A fabulously creative and daring historical novel .
This elegantly-structured novel sheds much-needed light on the racial intricacies of America’s past.
Perkins-Valdez manages to shed a poetic light on one of the ugliest chapters in American history.
Perkins-Valdez crawls under your skin and probes most gracefully in clear, concise lyric prose, ultimately asking the question that only extraordinary fiction can ask—what would you have done? A superb and outstanding achievement.
Perkins-Valdez memorably portrays how the entwined destinies of chattel and master, increasingly related by blood, passion and hatred, prefigure the looming national conflict. This is an almost forgotten, but important, chapter in American history—recorded as fiction but nonetheless full of hard facts.
A powerful story.
A finely wrought story that explores the emotional lives of four slave women caught in the web of the Peculiar Institution.
Impressive. . . . There are countless stories to be told and to be read regarding the lingering emotional impact of slavery; and here, Perkins-Valdez has imagined a memorable one, her characters are framed within a well-crafted and expressive narrative.
Drawing on research about the resort that eventually became the first black college, Wilberforce University, the novel explores the complexities of relationships in slavery and the abiding comfort of women’s friendships.
A heartbreaker, full of understated tragedy and lyrical prose. . . . Perkins-Valdez has woven a devastatingly beautiful account of a cruel past.
Readers entranced by The Help will be equally riveted by Wench. A deeply moving, beautifully written novel told from the heart.
05/15/2016
In the 1850s, Tawawa House, an Ohio resort, became a popular summer destination for Southern slave owners and their enslaved mistresses. Four of the women develop a sisterly bond and confide in one another their deepest desire—freedom. VERDICT Told with guts and grit, Perkins-Valdez's debut sheds light on the complex history of slavery in the United States. (LJ 12/09)
Drawing on research about the resort that eventually became the first black college, Wilberforce University, the novel explores the complexities of relationships in slavery and the abiding comfort of women’s friendships.
Absolutely phenomenal. . . . Wench is an excellent novel that will appeal to many readers. Debut author Dolen Perkins-Valdez has crafted a historical narrative that shouldn’t be missed.
Dolen Perkins-Valdez’s debut novel, Wench, is outstanding: well crafted, imaginative, spellbinding, and above all satisfying.
Readers entranced by The Help will be equally riveted by Wench. A deeply moving, beautifully written novel told from the heart.
Through unforgettable characters and luscious prose, Wench stares down the difficult truths while never losing its beautiful beating heart. With all the weight of a historical excavation and the urgency of a page-turner, Perkins-Valdez establishes herself as a powerful new voice in fiction.
[E]lectrifying. . . . [T]his remarkable novel skillfully dramatizes a dark chapter in American history. Writing with lyrical grace and a gift for plot development, Perkins-Valdez has produced an inspiring portrait of four brave women and the risks they take to change their lives.
[A] fascinating and tragic story. . . . [A] compulsive read.
A mesmerizing read.
Perkins-Valdez memorably portrays how the entwined destinies of chattel and master, increasingly related by blood, passion and hatred, prefigure the looming national conflict. This is an almost forgotten, but important, chapter in American history—recorded as fiction but nonetheless full of hard facts.
Perkins-Valdez manages to shed a poetic light on one of the ugliest chapters in American history.
