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serendipitysbooks 's review for:
Wench
by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Wench is the book that's been on my TBR the longest. Its unique setting and the set-up that underpinned it is what intrigued me. I was pleased to discover a library in a nearby town had a copy since my own did not, and drove out there earlier in the week to read through it.
The book takes place mostly at Tawawa House in the free state of Ohio in the 1850s. Tawawa House was a real resort where white people could enjoy the iron-rich waters and other amenities. It was also frequented by Southern plantation owners who would take their enslaved mistresses there on vacation. This blows my mind; the mental gymnastics involved in taking an enslaved woman on holiday to a resort staggers me , although in other ways, it, sadly, does not.
The plot in this novel involves four women who have been brought to Tawawa for several years. One year, they discover a nearby resort for free Blacks, which prompts one of them to talk of escape. However, the four have different backgrounds , experiences, and relationships and react to the suggestion in different ways. Their individual stories and the way Tawawa House was used by some slave holders offered fresh insights into slavery and race relations more broadly. What was clear was that despite outward appearances, these enslaved women were not enjoying a holiday. Nor were they treated in any way as equals, even temporarily. Their owners continued to "own", work and abuse them in sometimes horrific ways. The women's attempts to exert some measure of power or influence really served to highlight how little of either they had. The interactions between the ensalved women and the free Blacks they encountered were instructive, with the latter not being as supportive as might be imagined. States in the North may not have been slave holding states, but the people there were certainly not free from racism nor supportive of interracial relationships. Discomfort with the presence of enslaved guests was a key factor leading to Tawawa's closure.
Overall, I found this book to be well-written, offering up an absorbing story that explored a new facet of slavery and explored the position of enslaved women with considerable nuance.
The book takes place mostly at Tawawa House in the free state of Ohio in the 1850s. Tawawa House was a real resort where white people could enjoy the iron-rich waters and other amenities. It was also frequented by Southern plantation owners who would take their enslaved mistresses there on vacation. This blows my mind; the mental gymnastics involved in taking an enslaved woman on holiday to a resort staggers me , although in other ways, it, sadly, does not.
The plot in this novel involves four women who have been brought to Tawawa for several years. One year, they discover a nearby resort for free Blacks, which prompts one of them to talk of escape. However, the four have different backgrounds , experiences, and relationships and react to the suggestion in different ways. Their individual stories and the way Tawawa House was used by some slave holders offered fresh insights into slavery and race relations more broadly. What was clear was that despite outward appearances, these enslaved women were not enjoying a holiday. Nor were they treated in any way as equals, even temporarily. Their owners continued to "own", work and abuse them in sometimes horrific ways. The women's attempts to exert some measure of power or influence really served to highlight how little of either they had. The interactions between the ensalved women and the free Blacks they encountered were instructive, with the latter not being as supportive as might be imagined. States in the North may not have been slave holding states, but the people there were certainly not free from racism nor supportive of interracial relationships. Discomfort with the presence of enslaved guests was a key factor leading to Tawawa's closure.
Overall, I found this book to be well-written, offering up an absorbing story that explored a new facet of slavery and explored the position of enslaved women with considerable nuance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Slavery, Violence