Book Reading with Kenyette Spencer Mills Author of The Dressmakers Secret

On Sunday, August 16 at 3 p.m., author Kenyette Spencer Mills will host a reading of her historical novel, The Dressmaker’s Secret.

Take a journey through history with griot—the traditional African storyteller—Kenyette Spencer Mills as she reads powerful excerpts from her forthcoming historical novel, The Dressmaker’s Secret. This unforgettable tale brings to life the brutal realities and quiet resilience of the enslaved, weaving their stories with those of forgotten historical figures such as Colonel Nicholas Spencer, John Mottram, Jost Hite, and Robert Carter-men who helped forge the economy of slavery in the early colonies and shaped the destinies of America's founding fathers: George Washington, James Monroe, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson. 

Kenyette Spencer is a historian, griot, and author devoted to preserving truth through story. With a deep reverence for history and a calling to give voice to the silenced, Kenyette weaves meticulous research with intimate narrative, illuminating the lives of enslaved and free men and women, Indigenous communities, and colonial families whose stories shaped America.

Grounded in faith and guided by grace, her work bridges past and present—inviting readers to reflect on identity, freedom, and the enduring promise of liberty. Through The Dressmaker’s Secret Saga, Kenyette offers more than historical fiction; she offers remembrance, restoration, and testimony.

This is a free program that will take place on the lower level of the Belle Grove Manor House at 336 Belle Grove Road, Middletown, Virginia. Please contact us at 540-869-2028 or by email with any questions.