Set against the backdrop of the idyllic Tawawa House resort in the free state of Ohio, new author Dolen Perkins-Valdez spins a sonorous narrative about the brutal complexities of life and the immorality of slavery leading up to the Civil War in 'Wench.'
The story unfolds through the eyes of Lizzie, Reenie, and Sweet, whose friendships develop during their summer visits to Tawawa. But things take a dramatic turn when a stranger enters the scene and challenges their very beliefs.
The mysterious red-maned woman, Mawu, encourages them to escape from slavery. With that suggestion, their lives take on a dramatic emotional shift as they begin to contemplate leaving behind everything they know and love. Then a fire tears through the resort, forcing them to "bear witness to the end of an era.''
"Lizzie ran the day over and over through her mind,'' Perkins-Valdez writes. "From the girl with the burned legs-the way the skin merely looked sunburned-to the oozing sores on Mawu's arms. From the dark smoke rising from the cottage to the empty feeling in her stomach that came with the knowledge that she was the only one of the four left.'' She later earns the name "Wench'' for reasons that come to light in the story.
'Wench' is a compelling read and a great debut novel for Perkins-Valdez, whose fiction and essays have appeared in 'The Kenyon Review,' 'The African American Review,' the 'North Carolina Literary Review' and the 'Richard Wright Newsletter.' A native of Memphis, she graduated from Harvard University. She splits her time between Washington, D.C, and Seattle.
Comments: (12)
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By: Tea on 2/05/2010 4:59PM
Oh my! This is dramatic. Can't wait to read it. Good, good luck to this new author.
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By: Donna on 2/05/2010 3:11PM
It is so gratifying and refreshing to see such powerful and eloquent writing. Dolen definitely has a gift that readers should make sure that they treasure. And I hope that Wench is just the first of many novels from Dolen. Congrats girl!
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By: Jeanna McClure on 2/05/2010 3:14PM
Great Book! The author's creativity manifested on paper is awesome! Just imagining what it must have been like for these slaves struggling with being soo close to freedom, but not wanting to leave behind their loved ones.
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By: Catherine Delors on 2/05/2010 3:18PM
Amazing debut novel!
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By: TJ Michaels, author on 2/05/2010 9:35PM
I was previously unfamiliar with this author, but I've seen so many awesome reviews on this book in regard to the strength of the writing, the uniqueness of the story and the excellence of the writer's delivery that it's been placed at the top of my TBR pile!
TJ
www.tjmichaels.com
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By: Precious Williams on 2/06/2010 3:24PM
This novel isn't available here in the UK yet but I managed to read an excerpt online and I loved what I read!
The premise of the story is captivating and from the few pages of the novel I've managed to access so far, I am excited! Can't wait to read the book.
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By: Alisha on 2/06/2010 11:33PM
A writer couldn't ask for a better debut novel. Perkins-Valdez writes eloquently to tell a story that many don't know or understand. Everyone should read it!
Alisha
www.alishawritinglife.wordpress.com
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By: KE on 2/12/2010 7:22PM
A deeply moving book that explores the difficult issues of slavery, violence, dehumanization, and loss? Great debut novel!
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By: Anita Shaw on 2/09/2010 4:10PM
This was a really good read. What my dad says is a page turner. Could not put the book down until he was finished.
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By: Sue on 2/10/2010 12:49PM
I could not put this book down. I grew up in Ohio and know where the resort that is talked about in this book used to be. That area is now WILBERFORCE UNIVERSITY. Even though the characters are fiction, their stories are real. Great book! I can't wait for the author's next one.
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