From the celebrated author of The Secret Life of Bees and the forthcoming novel The Book of Longings, a novel about two unforgettable American women.Writing at the height of her narrative and imaginative gifts, Sue Monk Kidd presents a masterpiece of hope, daring, the quest for freedom, and the desire to have a voice in the world.Hetty “Handful” Grimke, an urban slave in early nineteenth century … urban slave in early nineteenth century Charleston, yearns for life beyond the suffocating walls that enclose her within the wealthy Grimke household. The Grimke’s daughter, Sarah, has known from an early age she is meant to do something large in the world, but she is hemmed in by the limits imposed on women.
Kidd’s sweeping novel is set in motion on Sarah’s eleventh birthday, when she is given ownership of ten year old Handful, who is to be her handmaid. We follow their remarkable journeys over the next thirty five years, as both strive for a life of their own, dramatically shaping each other’s destinies and forming a complex relationship marked by guilt, defiance, estrangement and the uneasy ways of love.
As the stories build to a riveting climax, Handful will endure loss and sorrow, finding courage and a sense of self in the process. Sarah will experience crushed hopes, betrayal, unrequited love, and ostracism before leaving Charleston to find her place alongside her fearless younger sister, Angelina, as one of the early pioneers in the abolition and women’s rights movements.
Inspired by the historical figure of Sarah Grimke, Kidd goes beyond the record to flesh out the rich interior lives of all of her characters, both real and invented, including Handful’s cunning mother, Charlotte, who courts danger in her search for something better.
This exquisitely written novel is a triumph of storytelling that looks with unswerving eyes at a devastating wound in American history, through women whose struggles for liberation, empowerment, and expression will leave no reader unmoved.
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I listened to the audio of this book and both the story and the narrators were excellent.
Humanity at its best and worst.
Great writing
It was a very unique book which held my attention. It has been on the “Best Seller List” forever, and I felt compelled to read it for that reason.
Great literature. Love her style with beautiful sentences.
The story of relationships among women is so powerful
I loved this book! It is a very interesting historical novel about the 1860s and slavery. I highly recommend it.
A great story in the midst of a history lesson.
Excellent historical fiction with a look into slavery and abolitionist movement.
Great book. Loved the plot and the way it was written.
Amazing story about 2 white women who fought against slavery and the love a white woman felt for a slave girl. A reminder to us all about the history of slavery. Everyone should read this book.
DIDN’T READ IT YET, I THOUGHT IT WAS A DIFFERENT BOOK
What a compelling and inspiring book this is! Not only does the reader learn about the Grimke sisters of Charleston (whom I never heard of before reading), but their story is seamlessly woven with and into a fictional account of one of the family’s slaves. I could not put this book down!
Very well written. Descriptions of characters and setting made me feel like I was there.
Haunting and extremely moving, this novel based loosely on real women who were leaders in the anti-slavery and women’s rights movements will stick with you forever. Beautifully crafted and terribly revealing.
I started off not liking the book at all. I don’t often read the summaries on the book, I like to enter a story without benefit of a summary. But, as is my habit, when I begin a novel, I complete it. So I did The Invention of Wings. The story is more about how women try to overcome adversity in the 1800s. Two women, with two different lives, one a slave, and the other her slave owner, each were halted by society’s rules. One woman was a black slave to the white woman who was a slave to society. This woman wanted to be a lawyer, but during that time, women couldn’t become lawyers. The story teaches women not to give up; keep pursuing your dream, and that women must stand strong together. In the end I loved the book, not only for its deep messages, but also for its rich use of story telling techniques. I highly recommend this book.
A historical novel based on a real people.
A terrific read that will inspire you and give you new female heroes in amazing Quaker women you never knew existed. Kudos to Kidd for elevating this beautiful story and giving it flight!
Fact and fiction interwoven seemlessly. A good story about two incredable women who were pioneers in their thought process and their approach to life. I salute them for breaking the mold and seeking a different path
Great story that made me more interested in the characters it was based on.