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Wench
By Perkins-Valdez, Dolen
Wench
In her debut, Perkins-Valdez eloquently plunges into a dark period of American history . . . Heart-wrenching, intriguing, original, and suspenseful, this novel showcases [the author's] ability to bring the unfortunate past to life.--"Publishers Weekly."
- SKU
- 9780061706561
- Size
- --- No value ---
Details
Authors:
Perkins-Valdez, Dolen
Copyright:
2010
Format:
Paperback
GTIN13:
9780061706561
ISBN10:
0061706566
Page Count:
320
Dimensions:
5.2x0.9x7.9
Publisher:
Amistad Press
Jacket Notes:
wench \'wench\ n. from Middle English "wenchel,"1 a: a girl, maid, young woman; a female child.
Situated 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.
An engaging, page-turning, and wholly original novel, Wench explores, withan unflinching eye, the moral complexities of slavery.
Strand Notes
Situated in Ohio, a free territory before the Civil War, Tawawa House is an idyllic retreat for southern white men who vacation there every summer with their enslaved black mistresses. It's their open secret. Lizzie, Reenie, and Sweet are regulatrs at the resort, building strong friendships over the years. but when Mawu, as fearless as she is assured, comes along and starts talking of running away, things change. To run is to leave everything behind, and for some it also means escaping from the emotional and psychological bonds that bind 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 are inseparable and that love exists even in the most inhuman, brutal of circumstances. 290p.
Description
Wench by 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, Wench combines the narrative allure of Cane River by Lalita Tademy and the moral complexities of Edward P. Jones's The Known World as it tells the story of four black enslaved women in the years preceding the Civil War. A stunning debut novel, Wench marks author Perkins-Valdez--previously a finalist for the 2009 Robert Olen Butler Short Fiction Prize--as a writer destined for greatness.
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