Drawing from interviews that the New Deal"s Works Progress Administration conducted with former slaves in the 1930s, this book presents firsthand accounts of what life was like from the perspective of enslaved women. Of the nearly 2500 narratives, approximately two thirds of them are from women. In searching for the most compelling stories, Minges discovered some common themes, which include witch/doctor, friends/families, mother/child, and Jezebel/Mammy. These stories contain dramatic images of life and death, pain and perseverance, devastation and deliverance-all related by the women whose memories serve as a record and reflection of this turbulent time in American history.