Wench
Apr 21, 2010

Wench
Author: Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Amistad/HarperCollins (January 5, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 006170654X
ISBN-13: 978-0061706547

Fantastic book. A book that will open your eyes to the subtle intricacies and rules of slavery that were followed in those times.

How a person could act affectionate towards another human, but at the same time have no remorse reminding them again, and again, and again that they are nothing but their property.

How you can hold on to a woman, care for her, have several children with her, but never even think of taking your own flesh and blood and setting them free as that would be a loss of property.

How you could take care of another human being, but have no second thoughts about tying them to the porch, or chaining them together, or leaving them in the sun with one meal and little water all day........so that they don't "accidentally wander off and get lost".

This book follows the lives of 4 woman and one young man who are brought by their owners each year to a resort in free black territory for the summer. The owners use the woman as "wives" for the summer. Some women believe the owners actually love them, some dream of killing the owners and escaping. None are without the dream of being free human beings.

Some of these woman are pampered, some are ignored except at night, some are abused. But they are never, ever let to forget that they are property.

The book eats at you the way these people are loved and petted and then tossed to the wind, or the slave yard, when the owners tire of them. This also includes the children of the slave owner and slaves who are sometimes pampered and sometimes beaten for just being alive.

I highly recommend this book.

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