Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wench | 2009 | Dolen Perkins-Valdez | Buy |
| 2 | Balm | 2015 | Dolen Perkins-Valdez | Buy |
| 3 | Take My Hand | 2022 | Dolen Perkins-Valdez | Buy |
| 4 | The Princess and the Dragon | 2022 | Dolen Perkins-Valdez | Buy |
| 5 | Happy Land | 2025 | Dolen Perkins-Valdez | Buy |
Dolen Perkins-Valdez’s standalone novels span from 2009 to 2025, each exploring a different period of American history through the lens of African American life. Wench (2009) is set at an antebellum resort where enslaved women confront impossible choices. Balm (2015) follows three characters navigating post-Civil War Chicago, each grappling with loss and the search for healing.
Take My Hand (2022) drew widespread attention for its fictionalized account of the real-life Relf sisters case, in which two Black girls were sterilized without consent in 1970s Alabama. The Princess and the Dragon (2022) marks a departure into children’s literature. Happy Land is her forthcoming novel, expected in 2025. Across her body of work, Perkins-Valdez brings careful historical research to stories about justice, survival, and the bonds between women.