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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Loved it! Especially because so many characters were real people. It gives thought to what future writers will think of our own times!
well written story. I enjoyed it so much
Fantastic book! Wonderfully written, great book with believable characters and historically very interesting.
This is an amazing read. The characters are so wonderful. I fell in love with them all. Really makes you think.
Enjoyed the realism of our ugly past. Found myself rooting for the characters. Unknown history brought to light a bonus.
Excellent historical fiction based on little-known characters.
This book is about two women. A slave & her master, written from each point of view. Although it is fiction, the absolutionist sisters are very real.
Great read
I have read several of her books. Enjoy them very much.
Read this book some years ago, and love the memory of that time.
Excellent book. She stays true to the historical facts and tells a beautiful story. Well worth the read.
One of my favorites.
I loved the story.
One of my most favorite books from one of my most favorite authors.
The characters were so vividly portrayed. The background about the dreadful reality of the physical wounding and mental diminishing of the African-Americans was heartbreaking.
Ms. Kidd is a remarkable story teller no matter the characters, time period or place setting.
Well written, interesting read.
Historical fiction. Real page turner. Highly recommend it
Well researched historical fiction based on real characters. One of the most memorable books that I have read. Love the development of the characters. The story line is well thought out, going in directions that are surprisingly far from where it started. I will be reading more of Sue Monk Kidd’s books.
Sue Monk Kidd is an amazing author! I’ve read lots of historic fiction about slavery, but this one was a favorite. Excellent story intertwined with factual events and fascinating characters.