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This book is based on the the Grimke sisters from Charleston, S.C. They were the first female abolition agents and two of the earliest American feminist. The story goes back and forth between one of the Grimke sisters (Sarah) and her personal slave (Handful).
It's an interesting read but even with all that research it feels so incomplete, as someone else mentioned "lacking soul". It hardly covers the atrocities of slavery. You get a slight glimpse that it existed but most of it is focused on Sara ...more
It's an interesting read but even with all that research it feels so incomplete, as someone else mentioned "lacking soul". It hardly covers the atrocities of slavery. You get a slight glimpse that it existed but most of it is focused on Sara ...more

The historical novel begins with Sarah Grimke receiving a slave handmaiden on her 11th birthday kicking off her lifelong battle against slavery. I only wish the first few chapters were written with the 11-year-old voice in mind. Instead, Sarah's 11-year-old self read as an adult with unnatural vocabulary and unconvincing wisdom. Conversely, the corresponding chapters of Hetty, her slave handmaiden, were written with the innocence and sense of wonder you'd expect from a child. Overall that's a re
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Jan 13, 2015
Heather
marked it as to-read

Aug 01, 2019
Deborah
marked it as to-read

Dec 01, 2019
Traci
marked it as my-kindle-books

Apr 13, 2020
Ragan
marked it as to-read

Feb 10, 2021
Shiva
added it