The author chose to use fictitious names and places not to protect herself, but out of consideration for others who might be affected by the publication of her story, demonstrating her compassion even while exposing the brutal truth of slavery.

This narrative stands out for its female perspective on slavery, its intimate portrayal of the sexual exploitation of enslaved women, and its detailed account of how motherhood complicated and motivated escape attempts.

The publication of this narrative provided crucial firsthand testimony of slavery's horrors from a female perspective, strengthening the abolitionist cause by revealing the particular cruelties faced by enslaved women and mothers, which helped galvanize Northern opposition to slavery.