Narrative of Sojourner Truth brings together the 1850 dictated memoir of Sojourner Truth—a formerly enslaved woman who became a traveling preacher, abolitionist, and women’s rights advocate—with later correspondence and contextual material. Written down by Olive Gilbert and framed by Truth’s own public voice, the narrative moves from her childhood in bondage in New York through her self‑emancipation, legal battles, and speaking life on the antislavery circuit. This Penguin Classics edition adds a substantial introduction by historian Nell Irvin Painter, who situates Truth’s life within nineteenth‑century Black activism and the politics of memory.

WHY WE PICKED IT
Because it is both a foundational Black abolitionist text and a record of how one woman insisted on being heard in her own time. Narrative of Sojourner Truth is a strong pick for readers of U.S. history, Black studies, women’s history, and anyone who wants to encounter Truth’s story as more than a single famous speech.

DETAILS
• Author: Sojourner Truth
• Editor/Introduction: Nell Irvin Painter
• Original amanuensis: Olive Gilbert
• Publisher: Penguin Classics
• Publication Date: November 1, 1998
• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 9780140436785
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