A Conversation with Dolen Perkins-Valdez

To the women who are slaves and mistresses of their owners in "Wench" by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, the merest mark or sign can mean the difference between danger and safety, whether they're inside or outside, with loved ones or alone, above or below the free zone. A letter signals joy, or heartbreak; a pretty gown can be a reminder of lowly status -- even a small kindness may portend a great tragedy.

In other words, Lizzie, Reenie, Teesie, and Mawu walk on eggshells nearly every moment of their lives. While they tread carefully, Perkins-Valdez does not: She has reclaimed the power these women were never allowed to have in a carefully crafted and fiercely honest novel about the hypocrisies that existed during the years the United States of America was a nation that allowed human slavery.  

The author, who holds a Ph.D. in African-American studies and literature, has researched every aspect of the lives that might have intersected at the historical Tawawa House in Ohio where her story takes place. From the possessions the slave mistresses might have been allowed (which were usually confiscated before the women returned to the plantations) to the perilous stops on the nascent Underground Railroad on to the lifestyles enjoyed by freedmen and women in northern states, "Wench" contains a wealth of detail. What makes it such a powerful novel is that detail never overshadows actions.

I hope you'll enjoy this interview with Dolen Perkins-Valdez. I believe that "Wench" is destined to be one of 2010's most talked-about books, and I look forward to this author's next work.