Dessa Rose - by Sherley A Williams (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Sherley A. Williams' highly acclaimed historical novel details two women's fierce strength of will and an unlikely bond despite racial barriers in the pre-civil war south.

In 1829, in Kentucky, a pregnant black woman helped lead an uprising of a group of slaves headed to the market for sale. She was sentenced to death, but her hanging was delayed until after the birth of her baby. In North Carolina in 1830, a white woman living on an isolated farm was reported to have given sanctuary to runaway slaves. In Dessa Rose, Sherley A. Williams asks the question: "What if these two women met?"

From there the story unfolds: two strong women, one black, one white, form a forbidden and ambivalent alliance; a bold scheme is hatched to win freedom; trust is slowly extended and cautiously accepted as the two women unite and discover greater strength together than alone. United by fate but divided by prejudice, these two women are locked in a thrilling battle for freedom, sisterhood, friendship, and love.

"Having this treasure of a book available again for new and more readers is not only necessary, it is imperative." --Toni Morrison

From the Back Cover

In 1829 in Kentucky, a pregnant black woman helped lead an uprising of a group of slaves headed to the market for sale. She was sentenced to death, but her hanging was delayed until after the birth of her baby. In North Carolina in 1830, a white woman living on an isolated farm was reported to have given sanctuary to runaway slaves. In this classic novel of courage and redemption, acclaimed author Sherley Anne Williams asks the question: "What if these two women had met?"

These two strong women, one black, one white, form a forbidden and ambivalent alliance as a bold scheme is hatched to win freedom. Trust is slowly extended and cautiously accepted as the women unite and discover greater strength together than alone. Bound by fate but divided by prejudice, they explore and defy racial barriers in a moving story of courage, freedom, friendship, and love.

Review Quotes

"A deep, rich, compelling work. . . . I am astonished, moved, and delighted with the language, the thought, the obvious collaboration of the ancestors and the love I read on these pages." -- Alice Walker

"A powerful story. . . . Emotionally affecting and totally unforgettable." -- New York Times

"Extraordinary. . . . These two women achieve one of the most intricate and ambivalent relationships in contemporary fiction." -- Los Angeles Times

"Absorbing...Deeply true and brilliantly imagined." -- Newsday

"Having this treasure of a book available again for new and more readers is not only necessary, it is imperative." -- Toni Morrison

"Destined to become a modern classic." -- Chicago Tribune