Slaves in Ohio

Wench: A Novel by Dolen Perkins-Valdez is based on Tawawa House, a retreat in Ohio frequented by both Northerners and Southern slave owners in the 1850s.  It is the story of four slave women who meet at the house over several summers and learn each other’s secrets.  Each is tempted by the thought of freedom in free-state Ohio.  This book is heart rending in its depiction of the suffering of women subjected to cruelty endured at the hands of their masters.  This book is a wonderful read.