Wench

A Novel

By: Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Narrated by: Quincy Tyler Bernstine

Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

An ambitious and startling debut novel that follows the lives of four women at a resort popular among slaveholders who bring their enslaved mistresses.

wench \'wench\ n. from Middle English "wenchel," 1 a: a girl, maid, young woman; a female child.

Tawawa House in many respects is like any other American resort before the Civil War. Situated in Ohio, this idyllic retreat is particularly nice in the summer when the Southern humidity is too much to bear. The main building, with its luxurious finishes, is loftier than the white cottages that flank it, but then again, the smaller structures are better positioned to catch any breeze that may come off the pond. And they provide more privacy, which best suits the needs of the Southern white men who vacation there every summer with their black, enslaved mistresses. It's their open secret.

Lizzie, Reenie, and Sweet are regulars at Tawawa House. They have become friends over the years as they reunite and share developments in their own lives and on their respective plantations. They don't bother too much with questions of freedom, though the resort is situated in free territory, but when truth-telling Mawu comes to the resort and starts talking of running away, things change.

To run is to leave behind everything these women value most - friends and families - still down South, 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, all while they are bearing witness to the end of an era.

An engaging and wholly original novel, Wench explores, with an unflinching eye, the moral complexities of slavery.

©2010 Dolen Perkins-Valdez (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers

AWESOME!!

An awesome story about the intricate, complicated relationships during American slavery. The author captures the reader forcing us to be an onlooker into these lives. I felt transported back in time.
The actress delivery of the story was beautiful. I enjoyed how she changed her voice ever so slightly but naturally as though becoming each character.

New thoughts

I like books about cultures I don't know and this was one. A vacation spot for slave owners and their concubines was new to me, especially in Ohio. The author did a good job of covering a wide spectrum of thuoght by both slaves and owners and the ending was very realistic and beliveable.

WOW.....

What made the experience of listening to Wench the most enjoyable?

The soothing and rich voice

What other book might you compare Wench to and why?

Cane River.....because of the cultural connotations

Which character – as performed by Quincy Tyler Bernstine – was your favorite?

Hard to say

If you could rename Wench, what would you call it?

Wouldn't Rename it....

Any additional comments?

Do Read!

Excellent

Thought provoking and character distinction is wonderful. I never knew about this segment of black history, and yet it’s impacted me and giving me additional strength as a black woman.

Great narrator

I thought the narration was excellent; however the story kind of just stopped. Ending was very weak,

Average writing about an intriguing subject

This is a genre that I particularly enjoy, so I had high hopes for Wench. I thought it was solid literary fiction, but nothing exceptional, albeit an intriguing topic. The character development was flat as I had difficulty sorting out the slave women and masters until the focus shifted to one particular slave/master relationship. The book ended very abruptly. As a matter of fact, it seemed like Perkins-Valdez couldn't figure out how to end it and thus took a wimpy way out. If you would like to read a book of this ilk, I would highly recommend The Kitchen House. Wench is not bad, it's just not that good.

THERE HAS TO BE A SEQUEL

If you could sum up Wench in three words, what would they be?

ENTERTAINING SORROWFUL ENLIGHTENING

What did you like best about this story?

THIS STORY WAS MEATY. FULL OF HILLS AND VALLEYS

Have you listened to any of Quincy Tyler Bernstine’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I can't recall if I have.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The story pulled me in and didn't let go until the end.

Any additional comments?

It has to be a book 2. What happened to Mawu? What happened to Lizzie? I didn't want the book to end.

Good Book

This was good, was rooting for the one slave and happy how she used her relationship with the master to help the others.

Stunning!

If I could put into words what I experienced while listening to this book, it still wouldn't do this work justice. I was moved to tears, so many times. What a story! I own the book as well. As gripping and horrible as some scenes are, it's one of those page-turners that you cannot look away from. This story will stay with me for a very long time. And the narration of the audiobook is as impeccable as the writing. Then, to learn at the end that it is based on a real place, where these types of events took place, it felt like too much to bear. but I also felt this work of fiction is necessary, since the true stories died along with the men and women who experienced them. This country's history, with regard to slavery, is brutal. It takes courage for some to accept that fact. I recommend this book for its historical relevance and to aid in recognizing and mourning those who suffered the horrors of slavery. We owe them that much.

reality of chattel slavery

it was a bit unfinished, I guess I looking for happily ever I suppose so