Black Woman's Odyssey Through Russia and Jamaica: The Narrative of Nancy Prince

by Nancy Prince

Memories of Africa, pre-civil war New England, political turmoil in Russia, the end of slavery in Jamaica, and Caribbean pirates; an intrepid black woman experiences many turning points in world history. Nancy Prince paints a blunt picture of the struggle of free blacks to make a living in the North. When Boston failed to provide her with a livable wage, she and her husband found employment on a boat bound for Russia. A black household servant was a rare commodity in the land of the czars, and Prince was well compensated in St. Petersburg.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, African American

124 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1989

Reviews

[cait · Rating 1 out of 5]

no offense to mrs. prince but this was just so weirdly written that it was just not enjoyable to me. I think she had a keen eye but perhaps not a keen temperament for writing.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very important book, but not a very readable book. My 2 stars simply indicates that I found it nearly impossible to follow. HOWEVER, a book by a black woman from this time period is of very very great importance. My problem was reading it like a book, not for its importance to our understanding of the incredible difficulties for woman and especially black women

[Loralai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, some sections were written quite poetically and had a rather optimistic tone to them. Her writing was very eloquent, although it sometimes did not grab my attention and I became lost due to a lack of focus on the narrative. Perhaps this is a personal problem because of my disinterest in maritime works. Otherwise though, it was a very well-done piece of writing.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

She lead a fascinating life and her story is important. I learned about her on a plaque in newburyport MA - The book is not well written- someone should investigate her life and rewrite this or make it a movie

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

i don’t know why the ratings on this book are so low