's history—I found this definitely affected my rating. The author placed focus on the varying dark aspects of her life, but left me feeling that the depth and nuance of her resilience were overshadowed. It came across as attempt to raise the question of how Phoebe, a captured woman, felt about her oppressor and abuser in a light that didn’t feel appropriate. In addition, Phoebe’s character often came across as naive and reckless. I figured this played into the innocence of the character and a reminder that she, like Mary, was a child when forced to be a parent. It simultaneously ignored the sad reality that black girls of this time were abused into womanhood and therefore Phoebe would’ve been deeply aware of her decisions and the costs of them.

Moreover, the book's ending felt rushed. It’s not that I was surprised by how things unfolded—especially knowing the real history—but I was left feeling like the story deserved more resolution. Being fictionalized I think it would’ve been more interesting creating a full story for Phoebe and her children outside of enslavement. This could’ve opened even more conversation around colorism and passing at that time. Additionally, this book is one that initiates conversations about complicity, survival, and sacrifice. Yet I never felt these threads got the development they warranted. Early parts reminded me of *They Were Her Property* in its exploration of how white women upheld slavery—a fascinating angle that I wish had been more thoroughly explored here. As well as wrapping an ending that leaves out the large successes of the real life person for which Phoebe is inspired.