The Invention of Wings: by Sue Monk Kidd -- Review

by Expert Book Reviews

THIS IS NOT THE NOVEL, BUT A BOOK REVIEW.

Are you looking to improve your knowledge of slavery in America within a non-academic setting? Sue Monk Kidd's latest novel, The Invention of Wings, offers just that with detailed depictions of the South and North during the early 19th century. Find out who would like this novel and why it is a worthwhile read with the help of this companion review. Kidd has selected two real women from America's history and fictionalized them as protagonists in her third novel.

Sarah Grimké comes from a wealthy white family and struggles with the justifications of slavery from the young age of 11. She befriends a slave named Handful who was presented to her as a gift, and together they form convictions and strive for freedom. Readers gain an insider's view of slavery, the abolitionist movement, and women's rights in The Invention of Wings. The New York Times bestselling author Sue Monk Kidd does not disappoint with her latest piece of historical fiction, and you can read what the critics have to say in this comprehensive review. The Invention of Wings offers an ideal balance of emotional moments and action to entice any reader, while offering educational appeal within an engaging story of two historical women.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Book Club

38 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 14, 2014

About the author

Expert Book Reviews is an imprint of BookScribed, an independent digital learning company with a mission to bring the joy of reading and insightful discussion of great literature to readers everywhere. Expert Book Reviews provides reviews of today’s hottest novels.

Reviews

[Kerry Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book to listen to and educational at the same time. Didn't really learn anything particularly new about slavery but knew nothing about the Grimke sisters prior to this book. If only authors who wrote history text books for our schools could be this interesting. Especially enjoyed the way the story was presented from the perceptive of two life time friends - one a slave owner and the other a slave. Couldn't wait until the end but sorry when it over. The narrators of the audio version of the story were excellent. Highly recommend.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story Description:
Thorndike Press|January 8, 2014|Hardcover|ISBN: 978-0-670-02478-0
A New York Times Bestselling Author 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 19th century Charleston, yearns for life beyond the suffocating walls of the wealthy Grimke household. The Grimke's daughter, Sarah, who has always known she is meant to do something large in the world, is hemmed in by the limits imposed on women. On Sarah's eleventh birthday, she is given ownership of ten-year-old Handful, and we follow their remarkable journeys over the next thirty-five years.
My Review:
THE INVENTION OF WINGS was a gripping read and is based on the life of Sarah Grimke. Sarah was an aristocrat from the south whose father was a bigtime judge. The family owned slaves and on her eleventh birthday, Sarah is given a slave of her own named, Handful. She was appalled at this "gift" and refused but was forced to accept her. Sarah just couldn't digest the fact that someone could actually "own" another person.
Handful was just ten-years-old so she and, Sarah became more friends rather than slave and owner. Handful did complete tasks normally carried out by slaves but Sarah felt terrible even asking her.
Both Sarah and Handful want freedom - Sarah to be free to choose her own vocation, that of being a lawyer which is unheard of for women of her era and - Handful to be a free person and not owned by anyone.
Sue Monk Kidd does a wonderful job of portraying the harsh realities of that time, especially the deplorable treatment of slaves. This is one read you don't want to miss.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave a talk at church extolling the virtues of hard work using the honey bee as the main attraction. A friend later asked me if I had read The Secret Life of Bees--YES, I replied, which I dearly loved. That led to Ms. Kid's newest release, The Invention of Wings, which she had checked out at the library and loaned it to me on condition that I return it (which I did, today!).

Following one's conscience is not a task for the faint of heart. It can tear into your secret places with its cold sharp fangs injecting venomous fear paralyzing any action you may have planned in your more charitable moments. The Invention of Wings takes us to these secret places of our heroines. She masterfully portrays two of history's most courageous female abolitionists. Their story is told in tandem with that of a slave girl and her mother who undergo abominable trials and who exhibit the same valiant audacity.

Not only do our heroines help to change the history of slavery they revolutionize our nation's perspective on women's rights. No small task for two genteel southern belles who were born and bred to not only accept the status quo but to embrace and live it.

The novel based on the actual lives of Sara and Angelina Grimke' introduced me to these two outstanding historical characters. I loved it and look forward to learning more about them.

Well done.

[Lucia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful, well-written book. It was recommended to me by a patron who seemed to know what she was talking about, so I reserved it, not knowing what I was diving into. Charleston, SC is really no place I hanker for now, but certainly wouldn't have wanted to be there back in the early 1800's.

Sue Monk Kidd used both facts and fiction to make this historical gem come alive, and then at the end of the book tells us all about where she found her juicy details. Read it! Listen to it! Do both.

[Lorin Cary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exceptional book, a model for writers of historical fiction.Blending fact and fiction, Kidd focuses on Sarah Grimke, a leading abolitionist originally from Charleston. As a child she observes with horror a slave being punished.When she is gifted a slave (Handful)on her 11th birthday, she attempts to free her. Sarah and Handful become close. Chapters alternate the point of view between the two, and Kidd has brought to life the soul of both characters. In time Sarah becomes a Quaker and moves to Philadelphia. It's on the lecture circuit that she learns the contraints, the chains, that society fetters women with.This is good fiction, and it provides a marvelous window through which to witness past events.Some historical novels are laden with historical details which get in the way of the story. Not so here. Kidd seamlessly places her characters in a context.This is as I said before what I consider to be an exceptional book. Bravo.

[Sharon Sharadin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is brilliantly told from two perspectives and captivating from the first page to the end. Sue Monk Kidd chooses her words in such a way that I felt I was right there in Charleston with the Grimke sisters and Handful. I was pleased with the way the story ended although I was sorry to finish the book. I will think about the strength of these women for a long time. A great read for book club discussion.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the story to move at an excruciatingly slow pace. The prose is highly poetic and beautifully descriptive, but I wished throughout for a brisker pace. Another odd thing was the giant skips of time with no warning or clarification. I listened to the recorded version (the actors were excellent, BTW), and perhaps the print version had clues that time was passing? I also found I didn't care much for any of the characters. . . I never really engaged with any of them. It was educational to learn that the Grimke sisters had indeed lived and strived for both emancipation of the slaves and women's rights. I'm not sure I'd recommend the book to many people, though I think I'm in the minority.

[Adele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It caught my attention from the very beginning. Before reading it, I was not familiar with the Grimke sisters let alone the impact they had on our Country as abolitionists in the early 1800's. I also was not familiar with the types of punishment and torture that was given to the slaves in the South. Sue Monk Kidd brought these things to my attention in a story about a slave owner and her slave as she braids their lives like a plait. Kidd brings each character to life in such a way that the reader is not required to keep track of them on a separate tablet. It is very well written.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a so-so second novel (The Mermaid's Chair), Sue Monk Kid again delivers a wonderful read, populated by interesting and engaging characters. A historical novel based on one of the first female leaders of the abolitionist and women's movement, it interlaces the story of Sarah Grimké and Hetty Handful, a slave girl given to her as a birthday present on her 11th birthday. I hated for the story to end.

[Jill · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't finish. So depressing and upsetting seeing a close-up view of slavery of women-blacks slaves and women of white families.

[Fyn Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it.

[Susanna Lynley · Rating 5 out of 5]

"All I ask of my brethren is that they take their feet off my neck," retorted Sarah Grimke.

Based on the lives of the Grimke sisters, Sarah, and Angelina, who were famous abolitionists and feminists in early 19th century America, this story plots their awakening to the brutality of slavery and the everyday cruelty they witnessed at first hand. But this is no history lesson. Monk Kidd’s gift as a writer is to take her readers into the heart and soul of the sisters and use the “facts” to highlight the emotional whirligig and trauma they endured.

Daughters of Judge Grimke, a wealthy slave owner in South Carolina, they were the first white women to visibly campaign for the repeal of slavery and for the rights of women; issues which did not endear them to their family or the social class to which they belonged. On her eleventh birthday, in line with tradition in the family, Sarah Grimke was presented with her own personal maid, a ten year old slave called “Handful.” Already repulsed by slavery after seeing one of the household slaves whipped, Sarah tried at first to refuse the gift. When she was ridiculed, she composed a letter of manumission, legally freeing Handful and placed it on her father’s desk only to see it destroyed. Sarah’s one further act of rebellion was to teach Handful to read but they were discovered and severely punished.

This is a poignant story of self-discovery and courage. As Sarah comes to terms with the fact that her ambition to study law will never materialise and that her value lies solely in her class and reproductive capacity, Handful likewise has her moment of revelation which likewise impacts on her life. Stumbling upon Judge Grimke’s ledger, she discovers her worth reduced to monetary terms along with the Brussels Carpet and eleven yards of cotton and flax.

Written in two alternating voices, those of Sarah and Handful, this is a moving story of two women’s hopes for freedom and the price they were willing to pay for it. Beautifully written, Monk Kidd never disappoints. She is an exceptional writer who uses her craft to bring to life a momentous campaign in American history.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a historical novel based on the life of a woman born into a wealthy slave-owning family in Charleston, South Carolina, in the early 1800's. Sarah Grimke finds slavery to be repugnant, and tries to return a young slave girl "given" to her on her 11th birthday, to no avail. The story of their friendship and Sarah's development into a powerful force for the cause of abolition and women's rights lies at the center of this novel.

I didn't realize that much of the story was based on real events until I was almost finished with the book. And the author's notes about how she approached the tale, and the areas she chose to embellish, makes for interesting reading after finishing the read.

It's a little bloated and uneven in the writing, but I enjoyed learning a great deal about this era, especially because I was at the same time reading Team of Rivals, Doris Kearns Goodwin's account of Abraham Lincoln and his cabinet during the Civil War. When the abolitionists become upset with Sarah and her sister Nina because of their emphasis on women's rights, I understood the context and their intent, but I could also understand Sarah and Nina's unwillingness to back down.

The characters are well drawn, and very human. Sarah struggles with a speech impediment. Her involvement with the Quakers disappoints, and yet strengthens her resolve. The man she loves cannot rise to her expectations, and so she chooses a life of solitude and work for her cause.

It's a story worth reading, full of plot twists and unexpected resolutions. I'm glad Sarah's story has finally been told.

[Doris A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based in part on the lives of pioneering abolitionists and feminists, Sarah and Angelina Grimke of Charleston in the early 1800s, "The Invention of Wings" uses historical figures and events to bring the decades leading up to the Civil War to vivid, painful life. Kidd unfolds the sisters' lives and emergence as leading voices of their time slowly and deliberately, much as the abolition movement itself developed. Into their lives, the author weaves the fictional character of Handful, a slave given to Sarah as an 11th birthday present. The fight for freedom and equality these women wage in their own distinct and fated ways creates three characters not easily forgotten.

It seems clear from this title about inventing wings that Kidd meant her third novel to be hopeful, or at least inspiring. Inspiring, it is, and illuminating as well, especially about the abolition movement itself. The hope is more elusive. As one of the sisters writes the other at one point, "Abolition is different from the desire for racial equality. Color prejudice is at the bottom of everything. If it's not not fixed, the plight of the Negro will continue long after abolition." As any day's news feed confirms that it has.

It doesn't hurt that Kidd is a crackerjack writer. Writing about snow that says "... the Pennsylvania sky split open like a vast goose down comforter and the entire world turned into feathers..." is writing that is a pleasurable end to itself.

[MaryAlice · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I was reading The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd, I had a feeling I had already read it even though I knew that I had not.

Perhaps it seemed so familiar because I have read many similar stories. Slave girl becomes friends with white mistress who breaks the law teaching her to read; the defiant slave, rebellious slave, run-away slave punishment upon recapture, sympathetic slave owners, cruel owners, tattle-tale slaves ~ the so-called Uncle Toms, and so on.

I did not know that the story was based on two real life women abolitionists who spearheaded women's rights to equality, until the end when I read the author's notes. The Invention of Wings was a good read, if a bit slow at parts.

At one point, while I read, I was picturing the author in school learning the craft of writing; use of metaphors and such. Kidd is very good at it, but if I am out of the story thinking about the author's writing process, perhaps it was too much of a good thing.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an interesting book!
I didn't know for sure until I read the author's note at the end of the book, but this was based on true facts.
I had no idea about these abolitionist women and just how ahead of their time they were. They sacrificed so much of what could have been an easy, elitist life.
I enjoyed the format Kidd used, alternating between the voice of Sarah, the high society southern 'belle' - now anti slave and pro women's rights and the voice of her personal slave Hetty (whom she did not ever want).
Both main characters had issues to overcome in their personal lives along with strong beliefs and convictions about their self worth. Two strong female characters fighting for what they felt was right and just.
An excellent read!

[Tom Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a heart-wrenching but beautiful story about a pair of unsung heroes of both the abolitionist and suffrage movements. Two women I had never heard of who stood with courage they didn't know they had against the condemnation of family and social convention to help bring an end to one of America's greatest shames. Written both from the first person perspective of a young white girl "given" a slave at the age of 11 and that of the young slave girl who was given it is a powerful commentary on humanity and the lack thereof. I was rapt.

This is historical fiction at its finest, with liberties taken in the story for interest, but not to diminish the work of two true American heroes.

I would recommend this for all ages...

[Nan Mossey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my most recommended book of the past few years. Based on historic characters, this story will let you see the side of plantation life that cannot be romanticized. I listened to this book, and the chosen voice actors were perfect for their roles. The descriptions of the antebellum life of women, slaves, slave owners, free blacks, and anti-slavery southerners are presented from the point of view of Sarah Grimke, an actual abolitionist from Charleston who was one of the most outspoken women on the subject of slavery in her time. I would recommend this book to anyone.

[Marge Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have visited Charleston and taken a carriage tour that included the Grimke house. I also have lived in Philadelphia. I had never heard of Sarah and Angelina Grimke and can’t believe I have been so sheltered in my history. Brilliant work of fiction that is laced with real history and facts. This book makes the history become so alive that it has definitely changed me for the better. I highly recommend!

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story of Sarah Grimke but thought the inclusion of the companion fictional story of the slave Hetty took away from discovering the importance of Sarah Grimke to the abolitionist and feminist movement. And the agit prop of connecting Denmark Vesey with the Grimke slaves I thought
took away from his importance.

[Brian Grass · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet story at its core, The Invention of Wings is a lovely read full of strong characters. The author's language is fresh and her pacing is brisk. I was not prepared to let this one end. I strongly recommend. You will find nothing new, but it's a great way to spend an afternoon.

[BillReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Follows Sarah Grimke from 1803-1838 fighting with her sister Angelina for the abolition of slavery and women's rights. Based on real people with some licence to make a story, Handful a fictional slave playing the opposite side of the coin. Very well written but I was not really in the mood for this book at this time, sometimes I want to read to escape and forget how intolerant the human race can be.

[Scott Geisel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome. I read this just before I traveled to Charleston, SC where the real historical events that inspired this novel took place. Great read. Inspiring. A real abolitionist tale. Great places in Charleston: Elliott House Inn, Blossom restaurant, Queen 82.

[Maygirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written book, I especially like that it’s a true story ( with little bit of fiction) about Grimke sisters. Author made them alive with her wonderful writing, I would have never know her if not for this book. Thanks, Sue.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audio. Moving and thought-provoking. I especially liked the commentary by the author at the end that put the events, storyline and characters into historic perspective. It was helpful to know what she hat altered and what was historically accurate.

[Diana]

Best part was the author's notes at the end describing the real history of the grimke sisters. this book is an embellishment of what she construed as potential descriptions of their lives. Written back and forth between slave and owner, every other chapter, got tedious.

[Theresa]

Loved it! 4 stars. So much to learn from this book! I loved all the characters; felt the author drew them out beautifully. There were times throughout reading where I felt I was really there with the characters. A wonderful storyline told with such ease.

[Katalina Oliveira-Cabral · Rating 2 out of 5]

Never finished this one honestly. It was a good story but just too slow and did not keep my interest. Perhaps too much back and forth for my taste?

[Susan Vebber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always a fan of her writing!

[Jo Budler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my second reading and was as enjoyable as the first read, maybe even more enjoyable. I loved it!