The Age of Phillis

"The Age of Phillis" delves into the life and times of Phillis Wheatley, an African American woman who challenged Western prejudices about African and female intellectual capabilities. Award-winning writer Honorée Fanonne Jeffers based the book on fifteen years of archival research, exploring Wheatley's childhood in West Africa, her life with her white owners, her friendship with Obour Tanner, and her marriage to John Peters. Through poetry that reflects the era's political, religious, and philosophical upheaval, Jeffers foregrounds Wheatley's relationships with black people and their individual "mercies," painting a picture of a human being who lived and loved while making an indelible mark on history.