Wench (P.S.) - Softcover

"This elegantly-structured novel sheds much-needed light on the racial intricacies of America's past."--Margaret Cezair-Thompson, author of The Pirate's Daughter (a #1 Indie Next Pick)

"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."--The Network Journal

"A powerful story."--Sequim Gazette

"A mesmerizing read."--Seattle Times

"[A] fascinating and tragic story. . . . [A] compulsive read."--NPR.org, Book Club Pick

"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."--Town & Country

"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."--Publishers Weekly

"[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."--BookPage

"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."--Jeffrey Lent, author of In the Fall and A Peculiar Grace

"Perkins-Valdez manages to shed a poetic light on one of the ugliest chapters in American history."--Essence

Slave mistresses Lizzie, Reenie and Sweet travel to a resort in Ohio each year with their white masters, until Mawu shows up and encourages the three others to escape, forcing them to choose between freedom and leaving their friends and families--and the emotional and psychological ties that bind them to their masters. A first novel. Reprint. 200,000 first printing.