This week History Through Fiction: The Podcast keeps rolling with Sadeqa Johnson, author of Yellow Wife. Named an O, the Oprah Magazine and SheReads, Most Anticipated Historical Fiction Books of 2021 Pick, Yellow Wife tells the story of Lumpkin’s Slave Jail as seen through the eyes of Pheby Delores Brown. In our conversation with Johnson, we chat about the moment that inspired her to tell this story, the importance of reading to inform your writing, and her secret to getting to know her characters on a deeper level. It’s a great conversation and you don’t want to miss it! 

Sadeqa Johnson is a former public relations manager who spent several years working with well-known authors such as JK Rowling, Bebe Moore Campbell, Amy Tan and Bishop TD Jakes before becoming an author herself. She is the award-winning author of four novels. Her accolades include being the recipient of the National Book Club Award, the Phillis Wheatley Award and the USA Best Book Award for best fiction. Her novel Yellow Wife was named one of the most anticipated historical novels of 2021 by O Magazine. She is a Kimbilo Fellow and a Tall Poppy Writer. She also teaches fiction writing for the MFA program at Drexel University.Originally from Philadelphia, she currently lives near Richmond, Virginia, with her husband and three children.