diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,1 +1,9 @@
 # CHANGELOG for direct-rocksdb
+
+## 0.0.2
+
+* Basic put/get is working at a higher level
+
+## 0.0.1
+
+* Initial release, containing only raw C bindings
diff --git a/direct-rocksdb.cabal b/direct-rocksdb.cabal
--- a/direct-rocksdb.cabal
+++ b/direct-rocksdb.cabal
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 -- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack
 
 name:           direct-rocksdb
-version:        0.0.1
+version:        0.0.2
 synopsis:       Bindings to RocksDB.
 category:       Database
 stability:      alpha
@@ -1219,16 +1219,25 @@
 library
   hs-source-dirs:
       src
+  other-extensions: DeriveAnyClass RecordWildCards ScopedTypeVariables
   ghc-options: -Wall
   extra-libraries:
       stdc++
   build-depends:
       base >= 4.10 && < 5
+    , bytestring
+    , safe-exceptions
   if os(windows)
     extra-libraries:
         rpcrt4
   exposed-modules:
+      Database.RocksDB.DB
+      Database.RocksDB.Exceptions
       Database.RocksDB.Internals
+      Database.RocksDB.Options
+      Database.RocksDB.ReadOptions
+      Database.RocksDB.Utils
+      Database.RocksDB.WriteOptions
   default-language: Haskell2010
 
 test-suite direct-rocksdb-test
@@ -1236,12 +1245,17 @@
   main-is: direct-rocksdb-test.hs
   hs-source-dirs:
       test
+  other-extensions: OverloadedStrings
   ghc-options: -Wall -threaded -with-rtsopts=-N
   extra-libraries:
       stdc++
   build-depends:
       base >= 4.10 && < 5
+    , bytestring
+    , safe-exceptions
     , direct-rocksdb
+    , directory
+    , filepath
   if os(windows)
     extra-libraries:
         rpcrt4
diff --git a/src/Database/RocksDB/DB.hs b/src/Database/RocksDB/DB.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Database/RocksDB/DB.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE ScopedTypeVariables #-}
+
+module Database.RocksDB.DB
+  ( openDB
+  , putDB
+  , getDB
+  ) where
+
+import qualified Data.ByteString as BS
+import qualified Data.ByteString.Unsafe as BS
+import Database.RocksDB.Exceptions
+import Database.RocksDB.Internals
+import Database.RocksDB.Options
+import Foreign
+import Foreign.C
+import GHC.ForeignPtr
+
+openDB :: Options -> FilePath -> IO (ForeignPtr Rocksdb)
+{-# INLINEABLE openDB #-}
+openDB opts path = do
+  opts_fptr <- marshalOptions opts
+  withForeignPtr opts_fptr $ \opts_ptr ->
+    withCString path $ \path_ptr -> do
+      db_ptr <- withErrorMessagePtr $ c_rocksdb_open opts_ptr path_ptr
+      newConcForeignPtr db_ptr $ c_rocksdb_close db_ptr
+
+putDB ::
+     ForeignPtr Rocksdb
+  -> ForeignPtr RocksdbWriteoptions
+  -> BS.ByteString
+  -> BS.ByteString
+  -> IO ()
+{-# INLINEABLE putDB #-}
+putDB db_fptr wopts_fptr k_bs v_bs =
+  withForeignPtr db_fptr $ \db_ptr ->
+    withForeignPtr wopts_fptr $ \wopts_ptr ->
+      BS.unsafeUseAsCStringLen k_bs $ \(k_buf, k_len) ->
+        BS.unsafeUseAsCStringLen v_bs $ \(v_buf, v_len) ->
+          withErrorMessagePtr $
+          c_rocksdb_put
+            db_ptr
+            wopts_ptr
+            k_buf
+            (fromIntegral k_len)
+            v_buf
+            (fromIntegral v_len)
+
+getDB ::
+     ForeignPtr Rocksdb
+  -> ForeignPtr RocksdbReadoptions
+  -> BS.ByteString
+  -> IO BS.ByteString
+{-# INLINEABLE getDB #-}
+getDB db_fptr ropts_fptr k_bs =
+  withForeignPtr db_fptr $ \db_ptr ->
+    withForeignPtr ropts_fptr $ \ropts_ptr ->
+      BS.unsafeUseAsCStringLen k_bs $ \(k_buf, k_len) ->
+        alloca $ \(v_len_buf :: Ptr CSize) -> do
+          v_buf <-
+            withErrorMessagePtr $
+            c_rocksdb_get db_ptr ropts_ptr k_buf (fromIntegral k_len) v_len_buf
+          v_len <- fromIntegral <$> peek v_len_buf
+          BS.unsafePackMallocCStringLen (v_buf, v_len)
diff --git a/src/Database/RocksDB/Exceptions.hs b/src/Database/RocksDB/Exceptions.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Database/RocksDB/Exceptions.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE DeriveAnyClass #-}
+
+module Database.RocksDB.Exceptions
+  ( RocksDBException(..)
+  , withErrorMessagePtr
+  ) where
+
+import Control.Exception.Safe
+import qualified Data.ByteString as BS
+import Foreign
+import Foreign.C
+
+newtype RocksDBException = RocksDBException
+  { errorMessage :: BS.ByteString
+  } deriving (Show, Exception)
+
+withErrorMessagePtr :: (Ptr (Ptr CChar) -> IO r) -> IO r
+{-# INLINEABLE withErrorMessagePtr #-}
+withErrorMessagePtr cont =
+  alloca $ \p -> do
+    r <- cont p
+    p' <- peek p
+    if p' == nullPtr
+      then pure r
+      else do
+        msg <- BS.packCString p'
+        throw $ RocksDBException msg
diff --git a/src/Database/RocksDB/Internals.hs b/src/Database/RocksDB/Internals.hs
--- a/src/Database/RocksDB/Internals.hs
+++ b/src/Database/RocksDB/Internals.hs
@@ -590,10 +590,6 @@
                c_rocksdb_writebatch_wi_create ::
                CSize -> CUChar -> IO (Ptr RocksdbWritebatchWi)
 
-foreign import ccall unsafe "rocksdb_writebatch_wi_create_from"
-               c_rocksdb_writebatch_wi_create_from ::
-               Ptr CChar -> CSize -> IO (Ptr RocksdbWritebatchWi)
-
 foreign import ccall unsafe "rocksdb_writebatch_wi_destroy"
                c_rocksdb_writebatch_wi_destroy :: Ptr RocksdbWritebatchWi -> IO ()
 
@@ -1271,16 +1267,6 @@
                Ptr RocksdbOptions -> Word64 -> IO ()
 
 foreign import ccall unsafe
-               "rocksdb_options_set_wal_bytes_per_sync"
-               c_rocksdb_options_set_wal_bytes_per_sync ::
-               Ptr RocksdbOptions -> Word64 -> IO ()
-
-foreign import ccall unsafe
-               "rocksdb_options_set_writable_file_max_buffer_size"
-               c_rocksdb_options_set_writable_file_max_buffer_size ::
-               Ptr RocksdbOptions -> Word64 -> IO ()
-
-foreign import ccall unsafe
                "rocksdb_options_set_allow_concurrent_memtable_write"
                c_rocksdb_options_set_allow_concurrent_memtable_write ::
                Ptr RocksdbOptions -> CUChar -> IO ()
@@ -1964,15 +1950,6 @@
                c_rocksdb_transaction_rollback ::
                Ptr RocksdbTransaction -> Ptr (Ptr CChar) -> IO ()
 
-foreign import ccall unsafe "rocksdb_transaction_set_savepoint"
-               c_rocksdb_transaction_set_savepoint ::
-               Ptr RocksdbTransaction -> IO ()
-
-foreign import ccall unsafe
-               "rocksdb_transaction_rollback_to_savepoint"
-               c_rocksdb_transaction_rollback_to_savepoint ::
-               Ptr RocksdbTransaction -> Ptr (Ptr CChar) -> IO ()
-
 foreign import ccall unsafe "rocksdb_transaction_destroy"
                c_rocksdb_transaction_destroy :: Ptr RocksdbTransaction -> IO ()
 
@@ -2093,13 +2070,6 @@
                Ptr RocksdbTransaction ->
                  Ptr RocksdbReadoptions -> IO (Ptr RocksdbIterator)
 
-foreign import ccall unsafe
-               "rocksdb_transaction_create_iterator_cf"
-               c_rocksdb_transaction_create_iterator_cf ::
-               Ptr RocksdbTransaction ->
-                 Ptr RocksdbReadoptions ->
-                   Ptr RocksdbColumnFamilyHandle -> IO (Ptr RocksdbIterator)
-
 foreign import ccall unsafe "rocksdb_transactiondb_create_iterator"
                c_rocksdb_transactiondb_create_iterator ::
                Ptr RocksdbTransactiondb ->
@@ -2119,27 +2089,6 @@
                Ptr RocksdbOptions ->
                  Ptr CChar ->
                    Ptr (Ptr CChar) -> IO (Ptr RocksdbOptimistictransactiondb)
-
-foreign import ccall unsafe
-               "rocksdb_optimistictransactiondb_open_column_families"
-               c_rocksdb_optimistictransactiondb_open_column_families ::
-               Ptr RocksdbOptions ->
-                 Ptr CChar ->
-                   CInt ->
-                     Ptr (Ptr CChar) ->
-                       Ptr (Ptr RocksdbOptions) ->
-                         Ptr (Ptr RocksdbColumnFamilyHandle) ->
-                           Ptr (Ptr CChar) -> IO (Ptr RocksdbOptimistictransactiondb)
-
-foreign import ccall unsafe
-               "rocksdb_optimistictransactiondb_get_base_db"
-               c_rocksdb_optimistictransactiondb_get_base_db ::
-               Ptr RocksdbOptimistictransactiondb -> IO (Ptr Rocksdb)
-
-foreign import ccall unsafe
-               "rocksdb_optimistictransactiondb_close_base_db"
-               c_rocksdb_optimistictransactiondb_close_base_db ::
-               Ptr Rocksdb -> IO ()
 
 foreign import ccall unsafe "rocksdb_optimistictransaction_begin"
                c_rocksdb_optimistictransaction_begin ::
diff --git a/src/Database/RocksDB/Options.hs b/src/Database/RocksDB/Options.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Database/RocksDB/Options.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE RecordWildCards #-}
+
+module Database.RocksDB.Options
+  ( Options(..)
+  , defaultOptions
+  , marshalOptions
+  ) where
+
+import Database.RocksDB.Internals
+import Database.RocksDB.Utils
+import Foreign
+import GHC.ForeignPtr
+
+data Options = Options
+  { totalThreads :: !(Maybe Int)
+  , createIfMissing :: !(Maybe Bool)
+  }
+
+defaultOptions :: Options
+{-# INLINEABLE defaultOptions #-}
+defaultOptions = Options {totalThreads = Nothing, createIfMissing = Nothing}
+
+marshalOptions :: Options -> IO (ForeignPtr RocksdbOptions)
+{-# INLINEABLE marshalOptions #-}
+marshalOptions Options {..} = do
+  opts_p <- c_rocksdb_options_create
+  setIntOptions totalThreads $c_rocksdb_options_increase_parallelism opts_p
+  setBoolOptions createIfMissing $
+    c_rocksdb_options_set_create_if_missing opts_p
+  newConcForeignPtr opts_p $ c_rocksdb_options_destroy opts_p
diff --git a/src/Database/RocksDB/ReadOptions.hs b/src/Database/RocksDB/ReadOptions.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Database/RocksDB/ReadOptions.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE RecordWildCards #-}
+
+module Database.RocksDB.ReadOptions
+  ( ReadOptions(..)
+  , defaultReadOptions
+  , marshalReadOptions
+  ) where
+
+import Database.RocksDB.Internals
+import Database.RocksDB.Utils
+import Foreign
+import GHC.ForeignPtr
+
+data ReadOptions = ReadOptions
+  { verityChecksums :: !(Maybe Bool)
+  , fillCache :: !(Maybe Bool)
+  }
+
+defaultReadOptions :: ReadOptions
+{-# INLINEABLE defaultReadOptions #-}
+defaultReadOptions =
+  ReadOptions {verityChecksums = Nothing, fillCache = Nothing}
+
+marshalReadOptions :: ReadOptions -> IO (ForeignPtr RocksdbReadoptions)
+{-# INLINEABLE marshalReadOptions  #-}
+marshalReadOptions ReadOptions {..} = do
+  ropts_p <- c_rocksdb_readoptions_create
+  setBoolOptions verityChecksums $
+    c_rocksdb_readoptions_set_verify_checksums ropts_p
+  setBoolOptions fillCache $ c_rocksdb_readoptions_set_fill_cache ropts_p
+  newConcForeignPtr ropts_p $ c_rocksdb_readoptions_destroy ropts_p
diff --git a/src/Database/RocksDB/Utils.hs b/src/Database/RocksDB/Utils.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Database/RocksDB/Utils.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+module Database.RocksDB.Utils
+  ( setIntOptions
+  , setBoolOptions
+  ) where
+
+import Data.Foldable
+
+setIntOptions :: Integral t => Maybe Int -> (t -> IO ()) -> IO ()
+{-# INLINEABLE setIntOptions #-}
+setIntOptions field cont = for_ field $ cont . fromIntegral
+
+setBoolOptions :: Integral t => Maybe Bool -> (t -> IO ()) -> IO ()
+{-# INLINEABLE setBoolOptions #-}
+setBoolOptions field cont =
+  for_ field $ \val ->
+    cont $
+    if val
+      then 1
+      else 0
diff --git a/src/Database/RocksDB/WriteOptions.hs b/src/Database/RocksDB/WriteOptions.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Database/RocksDB/WriteOptions.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE RecordWildCards #-}
+
+module Database.RocksDB.WriteOptions
+  ( WriteOptions(..)
+  , defaultWriteOptions
+  , marshalWriteOptions
+  ) where
+
+import Database.RocksDB.Internals
+import Database.RocksDB.Utils
+import Foreign
+import GHC.ForeignPtr
+
+data WriteOptions = WriteOptions
+  { sync :: !(Maybe Bool)
+  , disableWAL :: !(Maybe Int)
+  }
+
+defaultWriteOptions :: WriteOptions
+{-# INLINEABLE defaultWriteOptions #-}
+defaultWriteOptions = WriteOptions {sync = Nothing, disableWAL = Nothing}
+
+marshalWriteOptions :: WriteOptions -> IO (ForeignPtr RocksdbWriteoptions)
+{-# INLINEABLE marshalWriteOptions #-}
+marshalWriteOptions WriteOptions {..} = do
+  wopts_p <- c_rocksdb_writeoptions_create
+  setBoolOptions sync $ c_rocksdb_writeoptions_set_sync wopts_p
+  setIntOptions disableWAL $ c_rocksdb_writeoptions_disable_WAL wopts_p
+  newConcForeignPtr wopts_p $ c_rocksdb_writeoptions_destroy wopts_p
diff --git a/test/direct-rocksdb-test.hs b/test/direct-rocksdb-test.hs
--- a/test/direct-rocksdb-test.hs
+++ b/test/direct-rocksdb-test.hs
@@ -1,5 +1,23 @@
-import Control.Exception
-import Database.RocksDB.Internals
+{-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings #-}
 
+import Control.Exception.Safe
+import Database.RocksDB.DB
+import Database.RocksDB.Options
+import Database.RocksDB.ReadOptions
+import Database.RocksDB.WriteOptions
+import Foreign
+import System.Directory
+import System.FilePath
+
 main :: IO ()
-main = bracket c_rocksdb_options_create c_rocksdb_options_destroy print
+main = do
+  tmp_dir <- getTemporaryDirectory
+  let opts = defaultOptions {createIfMissing = Just True}
+      db_path = tmp_dir </> "direct-rocksdb-test.rocksdb"
+  bracket (openDB opts db_path) finalizeForeignPtr $ \db_fptr ->
+    bracket (marshalWriteOptions defaultWriteOptions) finalizeForeignPtr $ \wopts_fptr -> do
+      putDB db_fptr wopts_fptr "key" "value"
+      bracket (marshalReadOptions defaultReadOptions) finalizeForeignPtr $ \ropts_fptr -> do
+        v <- getDB db_fptr ropts_fptr "key"
+        print v
+        assert (v == "value") $ pure ()