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Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

http://www.DolenPerkinsValdez.com

Twitter

dolen

Genre

Historical Fiction, Fiction, Classics

Member Since

November 2009

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomdolenperkinsvaldez

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Dolen Perkins-Valdez is the New York Times bestselling author of Wench (2010), Balm (2015), and most recently Take My Hand (2022). Take My Hand was awarded the 2023 NAACP Image Award for Literary Work-Fiction and the BCALA Fiction Award. It was named a Most Anticipated Book of 2022 in Newsweek, San Francisco Chronicle, Essence, NBC News, and elsewhere, and it was an IndieNext and LibraryReads pick for April 2022. The Washington Post called it "a jewel of a book."

Dolen has established herself as a pre-eminent chronicler of American historical life. In 2017, HarperCollins released her first novel Wench as one of eight "Olive Titles," limited edition modern classics that included books by Edward P. Jones, Louise Erdrich, and Zora Neale Hurston ...more

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Dolen Perkins-Valdez’s books

Average rating: 4.24 · 104,230 ratings · 11,884 reviews · 9 distinct works • Similar authors

	Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, Dolen Perkins-Valdez (Goodreads Author) (Introduction) 4.22 avg rating — 118,811 ratings — published 1853 — 845 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Take My Hand 4.37 avg rating — 84,253 ratings — published 2022 — 26 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Wench 3.73 avg rating — 17,766 ratings — published 2009 — 24 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Behind the Scenes: Or, Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House by Elizabeth Keckley, Dolen Perkins-Valdez (Goodreads Author) (Introduction) 3.86 avg rating — 3,890 ratings — published 1868 — 311 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Balm 3.37 avg rating — 1,729 ratings — published 2015 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Stories from Suffragette City by M.J. Rose (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Fiona Davis (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Kristin Hannah (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 3.84 avg rating — 1,510 ratings — published 2020 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Happy Land it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Uzmi me za ruku 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Steven Hahn. A Nation under Our Feet: Black Political Struggles in the Rural South from Slavery to the Great Migration.(Book review): An article from: African American Review 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Dolen Perkins-Valdez's Blog

Historical Fiction Week

Did you know that this is Historical Fiction Week on Goodreads? I'm taking questions via "Ask the Author" along with some AMAZING authors such as James McBride, Isabel Allende, Lisa See, Lalita Tademy, Tracy Chevalier, and others. I've even been asking questions of my favorite authors. Lol. Come join the fun and ask us something!

Dolen

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Published on August 04, 2015 20:10 • Tags: historicalfictionweek

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A Reading Roadtrip Across the U.S.A.

Book lovers know that one of the greatest joys of reading is the ability to go anywhere, anytime, through the magic of the written word....

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Dolen’s Recent Updates

Dolen Perkins-Valdez voted for Black Friend: Essays as Best Humor in the Opening Round of the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards. Cast Your Vote
Nov 15, 2023 10:36AM · like
Dolen Perkins-Valdez voted for Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom as Best History & Biography in the Opening Round of the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards. Cast Your Vote
Nov 15, 2023 10:36AM · like
Dolen Perkins-Valdez rated a book it was amazing Forbidden City by Vanessa Hua (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 13, 2023 08:05PM · 3 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Forbidden City by Vanessa Hua. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Forbidden City by Vanessa Hua
Dolen Perkins-Valdez rated a book it was amazing Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 13, 2023 08:05PM · 3 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
Dolen Perkins-Valdez rated a book it was amazing Conjure Women by Afia Atakora (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 13, 2023 08:05PM · 5 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Conjure Women by Afia Atakora. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Conjure Women by Afia Atakora
Dolen Perkins-Valdez has read Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 13, 2023 08:05PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
Dolen Perkins-Valdez has read Conjure Women by Afia Atakora (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 13, 2023 08:04PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Conjure Women by Afia Atakora. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Conjure Women by Afia Atakora
Dolen Perkins-Valdez rated a book it was amazing The Spectacular by Fiona Davis (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 13, 2023 08:04PM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Spectacular by Fiona Davis. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Spectacular by Fiona Davis
Dolen Perkins-Valdez answered Linda Quinlan's question: Not a question, but a review? I bought the book in Wetumpka a the Art Festival. I was drawn to it by the poster in the bookstore. The characters were compelling, the story heartbreaking in some areas. I finished it in two nights. Hated to put it down. Thank you, Linda!!!! I love Wetumpka.
Nov 13, 2023 08:02PM · 1 like · like
Dolen Perkins-Valdez rated a book it was amazing Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 05, 2022 08:02AM · 16 likes · like

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Quotes by Dolen Perkins-Valdez (?)

“My children ain’t the only thing I love. If I was allowed, I reckon I’d love myself, too.”
― Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Wench

23 likes

“There is no greater right for a woman than having a choice, Anne. And I exercised that right. Fully and consciously.”
― Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Take My Hand

9 likes

“Our bodies belonged to us. Poor, disabled, it didn’t matter. These were our bodies, and we had the right to “decide what to do with them. It was as if they were just taking our bodies from us, as if we didn’t even belong to ourselves.”
― Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Take My Hand

8 likes

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