The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd - 4 stars

[Ellen]

Charleston, South Carolina, in the early 1800's was a agricultural community supported by the enforced labor of slaves. In 1803, Sarah Grimke, the daughter of wealthy plantation owners was gifted a house slave of her own named Handful (Hettie). Sarah, already at her young age seeing the need for abolition, initially refused the gift and after being forced to receive the present, immediately wrote a letter setting Handful free. Her parents tore up the letter telling Sarah she had no choice. Being headstrong but faithful to her beliefs, she taught Handful to read which was against the law. Handful was caught and punished severely but it proved to her that she could be so much more than a slave. Sarah and Handful became good friends, or as close as they were allowed to be by cultural convention.

Sarah eventually moved away from Charleston hoping to find a career for herself despite the accepted roles for women during the time period. She became enamored of the Quaker way of life and hoped to be a minister, a job that was filled by several women in their religion. Eventually she turned to the lecture circuit, along with her younger sister Angelina, to speak about the need for abolition of slavery and the rights of women. The two sisters were both admired and castigated for their viewpoints.

Handful, still a slave on the Grimke plantation, heard rumors of a slave rebellion and did all she could to help the cause. A gifted seamstress as was her mother Charlotte, the Grimke family refused to free her or even to allow Sarah to buy her. Handful never stopped aching for her freedom and would eventually reach out to her old friend Sarah to help.

This fictionalized telling of the Grimke sisters courageous fight for abolition is quite interesting and well written. I listened to the audio read by two gifted women who brought Sarah and Handful to life. The chapters alternate between the two women and I enjoyed it very much.