by Sue Monk Kidd
Hardcover- $12.87
From the celebrated author of The Secret Life of Bees, a magnificent novel about two unforgettable American women
Writing at the height ...
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Sarah Grimke and Handful were complete opposites in the society of the 1800's.
Sarah was the daughter of a plantation owner, and Handful was her maid. Both were strong women regardless of their station in life.
Sarah didn't want to have a maid, and Handful didn't want to be a maid. She wanted to sew just like her mother did. She wanted to be a seamstress, but in reality, she wanted to be free. Charlotte, Handful's mother, made all the clothes for the household including the slaves. She was a bit of of a handful herself.
Through the beautiful storytelling of Ms. Kidd, you will follow the Grimke family through the decades of life on the plantation. You will meet Missus who was the wife of the plantation owner and who was in charge of of the slaves. She was very cruel.
The main characters, Sarah, Handful, Charlotte, and Missus will keep you up late reading about the day's activities either covert or in plain sight and either cruel or humane. These characters and their bond as well as their differences will be pulling at your heartstrings.
Historical Fiction at its best will be yours when you pick up THE INVENTION OF WINGS. There is a lot of profound thinking and pondering in every paragraph. I wasn't aware of Sarah's role in the abolitionist movement, and was pleasantly surprised to find information about her and her sister, Angeline, as I did some research of my own.
The storyline of THE INVENTION OF WINGS flows easily and masterfully as Ms. Kidd brings to life Southern living, the horrors of slavery, and tells of the people who worked toward abolishing slavery.
Don't miss this well-written, researched book of Ms. Kidd. Ms. Kidd’s notes at the end of the book were very helpful as she explained how she took the basis of history and fictionalized key parts of it for her book. THE INVENTION OF WINGS was incredible. 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge by the publisher in return for an honest review.
Source: http://silversolara.blogspot.com
If you liked "The Help" I'm sure you will enjoy this novel. Set in the south during the time of slavery the story tells the tale of a young slave, Handful and her owner. It's told in alternating voices, a technique I enjoy and is both suspenseful and captivating.
Wonderfully written piece of historical fiction. Very thought provoking, excellent book for discussion.
Kidd’s retelling of the Grimke sisters and their fight for equality for women and the abolition of slavery is told with sympathy and fact. Although much of the story is fiction, Kidd manages to remain true to the real life story of Sarah and Angelina Grimke in the days and decades before the Civil War. A number of “big names” appear in the sisters’ ongoing struggle to be heard in a male dominated South and respected in a male dominated North.
The tale loses momentum in the middle, possibly because the sisters’ actual lives also stalled in their middle years. The addition of the totally fictional characters of Charlotte and Hetty carry the story well, giving the slave side of Southern life. The horrors of slavery are graphically depicted.
I can recommend this book without reservation for anyone interested in Southern life, abolition, women’s rights, and the life style and treatment of women in antebellum Charleston, South Carolina. Also interesting is the role of the church (in many permutations) in the condoning of slavery and the treatment of women.
5 of 5 stars
This book is an unbelievable epic. I am forever changed by Monk\'s masterpiece! If you love books, you have to read this.
Great, well written work of historical fiction. It's a great pick for discussion.
Excellent book utiliizing 2 women from very different places in life and how they grew inspiring each other and starting the womens movement just by trying to abolish slavery. Its not a feminist book but historically based and well researched. As true to Monk she does an excellent job of bringing the depths of her characters out.
Provacative, informative, inspiring. And more. It could be slow at times, but maybe that was an indication of the slowness do change in the way slaves were treated, or the lack of power women really had over their own lives. A must read.
Interesting blend of fiction/non-fiction. I was not aware of the Grimke sisters and their courageous stand against slavery. Also interesting to learn inside perspective of slave ownership in early 1800s. Overall, storyline was very engaging and I would recommend book to others.
This felt like a textbook to me; well researched but never connected with the characters like in Secret Life of Bees; a favorite book of mine
Amazing 5 star novel! The writing is wonderful, the characters full and the setting demonstrative. I loved everything about this book. It will be my book club choice for 2015. I want to share it with every woman I know. There is so much to the story, but the main concept is freedom of slavery from oneself and others. Fly my child...fly!
The Invention of Wings is a well written novel with an interesting plot line and well developed characters. It is exceedingly insightful and informative about slavery, the abolition movement, and the role the Grimke sisters played as abolitionists. Any fictional history buff should read this book.
I was one of the few people who didn\\\'t love \\\"Secret Life of Bees.\\\" Liked it just didn\\\'t love it. So I wasn\\\'t super excited about this book club selection. Was I wrong! \\\"Invention of Wings\\\" is truly an excellent book. Loved the character development. Kidd really got the essence of both perspectives of southern plantation life plus the perspective of an abolitionist. Loved that Sarah was not only an abolitionist but also a feminist. Also loved that Kidd gave us an explanation of her research. Really loved this book.
This was a good read and provided a lot of issues for discussion.
Raises provocative questions about the social order that enabled slavery, the role of women at that time in history, and how some women tapped the strength of their character to work for greater justice and freedom.
I listened to this book on audible...what a fantastic story. Fiction based on fact. Monk\\\' s description of everything makes you feel like you are there. Excellent story told I two voices of the characters. Excellent!
Sarah and Hattie had very different experiences in the early 1800s, but these two, slave owner's daughter and slave, shared a need to escape. The first from mental bondage and the second from physical bondage. Their shared experience allowed them both to break free and grow wings.
The story takes place over three and a half decades, beginning in 1803. At first the book seemed to be kind of the same old, same old theme, a combination of recent books, The Help, The Kitchen House and The House Girl. Two thirds to three quarters of the way through, it changed course and became a book that could stand on its own. It is historic fiction; the characters are true to themselves, those that are real, like the Grimkes and those like Handful(Hetty) and Mauma (Charlotte), who are made up out of whole cloth. Hetty represents an excellent example of the awful life a slave was forced to live, in a society driven by greed and callousness, a society that continued the practice of slavery until it was forced to stop, a society that required slaves to dream of sprouting wings in order to be free.
For her 11th birthday, Sarah Grimke’s mother presented her with a gift, her own personal slave, Hetty (Handful). Sarah does not want a slave; slavery disgusted her. She tried to write an order to free her but her parents refused to accept her decision. It was the way of life in Charleston, South Carolina, and Sarah must submit to the societal demands of the upper class. Hetty and Sarah were about the same age, they grew close, and their lives followed a parallel road, albeit in opposite directions most of the time. Their stories will pull on the reader’s emotions. The only true parallel between Sarah and her “lady’s maid”, Hetty, was that they both must be taught their “proper place” in society. Hetty, a slave, had only one job, to please her master. Her life was always at the mercy of others. Sarah, a free woman of Charleston society, had only one main job, to find a husband that was suitable and equal to or better than her own station in life. Both of the young girls wanted more freedom and more opportunity, but for one, it was out of the question.
While Sarah and her mother Mary seemed to feel hemmed in by their lack of freedom, they at least could move about at will and choose a good deal of the life they wanted. Hetty and her mother (Mauma), had freedom to move about only on the plantation and may leave and go to market, only if given a pass and permission. They were always subject to scrutiny, abuse and punishment with insufficient reason. Both the Grimkes and their fellow aristocratic families living in Charleston, had a form of freedom unknown to Mauma, Hetty and the slaves, yet they, too, felt imprisoned, in a sense, by the constraints placed on women in the society in which they lived, a society that viewed slaves as less than people and women as less than men.
When Sarah’s mother had another child, Sarah, robbed of her career opportunities by the protocols of her day, begged her mother to make her godmother to the child. She acquiesced and Nina became more like her daughter than her sister. As years passed, they became great friends, philosophically attuned to each other, and the two sisters became trailblazers for the cause of anti slavery and women’s rights. They were not fictional characters, although the narrative around them was constructed by the author. In real life, the sisters fought for equal rights and equality for all. Their story and their courage is to be greatly admired. They set the stage for the likes of Cady Stanton and future freedom fighters.
Sarah had an independent spirit, which her parents wished to break or control. Her father did not believe in women’s rights to education or professions. Her mother was often a cruel and harsh taskmaster, trying to show her how to be a “lady” in society, how to handle a household and how to discipline the slaves. Mary, Sarah’s mother, thought slavery was a bad situation, but one that was the way of life and must continue. She could be kind-hearted but was more often shown to be severe and pitiless in meting out her form of justice and punishment. Forgiveness was not one of her main attributes. She, like all women of that time, lacked the freedom to do as she wished in life, as far as voicing her opinions, obtaining an advanced education and/or entering a profession. Perhaps it was her own frustration which made her cruel. Her daughters eventually chose a far better way to vent their dissatisfaction with their lives and the lives of the oppressed.
It seemed shallow, at times, and incongruous, to compare the lifestyles of the two women, in opposite societies, as we observed the progress of their lives. Sarah, in all circumstances was always better off than Hetty, though each did eventually have to adjust to the confines of their station in life and the limits that “society” placed upon their actions. Sarah sometimes seemed naïve, even as an adult; she could, quite possibly, eventually have granted freedom to Hetty had she retained ownership of her, but she returned her to her mother whom she knew was cruel, a terrible taskmaster and a mean disciplinarian. So, despite all her protestations, I questioned her decision. Surely she understood the awful consequences that would follow it. While Sarah always nursed her emotions, Hetty always had to nurse her broken body, which was abused by slave masters and owners, and her mother would only make Hetty’s life more difficult.
I believe one of the author’s intentions might have been to show the tragedies and the weaknesses of the entire slave and free society from both perspectives.. What set this book apart from others like it was the nature of the sister’s involvement in the fight to end slavery. What makes it so compelling is the fact that their suffering, their sacrifices, their toils, and the fruits of their efforts really did set the stage for future, more well-known, abolitionists and feminists.
I could not put this book down. I found it engrossing and very emotionally draining. I often find think if I would ever have the courage these women had.
The story of the Grimke Sisters of Charleston, SC is extraordinary. These daughters of wealthy slave owners grew up to be abolitionists and early advocates for women's rights. The story is told from the points of view of both Sarah Grimke and Hettie, the slave she receives for her 11th birthday.
In light of so many stories in literature and the movies about slavery, Sue Monk Kidd brought a new perspective to a sad and important part of our history. This story is not to be missed! Based on true characters, this book was hard to put down.
This is a book that should be read by all 11th and 12th grade girls. We need young women to know where we have come from and understand our past.
Really enjoyed this book with it\'s alternating chapters. The author created believable characters in Sarah and Hetty (Handful).
Anytime we read a dynamic account of how a woman succeeds in promoting her view of fair justice by living her beliefs we are given a second chance to appreciate what we have today as women and that we need to be vigilant in keeping it..
Masterful telling of a slave/mistress story - life-changing relationship for both. Expertly researched and based on real events. Beautifully done.
I like books that give me insightful information which I previously did not know.
One of the best books that I have read recently. The characters were so well developed and the writing was brilliant.
Our book club liked this book. We couldn't believe how cruel we were to slaves. The book was written well and the characters were memorable.
So much women's history is unwritten. This sheds light on a bit of it.
I think it is important to be aware of our history. It empowers people to be empathetic and knowledgeable. There are many heroes in this book and mentors for all of us as we move into the future with its trials and tribulations.
Wow. This book blew me away. I have always been fascinated by the era of slavery and how such a despicable thing even existed. Sue Monk Kidd perfects illustrating how both slaves and their owners lived together, the few positive ways and many horrible ways. The characters were well-developed, so the read can easily relate to the narrators and other characters. The scene was also well-described, so the reader can \"put themselves\" in the book.
This book would be great for book clubs, or anyone who wants to read about how strength, hope and empowerment can exist, even in the most dire situations.
It is not often all members of my book club end up liking the book, but everyone really enjoyed this book. The book is an interesting and well written historical fictional account of several very strong and intelligent women who were definitely ahead of their time.
This was a wonderful historic novel, full of real characters whose names we do not attribute to their causes and the dramatic effect they had as abolitionists and suffragettes. Incredible real life stories.
I love historical fiction so this was right up my alley. Based on a true historical figure and events, which makes it that much more wonderful. The author has a way of writing that just draws you into her story and keeps you engaged and engrossed throughout the book. Even though the storyline seems it would be very dark, its written in such a beautiful way that one doesn't feel depressed or sad after reading it. kudos.
Our book group loved the book and gave it a 9.6 out of 10 rating.
Eye-opening book about the beginnings of the women's rights movement, as well as the story of two Southern women who were leaders in the abolitionist movement.
This book is heartbreaking as it deals with the difficult subject of slavery in the 1800's in South Carolina. It tells a story based on the Grimke sisters from Charleston who were high society ladies turned abolitionists and early feminists. I loved the story line about one of the slaves, Handful, and her mom, Charlotte and their desire to be free.
I could have never attended church on Sundays
as Sara\\\\\\\'s mother thought nothing of bullying the slaves and torturing them!! When was it ever logical to keep slaves or own people?? When did logic play into kidnapping African\\\\\\\'s by brutal force to be sold?? How did the religious not see themselves as bad as the Egyptians in the Bible?? I think the author aligned slavery with \\\\\\\"women\\\\\\\'s equal rights suffrage\\\\\\\" the brutally of slavery was harsh, the treatment of women not as brutal unless the women of the day took a STAND for thee women slaves. I am for women\\\\\\\'s rights but I don\\\\\\\'t agree with my sister\\\\\\\'s on everything in 2014 because I am Pro-Life. ---The STAND for LIFE receives harsh treatment from progressive sister\\\\\\\'s.
What an amazing story - didn't realize until I finished that Wings was based on a true story. The Grimke sisters were astonishing. To have the bravery and gumption to go against everything one was brought up to believe is beyond words.
Most members loved the book cover to cover. Since it is based on true characters it was more interesting. Especially enjoyed the last third of the book when the sisters really start speaking out The author's notes at the end of the book were fascinating
While I admire the writing style, I did not enjoy the story. It is superbly written, but the story is hare to deal with. The characters and scenes are well developed. Our group had a great discussion.
My book group truly enjoyed this book because of the layers of character depth. We love to tell our stories and really enjoyed the stories told by Sarah and Handful. The topic of violence within human nature brought on discussion of the domestic violence in sports that is happening in the news today. We found the author\\\\\\\'s notes at the back of the book very helpful in our discussions. We loved discussion the title imagery and how it was mentioned throughout the book. We were surprised to find in our research for the discussion that there were slave quarters in Philadelphia. We had a fun night with this book.
Both young women created a realistic world that was as moving as it was sad. I couldn\\\\\\\'t stop reading once I started. Well written by an excellent author.
This novel explores the birth of abolition and feminism in the early 19th century, with several strong, intelligent women as main characters. It is beautifully written, with great insight into the pressures of society at the time, and how all parties managed to deal with it in their own way. A very worthwhile read.
Awesome book! Takes place in the South and deals with issues of slavery and women's rights. Great discussion book on so many levels! Enjoy!
Beautiful character development, and insight into a difficult time in our nation's history. Powerful and moving.
Our group loved this book! Lots of great issues for discussion including women\\\\\\\'s role in the south, mother\\\\\\\'s roles toward daughters and political issues of change.One of our favorites! Sue Monk has wonderful language and quotes we will remember.
Our group enjoyed this read and found it inspiring that these women led the abolition charge so many years ahead of the names we know. Many of us had been to Charleston and enjoyed the historical fiction element of the city and area. A good book club read but not the most inspiring for conversation.
I would rate this about a 3.8. It showed a slightly different way to look at slavery and slave owners. Although at times it was horrific, it was based on a true story and it seemed very realistic. She\'s a good writer and she made the times come alive, for me.
We were a bit split on this book. Some members gave it a 5, while others rated it more like 3.5. Those who rated it low thought it was a bit slow in the middle and would have liked more about the sisters' involvement in the abolitionist movement.
Excellent discussion of women's issues through the ages!
Loved the beautiful writing and novel based on a true story. We were all surprised abolitionist weren\\\\\\\'t about equality. Very informative and lovely story.
The author based this story on some people who lived and made a difference during the 1800's in our country.
Wish I had known at the beginning of the book that the main characters where real. It is told from both the perspective of the two different cultures. The Slave Owners and the Slaves. The period of that time is probably accurately portrayed.
A beautifully written book! Would highly recommend!
In the book the Invention of Wings, the one of the characters is a slave seamstress who tells the story of her life in a quilt. I felt that Sue Monk Kidd gave us readers a quilt too in the way she pieced this store together. It was an enlightening read and I highly recommend it!
The two main characters in this book are strong women trapped in different ways. Their relationship and how they make their way to a kind of freedom is a fascinating story that on its own will capture you. There are levels of meaning - symbolism, complex characters and questions about human nature - that make this an ideal book to discuss with others. To my surprise, I found it's actually based on some fascinating women who were early abolitionists and speakers for women's rights. One of the top 5 books we've read as a club.
this book is well written and describes the physical and mental torment of the characters equally well. a very thought provoking read about plantations, slavery and the role of women and mothers
The Invention of Wings is a beautifully written book, and Sue Monk Kidd, as in The Secret Life of Bees, takes us to a place and time where human beings committed unbelievable atrocities upon other human beings. But the easy acceptance of slavery by the majority of the white people in the South is only a part of this excellent novel. The two main characters are Sarah, the daughter of a family of comfortable means, and Handful, the daughter of one of the slaves who are owned by Sarah\\\'s family. We first meet Sarah and Handful when they are young, and spending their days together playing and dreaming about their futures. But reality ends up changing their innocent friendship forever, when Sarah is presented with a beribboned Handful as her 11th birthday gift. Unable to go along with what is expected of her, Sarah balks and gets a taste of what it means to stand up for what she believes in.
The book examines the laissez faire attitudes of the white people of the house, who, except for Sarah, and eventually her youngest sister, consider the slaves nothing more than chattel. They dole out severe punishment to any slave who dares to disobey with more cruelty and hatefulness than they would to their livestock, often because the slaves longed for freedom and were willing to risk their very lives in order to obtain it. Those parts of the book are very hard to read - what horrors human beings inflicted upon other human beings! - I was left with all sorts of feelings and emotions : guilt, shame, anger and most of all the sad realization that a lot of what allowed slavery to continue stays with us like a foul and sour odor even today. Sarah\\\'s increasing need to fight for what she believes is truly right is what propels the story along to it\\\'s edge of your seat climax. There is heart wrenching pain, and disillusion, confusion and second guessing herself all through the book. And Handful is always near, although for a time a rift is left between them. Handful\\\'s mother instills in her a belief that she will one day be able to fly - escape the inhumanity and evil that really had no reason to exist at all. In a way both Sarah and Handful eventually find their own form of freedom, without realizing how much of an effect they had on each other\\\'s life. The ending is by turns exciting and hopeful, yet full of sadness because unfortunately people\\\'s attitudes toward one another haven\\\'t really evolved very much at all.
I feel that I have read this story before and I didn't really experience a fresh look at this topic from the author.
Very interesting historical fictional account of abolitionist.
Informative, addictive,I enjoyed reading it and felt I learned something while being entertained.
Learned some new things about slavery and role of women in society at that time.
I enjoyed the format of the book. Alternating between Handful's and Sarah's points of view chapter by chapter allowed me, as the reader, to keep spot-on perspective of all that was happening in their daily lives. How courageous these women were! How strong of character! I consider slavery to be a dark time in American history. This book profiles, however, that despite the horrendous cruelty of some folks toward their fellow man, the goodness of others prevails in the end. The book also addresses the issue of women being enslaved by the mores of the day. It is a reminder that suppression of all persons is wrong. Everyone should be not only be allowed but should also be encouraged to spread his/her wings and fly.
Eye opening experience about the beginning of a changing era.
Beautifully written account of the relationships between families, their slaves and the impact of two sisters in early 1800's Charleston.
A beautifully written and thought-provoking story of the parallel lives and struggles of two women in midi-19th century America, each of whom struggles to free herself, Handful from physical slavery and Sarah from societal restrictions on women.
Our book group has such a lively discussion over this book! We began by admitting none of us had even heard of the Grimke sisters! Then we went on to use the very helpful discussion questions. The book truly had us moved...very enlightening when it came to that time period. We would highly recommend it and there were members that had not read any of Sue Monk Kidd and want to go back and read her other books.
Perhaps we\\\'ve read too many books on the slavery period, but I found this one kind of hard going. It got more interesting at the end when I realized it was based on real people in history. Wish I had been aware of that all along.
Solid plot & characters but I wanted more back story about the supporting characters.
Good book though.
Loved the powerful women as they triumph over all the devastation of that time. Made me consider that there is always a solution to problems. The ending left me with lots of wonder.
This is a page turner. Lends itself to a great discussion. Historical fiction at its best. Gives insight into the actualities of slavery, without glossing over, but surprises the reader when one realizes that you are reading about the first women abolitionists, who came from a slave owning family and paid dearly for their beliefs.
This was an ok book, but I think I would have enjoyed it a bit more if I had known at the beginning that it was historical fiction (vs. regular fiction). I did particularly enjoy the endnotes which explained what parts were fiction and what parts were based on the historical facts.
An excellent read. Beautifully written and extraordinarily educational. I never realized how much I didn't know. The characterse come alive and it feels like they are in the room with you. I totally enjoyed the book.
Wonderfully written story of the South in the years leading up to the abolitionist movement. Strong women live and overcome huge obstacles - slave and slaveowner alike.
A truly insightful look into a slaves world in the old South
This is a richly detailed and textured historical novel that gives a vivid picture of the culture and way of life for all people living in South Carolina in the 1830's. Two of the four main characters were actual women , Sarah and Angelina Grimke, both famous and infamous at the time for being the first women abolitionists, and the first women to speak on women's rights. Shockingly, I had never heard of the Grimke sisters, nor had anyone else in our book group. The other two lead characters , a mother and daughter who were slaves in the Grimke sisters' home, were imagined characters who felt entirely real. This book is very informative from an historical perspective, but is, additionally, interesting and insightful due to the fully developed characters and their relationships. The book is beautifully written, and is written in a unique manner of alternating voices each chapter- going back and forth between Sarah Grimke and Handful, her personal slave.
Stories about slavery astonish me in that the brutality they depict actually occurred in THIS country and not that long ago. Their stories are heartbreaking but at the same time, they are real.. . . not some made up version of how life was. I am ashamed of my forefathers who may have been a part of this and I rejoice that we have come so far from it.
Read 'The Author's Notes' before you start the book. We didn't realize it wasn't about a fictional character.
Amazing woman for her time and what a difference she might have made today?
A book I that will stick with you after you read it. I enjoyed the strong will of the characters, a book well written and one I will pass to my friends.
Described the difficulties that women, both black and white,had in our country two centuries ago.the beautiful prose that carries the reader through this amazing story is wonderful. Visiting the historical happenings that ran through the narrative was very interesting.
Great book to discuss. Love historical fiction and I learned a lot from this book. There were many inspiring characters you find yourself cheering on.
Good insight into life of slave and slaveowner as well as life in Charleston in the early 1800s.
The Grimke sisters were quite amazing.
I could not put this book down. It is written in such a manner that you actually feel like you can see the story unfolding in vivid detail. Very well written.
this is an amazing book of struggles 2 girls, on a young slave owner and the other the slave. Their hopes and dreams collide together, get crushed and survive. It is amazing well told true story. A Must read.
This book received more acclaim than any other that our group has done. Sue Monk Kidd's wonderful writing allows the reader to empathize with all the yearnings, sufferings and joys experienced by the characters. The fact that the heroine sisters had actually lived and accomplished what they did made the book even more thought provoking and unforgettable.
The story of slaves in the south and the abolishionists in the north, is an interesting one as told through both perspectives. The overlapping of fictional characters with real ones is fun to read.I was happy to sort all out after in the author's notes.
Our book club was surprised by what we learned in this book about the Grimke sisters and about abolionists and women's rights in 1820-1840 time period. The book was riveting and kept our interest. There was a division on some of the people who could not get into the book at all because of some of the subject matter with slaves versus the ones that did enjoy the book that read it.
We had a wonderful discussion on this book. Everyone agreed that it provided new insights into the institution of slavery. We would highly recommend it to any book group.
Historical Fiction set in pre- civil war period. The characters in the book were real people who helped influence America.
While there were elements of the story that fit with the historical time period, the author's imaginings did not hold together. In any other historical novel of the time period the main character would have been sold or killed. This became a distraction.
I loved Secret Life of Bees but have been disappointed with the author's books since. With so many good books out there about this time period, skip this one.
Very interesting plot, great characters, educational. Make sure you look up the sisters photos on the internet. They are not at all as described in the book!
Eye opening account based on the real Charleston, SC Grimke sisters who forged lives true to their ideals in the pre-Civil War era. Sarah and Angelina are very inspiring as they move from their psychologically oppressive lives as privileged "Southern belles" to becoming socially shunned as leading abolitionists and women's rights crusaders of their time. Their story is paralleled and intertwined with that of two of their family's slaves: the sisters Handful and Sky. While the story of the slave sisters is only loosely tied to real historical figures, the author uses real events and documented social practices and norms of the time to give authenticity to the account of their lives as Charleston house slaves. So much of women's historical contributions has gone unremarked that this novel is a welcome spotlight on two of America's earliest female civil rights leaders.
Great selection for book club. The book is so well written and covers so much that we had a great discussion.
I enjoyed this book. Well written. Her research was brought to life in this story. Although it was difficult to read at times bc of the subject matter it was well worth it.
We all enjoyed the book. it is definitely worth reading. The author did a terrific job of combining history with fiction. I wanted to read what would happen next.
Such an inspiring book. So moving to see how hard people worked and the pain they endured. Such a great read. I highly recommend this book!
I loved the book. Although the topic can be grim, the author put so much research into the book that it seemed as if I was getting a bird's eye view of life in the south in the early 19th century. There was a lot of history too. The characters, both real and fictional, were portrayed so well that I felt as if I was there, in the book. A real page turner with warmth, tragedy, adventure, and grit. I recommend this book to everyone interested in history, women's issues, and slavery. I gained a greater understanding and appreciation of African-Americans' struggle for equality, and what it means to be African-American.
Interesting story of real life sisters and what they sacrificed for the abolitionist cause!
Well written historical fiction tells the fascinating story of the Grimke sisters of Charleston and their crusade for abolition and women'should rights in the early 19th century. Chapters alternate narration between Sarah Grimke and Hetty, the slave given to Sarah for her eleventh birthday, giving the views of both the white slave owner turned abolitionist and the slave who is set on freedom. Great discussion points.
Every member of our diverse book club thoroughly enjoyed this amazing book. Our group usually spends 45 minutes discussing a book, but our conversation about "The Invention of Wings" was twice that long. Our group recommends that future readers read the first portion of the Author's Notes (at the end of the book) before reading the book so they understand the book is based on the lives of actual sisters.
We enjoyed the characters in this novel and the beautiful writing throughout. We sincerely hope Mr. Kidd is working on another novel for us to savor.
Very empathetic description of the lives of two women, one black, one white, on opposite poles of the social hierarchy caught in parallel struggle and yearning for identity and freedom in pre Civil War society. Exceptionally well written and difficult to put aside.
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