Dessa Rose

Now a celebrated major musical, Sherley Anne Williams's DESSA ROSE is a classic novel of courage and redemption. Praised by Alice Walker as "a deep, rich, compelling work" and the NEW YORK TIMES as 'totally unforgettable,' Perennial is reissuing this important work for a whole new generation of readers.
'Having this treasure of a book available again for new and more readers is not only necessary, it is imperative.' Toni Morrison
This acclaimed historical novel is based on two actual incidents: In 1829, in Kentucky, a pregnant black woman was sentenced to death for helping to lead an uprising of a group of slaves headed to the market for sale. 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, the author 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 explore and defy racial barriers in a moving story of courage, freedom, friendship, and love.