Minnies Sacrifice by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Paperback Book 9781513271736

Minnies Sacrifice 1869 is a novel by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Originally serialized in the Christian Recorder Minnies Sacrifice is a rediscovered work of fiction from one of nineteenth century Americas most prominent black writers and activists The novel which addresses such themes as miscegenation passing and the institutionalized rape of enslaved women is a vastly underappreciated work that repurposes the story of Moses to tell a tale with a powerful political message On a plantation in the American South a slave named Miriam mourns the untimely death of her only daughter Agnes who succumbed while giving birth to a baby boy in their cabin at the edge of Mr Le Croixs property left her son in her mothers care Visiting Miriams cabin later that day Camilla the masters daughter discovers a blondhaired blueeyed boy Bringing this to the attention of her father Camilla proposes that the boy be sent away from the plantation to be brought up as white Unable to accept that the boy should be considered a slave Camilla begs her father to take the child north all the while failing to connect her own father to the boys birth After brief contemplation he nervously consents to her plan...