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The Invention of Wings
The Invention of Wings
Author: Sue Monk Kidd
Hetty “Handful” Grimke, an 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 ...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780670024780
ISBN-10: 0670024783
Publication Date: 1/7/2014
Pages: 384
Rating:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 160

4 stars, based on 160 ratings
Publisher: Viking
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback, Audio CD
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed The Invention of Wings on + 34 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
Loved this one. Well written so that you know just what the characters are feeling. The chapters flowed smoothly even though the narrator changed back and forth from Handful to Sarah. Both character's stories where equally interesting. I really appreciated the rather long author's note at the end. Ms. Kidd went into great detail about what was fact and what was fiction and I was glad to have read what happened to everyone after the final scene in the book.
Grazona avatar reviewed The Invention of Wings on + 119 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
This was an absolutely wonderful book. It's my favorite by the author. The two women's stories are beautifully interwoven. I found some of the slave abuse passages disturbing but they weren't gratuitously graphic. It wasn't until I finished that I found out that some of the characters are actual historical figures. To me that gives the story even more emotion. I highly recommend this for fans of historical fiction or simply of a good story.
kdurham2813 avatar reviewed The Invention of Wings on + 753 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings

Told from two perspectives, Sarah a daughter of a wealthy judge in Charleston who owns a few slaves and depends on them and Handful one of the slaves of the home who becomes Sarah's personal slave. Alternating between these two stories, the author provides a full perspective of the South during the years where slavery was prevalent and their lively hoods depended on the work these slaves did in their homes and plantations.

This book slightly reminded me of one I just read The Wedding Gift and I loved that one, but this one still had an authentic feel. Without putting out any spoilers, I loved that the author didn't include anything Civil War related. I enjoyed reading the beginning rumblings of abolition and the start of the movement, but it didn't go there like so many other books do.
ourbookaddiction avatar reviewed The Invention of Wings on
Helpful Score: 5
Really I give this 4.5 stars. It's beautifully written and the author is on top of her game of weaving story lines and characters together. The only thing that detracted the half star for me was the ending felt a little rushed.
23dollars avatar reviewed The Invention of Wings on + 432 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
THE INVENTION OF WINGS was the November 2014 pick in my online book club, The Reading Cove.

Since the story is based on the life of early American abolitionist Sarah Moore Grimké, I wish I could say I enjoyed it, but I didn't, and here's why...

The two main characters whose perspective the story's told from, never stepped into a third dimension for me. I also felt they both suffered behind the veil of a dull, flat and monotone narrative.

The synopsis led me to expect an epic friendship between slave and slave owner in the Antebellum Southbut what a disappointment! I think the friendship between Sarah and Handful was severely underdeveloped and needed a double shot of collagen to plump it to life! What a missed opportunity this was for the author to create something special during this time in US history.

So overall, the book got off to a slow start for me, picked up a smidget about 100 pages in, then became a flat out chore to slog through because I had little to no interest in anything that was going on. I finished only because it was a Cove pick.

While I applaud Sue Monk Kidd for introducing the modern world to heroic women like Sarah Grimkéwho've unfortunately been long since forgotten through the passage of timeher writing style just isn't my cuppa. For me it's very dull and uncompelling.
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BeckyWalker avatar reviewed The Invention of Wings on + 120 more book reviews
This audiobook was long and beautifully written. It's a hard look at slavery in the South. Told from the point of view of two main characters - a daughter from a slave owner's family, and the other, one of their slaves. I read "The Secret Life of Bees" a long time ago and hoped this book would be as thoughtfully written and full of real-life situations and emotions. I wasn't disappointed. This book answered a lot of questions about slavery and abolition for me. I fell in love with these characters and wanted all of them to find their true North, sprout their wings, and fly.
MsJenniferK avatar reviewed The Invention of Wings on + 28 more book reviews
An amazing historical fiction novel that explores the boundaries of friendship, family, and bravery in the face of social injustices and atrocities.

I learned a great deal along the way, in addition to feeling a connection to the main characters!
winslet2 avatar reviewed The Invention of Wings on + 3 more book reviews
What an amazing work of historical fiction. The characters come back to life and you feel like you are there with them. The Grimke sisters were absolutely fascinating and it's always wonderful to know that what you do can make a difference in the world.


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