{"product_id":"wench-a-novel-isbn-9780061706561","title":"Wench: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWench \u003c\/em\u003eby Dolen Perkins-Valdez is startling and original fiction that raises provocative questions of power and freedom, love and dependence. An enchanting and unforgettable novel based on little-known fact, \u003cem\u003eWench \u003c\/em\u003ecombines the narrative allure of \u003cem\u003eCane\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e River\u003c\/em\u003e by Lalita Tademy and the moral complexities of Edward P. Jones’s \u003cem\u003eThe Known World \u003c\/em\u003eas it tells the story of four black enslaved women in the years preceding the Civil War. A stunning debut novel, \u003cem\u003eWench\u003c\/em\u003e marks author Perkins-Valdez—previously a finalist for the 2009 Robert Olen Butler Short Fiction Prize—as a writer destined for greatness.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cblockquote\u003ewench \\'wench\\ n. from Middle English “wenchel,”1 a: a girl, maid, young woman; a female child.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\u003cp\u003eSituated in Ohio, a free territory before the Civil War, Tawawa House isan idyllic retreat for Southern white men who vacation there every summerwith their enslaved black mistresses. It’s their open secret. Lizzie,Reenie, and Sweet are regulars at the resort, building strong friendships over theyears. But when Mawu, as fearless as she is assured, comes along and starts talkingof running away, things change. To run is to leave everything behind, and forsome it also means escaping from the emotional and psychological bonds thatbind them to their masters. When a fire on the resort sets off a string of tragedies,the women of Tawawa House soon learn that triumph and dehumanization areinseparable and that love exists even in the most inhuman, brutal of circumstances—all while they bear witness to the end of an era.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn engaging, page-turning, and wholly original novel, \u003cem\u003eWench\u003c\/em\u003e explores, withan unflinching eye, the moral complexities of slavery.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“In her debut, Perkins-Valdez eloquently plunges into a dark period of American history. . . . Heart-wrenching, intriguing, original and suspenseful, this novel showcases Perkins-Valdez’s ability to bring the unfortunate past to life.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[A] memorable first novel . . . Readers of historical fiction centering on Southern women’s stories like Lalita Tademy’s Cane River or Lee Smith’s On Agate Hill will be moved by the skillful portrayal of Lizzie’s precarious situation and the tragic stories of her fellow slaves.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“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. ” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTayari Jones, author of Leaving Atlanta and The Untelling\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A shattering story told with dignity, compassion, and some wicked humor. A brave, honest, beautifully written book that will shock and move readers to much new awareness.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSigrid Nunez, author of The Last of Her Kind and A Feather on the Breath of God\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBookPage\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A fabulously creative and daring historical novel .” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDawn Turner Trice, Chicago Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Dolen Perkins-Valdez’s debut novel, \u003ci\u003eWench\u003c\/i\u003e, is outstanding: well crafted, imaginative, spellbinding, and above all satisfying.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWorld Literature Today\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[A] fascinating and tragic story. . . . [A] compulsive read.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNPR.org, Book Club Pick\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[A] memorable and engaging debut.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal, Best Books of 2010\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“This elegantly-structured novel sheds much-needed light on the racial intricacies of America’s past.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMargaret Cezair-Thompson, author of The Pirate's Daughter (a #1 Indie Next Pick)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A striking debut intimately limns a Southern slave’s complicated relationship with her master. . . . Compelling and unsentimental.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Perkins-Valdez manages to shed a poetic light on one of the ugliest chapters in American history.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEssence\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTown \u0026amp; Country\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A powerful story.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSequim Gazette\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A mesmerizing read.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSeattle Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Absolutely phenomenal. . . . \u003ci\u003eWench\u003c\/i\u003e 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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSacramento Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Network Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A finely wrought story that explores the emotional lives of four slave women caught in the web of the Peculiar Institution.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLalita Tademy, author of Cane River and Red River\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A heartbreaker, full of understated tragedy and lyrical prose. . . . Perkins-Valdez has woven a devastatingly beautiful account of a cruel past.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePeople\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Readers entranced by \u003ci\u003eThe Help\u003c\/i\u003e will be equally riveted by Wench. A deeply moving, beautifully written novel told from the heart.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJeffrey Lent, author of In the Fall  and A Peculiar Grace\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Amistad","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888630722789,"sku":"NP9780061706561","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780061706561.jpg?v=1730229487","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/wench-a-novel-isbn-9780061706561","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}