Wench

<p><em>Wench </em>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 <em>Wench </em>combines the narrative allure of <em>Cane</em><em> River</em> by Lalita Tademy and the moral complexities of Edward P. Jones's <em>The Known World </em>as it tells the story of four black enslaved women in the years preceding the Civil War. A stunning debut novel <em>Wench</em> marks author Perkins-Valdez--previously a finalist for the 2009 Robert Olen Butler Short Fiction Prize--as a writer destined for greatness.</p>