Compelling 1860 narrative of escape from slavery in which the wife disguised herself as a man and the husband posed as her servant. Fascinating insights into19th-century issues of race, gender, and class.
Vathek, the ninth Caliph of the Abassides, was the son of Motassem and grandson of Haroun Al Raschid. His early accession to the throne and impressive talents led his subjects to expect a long and prosperous reign. While he possessed a pleasing and majestic appearance, his anger could transform his gaze into something terrifying, causing those who met it to fall back in fear, sometimes even to their demise. To avoid depopulating his realm, he rarely succumbed to rage. Vathek was known for his indulgence in women and lavish feasts, using his affability and boundless generosity to attract companions. Unlike Caliph Omar Ben Abdalaziz, he did not believe in sacrificing earthly pleasures for the promise of Paradise. His magnificence surpassed that of his predecessors; he expanded the palace of Alkoremmi, originally built by his father, by adding five wings or additional palaces dedicated to satisfying his senses. One such palace, named “The Eternal or Unsatiating Banquet,” featured tables perpetually laden with exquisite delicacies, with the finest wines and cordials flowing endlessly from numerous fountains, ensuring that the pleasures of the table were never in short supply.
The ten works collected in this volume demonstrate how a diverse group of writers challenged the conscience of a nation and laid the foundations of the African American literary tradition by expressing their in anger, pain, sorrow, and courage.Included in the Narrative of the Most Remarkable Particulars in the Life of James Albert Ukawsaw Gronniosaw ; Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano ; The Confessions of Nat Turner ; Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass ; Narrative of William W. Brown ; Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb ; Narrative of Sojouner Truth ; Ellen and William Craft's Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom ; Harriet Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and Narrative of the Life of J. D.Green .