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• Frederick Douglas, the famous abolitionist, was a complicated man. While fighting for the end of slavery in the US, he juggled two women, a Black woman who bore four children for him and a white woman who supported him in his endeavors and was his traveling companion. This is history. Jewell Parker Rhodes took this history—and did much research—to come up with her fictional account of the lives of these two women. Alternating her tale between the two, she has created an incredible novel that not only tells a compelling (and perhaps mostly true) story while using her evocative writing to enhance and elaborate. She peppers her story with legend: both women are haunted—perhaps not the right word here—by the dead and the living. Anna, the wife, is a free Black woman when she meets Douglass and instantly falls in love. She has grown up poor, cannot read or write, but she has the upbringing her mother has given her and the folk tales she has been told to guide her life. Ottilie, the mistress, is a free-thinking German-born woman who cares not what others may think of her relationship with Douglass, but she is haunted by the suicide of a slave woman she witnessed on her sailing journey to the US. Rhodes intricately and beautifully weaves these folk elements into the stories and lives of the two women. Rhodes freely admits her story is fiction, but it is so couched in the truth that we want to believe it. And I’m very certain the essence of it is very true.

• Ms. Rhodes is an excellent writer. Her research is nearly flawless, attest to her citations at the end of the book. Her added fiction builds a passionate, emotional story. "Douglass' Women" is about two very different women loving the same strong, ex-slave, abolitionist, a writer. I believe Ms. Rhodes knew Frederick Douglass had to be included in the story to understand his women. He is an escaped slave afraid of being enslaved again, even by the women in his life. Consequently, he juggles them, accepting their love with little emotional return. Anna Murray Douglass is a free black woman. She's the stronger of the two women, the realist. She gives her hard-earned money to Freddy to escape his slave master. He later marries her. Anna says Freddy is "Samson-man, standing, perched on the edge of his horizon." She does not like the name Frederick Bailey Douglass, feels it beyond her as his mate. Anna is steadfast in her loyalty and self-confidence and suffers his infidelity. Ottilie Assing, a German-Jewish woman, teaches him to read and write, and uses his ego and hatred of bondage to keep him near. He becomes Frederick to Ottilie. She is indispensable with her money and time helping him pursue his career. She clearly has a way out of the mistress role, but is too much of a romantic in love to accept the reality of her situation. Both women suffer the pains of unreciprocated love, heartache from their "great man." Anna says, "Freddy never really learned to love." I can only conclude that Frederick, husband, lover, and abolitionist is mentally disturbed as a result of his years as a slave. Freedom is the only thing he seems to focus on. This proves to create both bad and good events in his life. Nevertheless, he needs sexual love, takes it wherever he can get it, when he wants it. Yet, it does not interfere with his plans, in spite of the fact that he fathers five children with Anna. Every page kept me immersed, kept me wondering what next. Jewell Parker Rhodes penned vivid fictional pictures of strong characters, which reflects her ability to understand humankind. It left me wanting to learn more about Douglass, in his words. What an excellent read!

• This book opened up a vast new world for me. With historical fiction I like to do as much research as possible so I can distinguish between fact and fiction pretty clearly. The facts in this book aligned pretty closely with the fiction. I’m sure there are places where the author took liberty to embellish parts of the book but I have no idea where that would be. the 2 main women in Douglass’ life were written in complete contrast to what I would have expected but that made the story that much more enjoyable. Frederick Douglas led an interesting life and now I can’t wait to read his autobiography

• This is an excellent novel that stirs many feelings and even passions as you wade through the complexities of the main characters. It certainly gives insight into a powerful, beloved African American hero and fighter against slavery while upholding human dignity.

• I'm Bipolar now...reason being...I have gone through so many different emotions reading this book. I have almost cried, became angry and laughed to keep from crying. I felt sorry for Anna, having been the one to finance Freddy's freedom only to get dumped on and ignored for the rest of her life. Except for the short visits which left her pregnant. I can actually see why she wouldn't want to learn to read, she wanted to at first because she admired Freddy, but later on she despised it. And then to have him actually move his lover in the house...okay wait a minute. I have no sympathy at all for Ottilie. Anyway, this was a great book and if I could give it more stars I would.

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