The Invention of Wings

"Invention of Wings," by Sue Monk Kidd, is a thoroughly entertaining and fascinating historical novel, one that opens the doors wide to the interior lives of its two strong-willed female characters. The writing is beautiful: the prose layered, heartfelt, and psychologically nuanced; the dialog honest and authentic. Indeed, it’s the type of prose that takes on an organic life of its own…the type of book that is capable of transporting its readers to another reality, another time, place, and culture. We step inside the lives of its two characters and experience their world through their eyes. I positively loved this book! It exposed me to a number of serious historical issues from the point of view of the people who lived through that era. The novel tells the fictionalized story of the life of Sarah Grimke—the acclaimed early 19th century American abolitionist, writer, suffragist, and champion for women’s rights. The story of Sarah’s life is not only told from this character’s first person voice, but also, in alternating chapters, from the first person voice of Sarah’s personal slave, Hetty Handful Grimke. The novel opens when Handful is ten and Sarah is eleven. Purple ribbons and bows are tied around Handful’s body and she is presented to Sarah as a surprise birthday present. Even at that young age, Sarah knew she didn’t want or need a personal slave and that it was not right to own another human being, but she did not have a choice in the matter. She tried to reject the gift, but her mother would hear nothing of it. In the novel, Sarah and Handful grow up together. They become life-long confidants and friends. Each, in her own way, tries to make the world a better and more tolerant place. The novel covers roughly 35 years in their lives. The novel takes the reader on a biographical journey through most of the major historical milestones in Sarah’s life. Through the book, we experience many of the important historical figures of the day. But more importantly, this novel allows readers inside the interior landscapes of Sarah’s and Handful’s private thoughts. We learn how these women felt about the history that was taking place as their lives unfolded. We learn how the effects these events became part of the permanent fabric of their lives. It is interesting to note that the real historical slave, Hetty Grimke, died sometime in childhood. Thus, writing Hetty into Sarah’s life for more than 35 years is a pure literary fabrication. But it is a brilliant one! Through Hetty, the author was able to explore many serious racial issues from a era-specific cultural perspective. Also, Hetty’s story provides more emotional depth and breadth to the story than it would have been there if the novel had only focused on Sarah’s life and achievements. Sarah is a fascinating character, but Hetty’s life is the soul of this novel. I will not soon forget these two women. I am grateful to Sue Monk Kidd for allowing me to enter their worlds. I recommend this book highly. I trust it will sell well and become a strong book club favorite.

The invention of wings - Absolutely Superp and Delightful I think it is a beautiful, well-written and touching book. It brings us close to the atrocities of slavery in a time when both women and slaves had no rights and no voice at all. Although the atrocities are there since they are part of the characters’ lives, they are not the center of the plot. In a family where slave cruelty was commonplace, an abolitionist child, Sarah, flourishes and will go through an ordeal not only to respect her beliefs but also to fight for them. The same happens to her younger sister Nina who, as Sarah's goddaughter, not only takes after her in her position before the world and its injustices, but is bolder and moves from words to actions more promptly. Sarah's life is entwined with the life of the slave she receives as a gift on her 11th birthday, Hetty Handful, to whose freedom she feels committed. The author has a wonderful way with the words and delights us with precious paragraphs that unveil the insights of these three girls on their way towards womanhood. It's amazing how she outlines the accomplishments of the two sisters who had to break with their origin within an aristocratic family, and everything brought along with it, in their pursue to be true to themselves, becoming the two first female abolition agents in America. “Sarah the first woman in America to write a comprehensive feminist manifesto and Nina the first woman in the United States to speak before a legislative body” as the author stated. Two historical women wonderfully depicted by Mrs. Monk Kidd. The story of three women who found their ways to voice themselves, and I felt privileged to have been led by Mrs. Kidd into following their steps. The way the relationship between Sarah and the slave Hetty Handful develops did not meet my initial expectations but now I am sure it could not have been different in the 1800’s. In fact, this sensation did not affect neither my appreciation of the book nor the impact it had on me. On the contrary, it rather challenged me into trying to understand both the time when they lived in and the magnitude of their attitudes. The bond and intimacy possible back then between a slave and a white person were determined by rules and laws instead of their feelings. Although the two girls struggled to go beyond these boundaries I had the sensation that it could have gone deeper and that a lot more was kept inside in many situations. I loved the way the author made me see how deeply the relationship impacted on one another in spite of the distance imposed by the rules, as well as understand the extent and importance of actions that seemed so little at first in many passages of the plot. Following the path of these two brave women in their fight against slavery and for women's rights, and the slave's endurance to preserve her inner freedom, was a rich and enlightening experience provided by an inspiring, worth-reading book that combines rich fiction and a story based on true characters that are historical figures.

THE INVENTION OF WINGS REVIEW Sue Monk Kidd is a remarkable writer with insight, a talent for storytelling, and the ability to create characters that resonate with the reader. “The Invention of Wings” is a vivid novel that engages the reader in a historical period that has been dealt with many times but seldom with such jarring intensity and compassion. Sarah Grimke, the daughter of a wealthy landowner and holder of many slaves in Charleston, is given a 10-year old black girl for her eleventh birthday to act as her handmaid. Kidd’s novel, based on actual people and events, traces their lives in parallel stories over the next thirty-five years as Sarah struggles with her aversion to slavery and Handful, as the slave is known, battles the cruelty of the institution with its demands, punishments, and family disruptions. Their relationship is perplexing with its periods of defiance, love, misunderstanding, and futile efforts at merging two cultures. Kidd presents each experience using chapters that alternate between Sarah and Handful as the years progress. Sarah, along with her sister, Angelina, grows to be a force in abolition and women’s rights while Handful emulates her mother’s pugnacious behavior as she uses guile in her abolition efforts, stealing if necessary, to confuse and muddle tradition. Through the years, although separated by distance, their mutual dedication to disrupting the practice of slavery continues, Sarah to great notoriety and Handful to personal pain, disfigurement, and adversity. It is a moving story of two women and their common fight against oppression, although different approaches are used in their individual battles. The author does a splendid job of outlining each adventure and the different challenges that each woman faces. The characterizations are beautifully drawn. The dialogue sparkles. The period descriptions are historically correct and appropriate for the times. Kidd is careful to explain in her Author’s Note that the Grimke sisters were authentic and the first female abolition advocates as well as among the earliest feminist activists. Their struggles and motivations, as well as Sarah’s inner voice and actual life, are the author’s interpretations based on her research. Handful is a fictional character Kidd devised to add a slave’s voice and life to the story so both worlds could be presented. Handful is a wonderfully created character with spunk, determination, and a sassy spirit that longs for freedom. This is not a Civil War book. In fact the events begin some sixty years earlier. It is a time when the institution of slavery was deeply imbedded in the South and radical attempts at abolition were deeply resented but not taken very seriously. It is very illuminating to this reader who is more familiar with the time surrounding the war. Read it. Schuyler T Wallace Author of TIN LIZARD TALES

I am sort of dreading this review because nothing I am capable of writing is worthy of this book. The back flap describes it as “exquisitely written,” and it is that and so much more. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since finishing it last week, and I’ve been walking around asking people if they’ve read it, desperate to gush. (Note to self: when Sue Monk Kidd, who also wrote The Secret Life of Bees, a book I’ve universally recommended to people for 13 years now, publishes a book, it goes automatically to the top of the queue; no more waiting two years out when active discussion has died down.) In the Invention of Wings, on her 11th birthday, Sarah Grimke, the daughter of early-nineteenth-century Charleston aristocrats, is given ownership of 10 year old Hetty, “Handful,” the slave daughter of the Grimke’s seamstress. The book is narrated alternately between Handful, who suffers the hardship and sorrow of slavery, and Sarah, who is internally tortured by both the abomination of slavery and the oppression of women. Over 35 years, the lives of Sarah and Handful are intertwined in a rich, complex story of love and friendship, guilt and defiance, fortitude and despair, and the escalating stakes of injustice and discrimination. The book is not only exquisite, it is excruciating. A certain sick, terrified darkness comes over me whenever I read anything about slavery, as it should. I can’t stop from hurrying past scenes of abuse or torture, or skipping them altogether, but I will never be able to un-see the “one legged punishment” once doled out to Handful’s mother, Charlotte, in which a belt was tied between her bent leg and her neck, choking her if she straightened her leg. Nor was the more “subtle” suffering throughout the book any easier to bear. All I can say is that in the hands of Sue Monk Kidd, it is somehow worth it. Though I can’t believe it took me two years to pull The Invention of Wings off the shelf, the timing of books is an ever-funny thing. The presidential campaign is in full, painful throttle, and Donald Trump is all over the place spewing his narcissistic, hateful lunacy, and people are supporting him. I have largely kept to my policy of not discussing politics outside a small circle of like-minded friends while becoming increasingly astounded. What the ever mother EFF is going on?! After reading The Invention of Wings, I’m done being silent. This is not just politics, and it’s not just the embarrassing circus show it looks like. It’s racism and misogyny, which everyone pretty much knows by now, I would think. It’s the insidious moral rationalization of injustice and discrimination. “We take good care of our slaves.” “The fairer sex need not worry themselves with such matters as education or voting.” Enough people stayed silent. “I’ll Make America Great Again…” Oh, h*** no. Sarah Grimke did not stay silent. As a child she was so traumatized watching a slave be whipped, she developed a stutter that stayed with her intermittently her entire life. When her father banished her from books, she was nearly catatonic for weeks. Still, she found a way to speak for abolition, to fight for the equality of the sexes. In doing so, she faced ostracism, threats, and loneliness, and risked arrest and punishment. This is not fiction; these are the historical facts around which Sue Monk Kidd weaved her breathtaking story. I am an educated, voting woman with access to birth control and the right to have an abortion, and I have black friends and colleagues. I risk essentially nothing by speaking out against Trump, other than pissing off ignorant people who have somehow become convinced that this obnoxious effing nutbag “will get this country turned around all right!” Am I going to change their minds about anything? No, no more than they will ever change mine. But I am not going to thank Sarah Grimke or disrespect myself or my children by staying silent about a white male who aligns himself with the KKK (the KKK for eff’s sake, people! The three lettered cousin of a swastika!) and refers to women as everything from “pigs” and “bimbos,” to “disgusting” for pumping breast milk, to a political opponent being “unable to satisfy as a leader when she couldn’t even satisfy her husband.” No, I am going to speak my fair self hoarse all the way to the voting booth, where my last presidential vote for a black man will be followed by a vote for a Jewish one or a woman. I should have been speaking my truth all along, but The Invention of Wings is my wake up call. This is what great books can do.

When I read a book, it's like choosing a film. I research it by reading reviews. Not afraid of 'spoilers', I use the commentary of others as touch points as I read the material myself. Some people don't like 'spoilers' but I embrace all that information as my own back story to enrich my reading experience. Before I read this book, I read the interview Ms. Kidd gave in the January 2014 O' Magazine. Then, I went to Amazon to check on it and read some of the critiques. One of the comments from two of the reviews had to do with the 'notes' (too many) provided by Oprah. I am thinking, it's a book club offering, if they do not want to read Oprah's comments they certainly are not obligated. I personally read all her comments and it was as if we were in a book club together and so it added to my reading experience. I didn't think there were too many Oprah notes and actually thought she could have commented more in the middle of the book. I personally highlighted all the words I looked up for definition as a way to dig deeper myself (one of the things I love most about Kindle books, dictionary is only a tap away).This is a favorite genre of mine; it's a biography written as a as novel during a period in history. I felt very prepared to give this book everything I had and I was not disappointed. I was inspired. The parallel narration worked for me. I spent time with Sarah in her head and then the next chapter I was with Hetty. It was flawless, transitioning between the two women. Their individual voices were always clearly their own. Picturing the mansion was a little trickier. My daughter and I visited Mt Vernon and took a tour of the house and estate complete with the 'warming kitchen' and slave quarters but his estate was in the country and this story took place in an urban mansion in Charleston, SC so I did a lot of creative set designing in my head. It was afterward while reading all the notes and an interview with Sue Monk Kidd that I found out that the Grimke mansion is still standing and she had taken a tour of it. I actually went on line to see pictures of mansions from that era. I wished she had a picture in the book as a reference. I viewed 12 Years a Slave which did have a mansion similar to book's description. I also noticed some details like the 'slave clothes' that she described in the book made out of unbleached muslin and the reading of the Bible verses to the slaves as a way to convince them and possibly themselves that slave ownership was sanctified. One of the books I read last year,The Healing by Jonathan Odell,came to mind while reading this novel. In that book, he articulated the aspect of the mindset of people in captivity. The Healer in Odell's story recognized that aspect of the human spirit and its relevance in becoming free. In Kidd's book, Hattie had that "you can't own me" idea already in her, cultivated by her mother. Also, they had power in their craft, something that they had that the 'master' needed. The ability to sew, quilt and ultimately tell their story. Sarah, on the other hand had to discover her own truth organically, no doubt influenced by her experience viewing a beating of a slave as a four year old girl hidden from view. Kidd elucidated in the back of my edition what was actually factual and what she created. The time she took with details was thrilling for me as a reader. She commented that while she was writing her book, her husband said that she spent more time in the 19th century than in the 21st. I have been spending some time in the 19th century as well, having just finished Elizabeth Gilbert's book The Signature of All Things which takes place in that time period as well. This book was so well-written, well-researched and relevant that it could easily be required reading in a woman's studies curriculum. Honestly, I cannot think of anything more thrilling than to be inside a work of art such as this book where I can totally trust the author as well as feel that I have actually made a contribution as a person by sharing the painful history of our country and be inspired to speak my own truth. This book changed me. It changed how I looked at things in my own life and how I respond. Sarah had an uphill battle all the way. She had to turn her back on everything she had been taught to speak her truth and often under duress and danger. If she can do that, then I actually owe it to her to do my best every day to speak authentically. Honestly, it's the only way any of us will ever be free. Of course, I recommend the book but would qualify it by saying for those people ready to take a journey that will no doubt transform you if you are willing.

I find myself filled with stunned incredulity as I skim through the top reviews posted for "The Invention of Wings". With all due respect to the one thousand plus posters here, I find it almost impossible to believe that so many were really offended by the little blue "O" (for Oprah) that appeared at the end of some of the paragraphs in this Kindle release. The barely there "O"'s represented little notations, Oprah's thoughts on the text, that could be accessed * IF THE READER WAS INTERESTED*. If the reader was not interested in Oprah Winfrey's thoughts, they simply chose not to "click" the "O". No problem, right? The lack of obtrusiveness of this feature is almost laughable, as are the uber offended posters. Isn't it ironic that this book that is all about the most shameful and hate filled time in our country's history has been attacked by such petty and dishonest haters..? You are not fooling anyone with your hatred of Ms. Winfrey, I suspect many of you did not even read this book, and if you did, I hope you are aware of the fact that your 1 star reviews based on your political views cost this author a fair judgment of her work. There is still so much work that needs to be done in this country regarding hurtful bigotry. "The Invention of Wings" is a colorful and charming story of a Charleston plantation family and their slaves. It is based on the true story of abolitionist and woman's rights advocate, Sarah Grimke. Much of the narrative is fictionalized. Although this is a fun and warm hearted read, it is not extremely literary. I was not a big fan of Sue Monk Kidd's first novels, "The Secret Life of Bees" and "The Mermaid Chair". But I found "The Invention of Wings" delightful. One kind of gets the feeling that the author read "12 Years a Slave" and did a women's fiction type homage to it. It is well worth the time spent however, there is a sense of history in this book that lends it a seriousness even though there are parts of the narrative that feel contrived. The most interesting part of this tale, to me, is the slave, Charlotte's, "story quilt". I had never heard of a quilt that was constructed to tell the life story of the seamstress before. Charlotte took loving care in cutting out figures in cloth that represented the story of her life. Each square told another story. She could not read or write, but found a way to leave her history behind for her children with her quilt. Isn't it an interesting and magnificent phenomenon how woman have been doing this for all time. The American Indians painted their personal stories on pottery, ancient Chinese women , through the fascinating "nu-shu", passed notes to each other scribbled on their beautiful fans and when I was young we all decorated our school folders ("Pee-chees") with the stories of our young loves. We wrote on bathroom walls, carved initials on trees and scrawled in wet cement. We have come so far...today's young (and not so young) women can type out their status' on Facebook or send a "tweet" to tell their stories. Apparently, we will always have the need to put our "stories" out there for others to read and comment on. I recommend "The Invention of Wings". I think that it is important for every generation to be reminded of the history of the obscene nature of slavery and oppressive racism in this country. Unfortunately, many posters on this site have helped me.

This is a carefully researched, historical fiction about two sisters that are real and were abolitionists and feminists. The story is also about a real, actual, African American slave associated with the sisters. Most of the details about the slave, "Handful" are lost to history. Sue Monk Kidd wrote a novel about their lives and the people and events with which they were associated. The novel itself is very good. At the end of the novel is an author's note in which she detailed what parts of the book were fiction, etc... I really appreciated that and was glad I waited until the end of the book to read it. This this book is a combination of excellent fiction and is still very educational. I read this book on Kindle. I have, what I refer to as, a "flawed inner narrator". Therefore I often spend extra money and purchase the accompanying audiobook. I did so in this case and was very glad I did. The audiobook is really excellent. The novel is constructed around the first person narration of two females protagonists. One is a free white lady named Sarah Grimke who is an actual historical figure. The second lady, as described below, is also a real, actual person, however, lamentably, there is little real historical information about her. The second lady is an enslaved African American lady named "Handful". According to the author there was such a lady, but very little is known about her. There are descriptions of "punishments" (torture) of various African Americans that can only be described as ghastly. While the exact story depicted here is fiction, the acts are drawn from actual histories of slavery. In that context the novel is similar to "Uncle Tom's Cabin". In any event, the Audiobook has two narrators. They switch back and forth as the novel switches scenes between the two protagonists. Both narrators are really excellent. In the novel Miss Grimke has a speech impediment and her narrator represents that in such a way that really moved me, but would have mostly been lost to my own flawed inner narrator. In the event that a reader enjoys the format of this book, with two female protagonist narrators, I happened to read another book like that, "Girls Like Us" by Gail Giles, that I enjoyed very much. It is a far different story, but the format is the same. That audiobook was also excellent. I am somewhat embarrassed to confess that I was unfamiliar with Sarah Monk Kidd. The reason I read this book was because it was a book club selection. I am now going to research the author and select another work of hers to read. Thank You...

The Invention Of Wings is one of the most searing and heartbreaking books I have ever read. Sue Monk Kidd has written a masterpiece here that should be required reading for ages 16 and up. It tells the story of two extraordinary women -- Hetty (Handful) a benevolent and kindhearted slave and Sarah Grimke, a fiery, iconoclastic girl growing up on a plantation in Charleston who detests slavery and wants to see it abolished. The novel is told in the first person by both women in alternating chapters and their voices are so pure and authentic it's almost impossible to believe they could have sprouted from one woman's mind. Hetty and Sarah are all colors: They're pagoda red, gothic white and asphalt black -- they shine like armfuls of tinsel -- each fighting to end discrimination and live in a world free of prejudice. Ms. Kidd is truly one of the most talented authors I have come across recently. In addition to her mesmerizing characters, her prose is simply stunning. Every sentence is sculpted and shimmering. Every word is necessary. Every emotion is razor sharp and blazing. Yes, this book illustrates a true account of slavery from a slaves perspective and it is graphic and harrowing, but it is first and foremost a story of resilience and determination. You love these two women for their courage and heroism. You love them for trying to abolish this barbaric and monstrous system -- for trying to change the world. The Invention Of Wings is about Sarah and Hetty's enduring relationship, but it is also about the steadfast determination and spirit of these two women at a time when women were supposed to remain taciturn and compliant and not express their opinions. Ms. Kidd has woven many powerful messages into her tale just as Hetty weaves into the story quilts her mother taught her to make. Messages about equality, compassion, altruism, perseverance and the staggering strength of the human spirit. I adored this book so much I have already recommended it to my friends and I look forward to sharing it with my daughter when she is old enough.

An astonishingly gripping, enthralling and enchanting read A novel so powerful, it took my breath away What an insight into South American in the 1800s, a savage chapter In History so well told, it made me wince n cry with disbelief and subsequent relief that it is all over Did it all really happen? Were the so called coloured people only 3/4th human? How could the taking away of a child from her mother to never seeing her again and hearing of her death years later, being lashed for learning the alphabet, flogging and branding a mother in front of the child while she looks on helpless be justified, the basic rights to human life denied to the negros, and why just them'? The restrictions that killed the aspirations and ambition of thousands of white women in South America, the laws which prohibited them to express their opinion and views, take up a profession or even get educated at the same level as men be thought of as the will of God? Did bible really preach that slavery is the way of life? Unputdownable. What an inspirational story of two strong willed women who fought all odds to make their voice heard in a society where women were shushed for so long that they didn't know their voices existed The author has woven fictional as well as non-fictional events intricately together perfectly preserving the reality and adding twists and turns which are in perfect tandem with the story, maintaining the pace very well. Words fall short in describing the beauty of this compelling narrative.

Some books pull you in and don't let go - even after you've turned the last page. And this novel is one of them; made even more profound due to the fact that it's based on real events and real people. It's a beautifully told account of a decades-long struggle by Sarah Grimke (and, eventually, her younger sister, Nina) to not only bring about the abolition of slavery but to also champion equal rights. It also brings in the story of Hetty (or Handful as she's known), a little girl who is given to Sarah for her 11th birthday, and promptly rejected as a 'gift' by Sarah. The story is told in alternating chapters by both Sarah and Handful and is deeply moving. What is particularly fascinating is that Sarah had to overcome obstacles of her own in order to find her 'wings' and seek out the meaning of her existence during a period in history where women were to be seen and not heard - and were definitely not expected to speak out against the status quo of slavery. This novel is full of beautiful descriptions and wonderful insights - for example, Sarah's thought process when she discovers Handful has used her bath. At first, Sarah is shocked and angered by Handful's actions - but then she realises that she has simply grown accustomed to what a slave should or should not do. It's at this point that she realises 'There's a frightful muteness that dwells at the center of all unspeakable things, and I had found my way into it." It's moments like these which bring to life the reality of what it must have been like living during this period in history - and the imagination, compassion and far-sightedness required by those born into the upper-class 'planter' families to manage to see beyond their slaves as mere chattels. For me, this novel raised questions for myself - it made me wonder, had I lived in that age, whether I'd have been one of the few who would have spoken out or whether I'd have lived with what was the norm. Much as we'd like to think (from a 21st century) perspective that we would have been on the side of the abolitionists, Sue Monk Kidd captures the reality of the time in such a precise manner, that the reader understands that not only wasn't it as simple as speaking out against a terrible injustice - it was a matter of seeing slavery as an injustice in the first place for those people who were born into a time where they knew no better. As for Sarah, her struggle was immense and she gave up much for the cause she held dear - I felt so glad that a writer had chosen to bring to life this amazing woman and her sister. It makes you appreciate that for all the evils in the world, there are threads of decency too - and that any number of small voices are capable of changing history. Handful's voice is equally strong, and her bravery and faith is both uplifting and heartrending at the same time. Although Handful did exist, and was given to Sarah as a waiting maid, the author's note at the end states that little is known of her and (in real life) she died quite young. As such, Handful's narrative is a work of pure fiction, but no less engaging for it. This is an amazing and beautiful novel, and fantastic insight into the little-known Grimke sisters. Highly recommended.

incredibly well written!. the characters of sarah and handful are very well developed - as are the other minor characters. It's a gripping story and depicts the lives of the slaves and the upper class extremely well. This book will have you in tears of anger, sorrow and joy. It's a good book for everyone who likes fascinating stories, charismatic characters and suspense until the end.

One of the most powerful books that I've read lately. It drew me into a world of horrors where owning slaves and cruelty were synonymous. It brings to light the under current of southern mentality that has not totally disappeared, ....just gone under the skin and appears subtly when no one is looking! Horrifying but riveting to the very end.

Questo libro sembra seriamente basato su personaggi reali e, almeno in parte (l'embrione di progetto di sollevazione), su fatti realmente accaduti. Esso descrive con finezza psicologica le secolari barriere del pregiudizio di cui era prigioniera un'intera società, pur tra le più attive nello sviluppo del costituzionalismo, le inevitabili sfaccettature all'interno di essa, l'eroismo di coloro che per primi, anticipando i tempi, vi si opposero, le sofferenze di generazioni di vittime, in uno stillicidio di episodi oscuri, non registrati dalla storia. Ben scritto, utile per chi vuole esercitarsi in inglese/americano senza sottoporsi a noiosi percorsi didattici. Lo schema resta quello, per me vincente a dispetto delle resipiscenze manzoniane, del romanzo storico. Nel finale, c'è pure la suspense, unica concessione, forse, ai facili effetti, ma non guasta e fa davvero palpitare. A mio sommesso avviso, un capolavoro.