Sarah Grimke was quite a woman, and Sue Monk Kidd wrote a wonderful story based on Sarah and her sister Angelina, along with Handful, the slave that Sarah was given on her eleventh birthday. Sarah tried to free Handful that day, but wasn't successful. The book follows Sarah and Handful through the years. The story starts in Charleston, South Carolina where slavery is the way of life. A bond develops between Sarah and Handful, not exactly a friendship, but still a strong bond. Sarah teaches Handful to read, which results in both of them being severely punished, this is just one of the many life events that form Sarah's antislavery beliefs. Sarah eventually moves to Philadelphia where she joins the Quaker faith and begins speaking and writing abolitionist documents. I found the book to be very well written. The story pulled me in and made me want to learn more about Sarah and Angelina.
There are many great quotes in this book, but I found this one to be especially timely. “It has come as a great revelation to me,” I wrote her, “that abolition is different from the desire for racial equality. Color prejudice is at the bottom of everything. If it’s not fixed, the plight of the Negro will continue long after abolition.”
4 stars
Sarah Grimke was quite a woman, and Sue Monk Kidd wrote a wonderful story based on Sarah and her sister Angelina, along with Handful, the slave that Sarah was given on her eleventh birthday. Sarah tried to free Handful that day, but wasn't successful. The book follows Sarah and Handful through the years.
The story starts in Charleston, South Carolina where slavery is the way of life. A bond develops between Sarah and Handful, not exactly a friendship, but still a strong bond. Sarah teaches Handful to read, which results in both of them being severely punished, this is just one of the many life events that form Sarah's antislavery beliefs. Sarah eventually moves to Philadelphia where she joins the Quaker faith and begins speaking and writing abolitionist documents.
I found the book to be very well written. The story pulled me in and made me want to learn more about Sarah and Angelina.
There are many great quotes in this book, but I found this one to be especially timely. “It has come as a great revelation to me,” I wrote her, “that abolition is different from the desire for racial equality. Color prejudice is at the bottom of everything. If it’s not fixed, the plight of the Negro will continue long after abolition.”