I just finished The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. It has been on my to-read list for a long time, but I actually purchased the book for my dad's girlfriend. She and I share books often, as we're both avid readers. When I gave it to her at Christmas, she had just finished reading it a few days earlier. So I kept it for myself. And I'm so glad I did!
What a great book! I highly recommend this book. It is a historical fiction about slavery and abolition in the early part of the nineteenth century. The book is about Sarah Grimke, based off the real Sarah Grimke who was one of the first female abolitionists in USA. The fictional Sarah is 'gifted' a 10 year old female slave on her 11th birthday. Hettie, referred to as Handful, is supposed to be Sarah's maid.
The two actually develop a strong bond, a strange friendship, and a unique relationship. Each chapter moves from Sarah's to Handful's perspectives and follows their lives for over 35 years. Sarah is unlike most Southern girls and actually despises slavery. As a result, she becomes an abolitionist in adulthood. Doing so creates incredible challenges. She is even banned from her hometown!
I highly recommend this book because these two girls are so believable, likable, interesting, rebellious, intelligent, and loving. It's impossible not to love them! They are flawed, yet kind, intelligent, yet naive, and compassionate, yet fierce.
I know quite a bit about slavery and abolition from years of studying it. Well, at least I thought I did! But I learned so much more from this book. I discovered many things I did not know anything about, particularly the kinds of unique and hellish punishments slaves received.
What I LOVE about reading historical fictions is that you get the human perspective. You get to feel what it's like to live these lives, endure these tragedies, and suffer these inhumanities. You get to see people's lives from their perspectives. You get to experience their joys, sorrows, and triumphs.
This book has it all. Read it. You won't be disappointed!
Sounds like a very interesting read. I'm not usually a big fan of historical fictions, or history in general, but this book sounds engaging!
ReplyDeleteLately I have started becoming more interested in historical fiction, and I think this is a book I'd enjoy. Sarah sounds like a unique and relatable character who faces many difficulties, and I am curious to see how she handles these challenges. This seems like a very rewarding and educational story!
ReplyDeleteThis book seems very interesting and inspiring. Although, I don't usually read historical fictions, I would like to learn more about the abolition of slavery and what life was like as a woman in 19th century. The Invention of Wings is a book I would now consider reading!
ReplyDeleteHistorical fiction has always been a topic of interest and a favorite genre of mine. This book also sounds like it has some very inspiring aspects, as well as some lessons to be learned. Thank you for the recommendation!
ReplyDelete