The moving testimonies of five African-American women comprise this unflinching account of slavery in the pre-Civil War American South. Covering a wide range of narrative styles, the voices provide authentic recollections of hardship, frustration, and hope—from Mary Prince’s groundbreaking account of a lone woman’s tribulations and courage, the spiritual awakening of "Old Elizabeth, " and Mattie Jackson’s record of personal achievements, to the memoirs of Kate Drumgoold and Annie L. Burton.A compelling, authentic portrayal of women held as slaves in the antebellum South, these remarkable stories of courage and perseverance will be required reading for students of literature, history, and African-American studies.