Dolen Perkins-Valdez
2023 PFWA
Bestselling Author, Chair of the Board of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation
Inspired by true events that shocked a nation, Take My Hand is the story of a Black nurse in post-segregation Alabama who blows the whistle on the terrible injustice of government-forced sterilization inflicted on her patients who are young girls and women of color. Perkins-Valdez earned her BA from Harvard and her PhD from UCLA. She is the Chair of the Board of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation and Associate Professor at American University. She lives in Washington, DC.
“Take My Hand reminds us that truly extraordinary fiction is rarely written merely to entertain.” – The Washington Post. “This is an exceptional read.” – Library Journal. “This is the kind of story you want to build extra time into reading so you can explore the wealth of history it draws upon.” –Associated Press
Author's Website