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Wench was a book club choice and I was quite frustrated by it's selection. I hate reading about slavery or anything connected to it. It makes me uncomfortable, sad and angry. Furthermore, the idea that this story focused on the lives and relationships of four slave mistresses turned my stomach. Needless to say, I struggled with this book. It was incredibly difficult for me to get through. I read and put it down so many times that I often thought of not picking it up again, but I kept coming back to it until I finished it-several weeks later. In the end, it was well worth the emotional journey. Even now, many months after reading it, I'm at a lost as to how to articulate why this book is so important, a must read and the best book of 2010 for me. There were so many moments I cringed, wanted to cry, even fight. I realized that is a part of the book's charm--the emotional roller coaster of reading it. Not to mention, the rich history Perkins-Valdez weaves in so brilliantly. She's an excellent writer. I'm happy that I finished the book and am certain that I will never think about slavery and enslaved women the same ever again. I am so grateful to have been challenged in this way.