Master Slave Husband Wife

An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom

By: Ilyon Woo

Narrated by: Janina Edwards, Leon Nixon

Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

One of The New York Times’s 10 Best Books of 2023
New York Times Bestseller
Named a best book of 2023 by The New Yorker, Time, NPR, Smithsonian Magazine, Boston, Chicago Public Library, Oprah Daily, and People

The remarkable true story of Ellen and William Craft, who escaped slavery through daring, determination, and disguise, with Ellen passing as a wealthy, disabled White man and William posing as “his” slave.

In 1848, a year of international democratic revolt, a young, enslaved couple, Ellen and William Craft, achieved one of the boldest feats of self-emancipation in American history. Posing as master and slave, while sustained by their love as husband and wife, they made their escape together across more than 1,000 miles, riding out in the open on steamboats, carriages, and trains that took them from bondage in Georgia to the free states of the North.

Along the way, they dodged slave traders, military officers, and even friends of their enslavers, who might have revealed their true identities. The tale of their adventure soon made them celebrities, and generated headlines around the country. Americans could not get enough of this charismatic young couple, who traveled another 1,000 miles criss-crossing New England, drawing thunderous applause as they spoke alongside some of the greatest abolitionist luminaries of the day—among them Frederick Douglass and William Wells Brown.

But even then, they were not out of danger. With the passage of an infamous new Fugitive Slave Act in 1850, all Americans became accountable for returning refugees like the Crafts to slavery. Then yet another adventure began, as slave hunters came up from Georgia, forcing the Crafts to flee once again—this time from the United States, their lives and thousands more on the line and the stakes never higher.

With three epic journeys compressed into one monumental bid for freedom, Master Slave Husband Wife is an American love story—one that would challenge the nation’s core precepts of life, liberty, and justice for all—one that challenges us even now.

©2023 Ilyon Woo. All rights reserved. (P)2023 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Absolutely fascinating

Riveting history, perfectly delivered as narrative nonfiction, both inspiring and painful. I thank you.

Essential reading.

A journey of exceptional interest that should be read by all to help understand the national tragedy, which continues today, albeit in covert guise.

An Inspiring Account of Courage and Moral Victory in the Face of Systemic Racism and US Hypocrisy

A moving and sobering account of courage and intelligence against systemic racism, smartly woven through the history of the day. The story, its impact and that of its principal characters and their descendants, are reminders of resilience rendered and still needed in opposing affronts, past and current, intended to deny people of color the most basic right of equal existence. It refutes the stereotype of Black inferiority while highlighting the inherent hypocrisy of a country/society built and existing on intentional disparities and contradictions. A highly recommended read.

Great story

A beautiful love story that needed to be told yet too long winded. I struggled to finish but learned so much history.

An Important Story

What immediately struck me about this book was the terminology the author used to the people who owned other people, and also for the people in bondage. The language was not inflammatory, but consistently referring to those people as "enslavers" instead of "masters" made me realize the rosy lens that US History was presented to me through in school. I'm very glad I read this book because it helped me to see all the places where my understanding of this evil time in our history had been whited out.

Eye Opening!

This is a must read! An amazing and fascinating story with details of the era that should never be forgotten.

Gripping from start to finish

There are few books I have listened to that so completely held my attention as this gripping true narrative of Ellen's and William's flight from slavery in Georgia to New England and beyond.
The scale of injustice they faced throughout their lives was heart-rending. And yet they kept going, striving, and working to help others. The strength of this book is that it places their personal struggles squarely in the context of the abolition movement, the political compromise that led to the Fugitive Slave Act and its contribution to eventual civil war.
I highly recommend this audible book which tells the documented story, the history, the background dynamics and the eventual trajectory of one enslaved couple and their family.

The female narrator was pretty awful

For no clear reason, the narration of this book was done by a man for certain chapters and a woman by other chapters. This was not done for dialogue, but just for different chapters. The man was good, but the woman was pretty awful. Parts of her narration involved French pronunciations she had no ability to do. Other parts of her narration required an English accent, but she could not do that either. Instead, she substituted an American southern accent for an English accent. The producers should have just stuck with the male narrator. The story itself was very good and the writing was excellent.

An incredible journey to freedom

This story was well written and narrated. Although an historical and biographical account of the Krafts it an exciting story of ingenuity, perseverance and love infused with adventure and danger. All very real. If you are a student of history this is an important read.

Lover of documentaries

Never tiring of a good documentary, this book certainly fulfilled. A constant desire to better understand our true history that is to often screened for covering up or washing over unpleasantries, so that we may ALL better become the free … a nation for the people and by the people, as our forefathers and foremothers envisioned.