51 pages 1 hour read

Stephanie Camp

Closer to Freedom

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2002

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Before You Read

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Super Short Summary

Closer to Freedom by feminist historian Stephanie Camp explores how enslaved women in the plantation South resisted their oppression through everyday acts of defiance. Focusing on mobility and space, Camp examines how women navigated a "rival geography" to resist containment and assert limited autonomy. Sensitive topics include violence and sexual assault.

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

Stephanie Camp's Closer to Freedom offers a nuanced examination of resistance among enslaved women in the antebellum South. Reviewers praise its innovative use of personal narratives and its focus on spatial dynamics of oppression and resistance. However, some critics wished for a broader geographical scope. Overall, it's a valuable, though niche, contribution to slavery studies.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Closer to Freedom?

Readers who appreciate Closer to Freedom by Stephanie Camp will likely be drawn to African American history, slavery studies, and gender studies. Fans of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs or Ar'n't I a Woman? by Deborah Gray White will find this book insightful and compelling.

RecommendedReading Age

18+years

Book Details

Themes

Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Topics

Race / Racism

Education

History: U.S.

Genre

Education

American Literature