The Invention of Wings

A Novel

By: Sue Monk Kidd

Narrated by: Jenna Lamia, Adepero Oduye, Sue Monk Kidd

Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

From the celebrated author of The Secret Life of Bees, a magnificent novel about two unforgettable American women.

Writing at the height of her narrative and imaginative gifts, Sue Monk Kidd presents a masterpiece of hope, daring, the quest for freedom, and the desire to have a voice in the world - and it is now the newest Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 selection.

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 in by the limits imposed on women.

Kidd’s sweeping novel is set in motion on Sarah’s eleventh birthday, when she is given ownership of ten year old Handful, who is to be her handmaid. We follow their remarkable journeys over the next thirty five years, as both strive for a life of their own, dramatically shaping each other’s destinies and forming a complex relationship marked by guilt, defiance, estrangement and the uneasy ways of love.

As the stories build to a riveting climax, Handful will endure loss and sorrow, finding courage and a sense of self in the process. Sarah will experience crushed hopes, betrayal, unrequited love, and ostracism before leaving Charleston to find her place alongside her fearless younger sister, Angelina, as one of the early pioneers in the abolition and women’s rights movements.

Inspired by the historical figure of Sarah Grimke, Kidd goes beyond the record to flesh out the rich interior lives of all of her characters, both real and invented, including Handful’s cunning mother, Charlotte, who courts danger in her search for something better.

This exquisitely written novel is a triumph of storytelling that looks with unswerving eyes at a devastating wound in American history, through women whose struggles for liberation, empowerment, and expression will leave no reader unmoved.

©2014 Sue Monk Kidd (P)2014 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“A remarkable novel that heightened my sense of what it meant to be a woman - slave or free... a conversation changer.” (Oprah Winfrey, O, The Oprah Magazine)

“Exhilarating...powerful...By humanizing these formidable women, The Invention of Wings furthers our essential understanding of what has happened among us as Americans - and why it still matters.” (The Washington Post)

“A textured masterpiece, quietly yet powerfully poking our consciences and our consciousness... leaves us feeling uplifted and hopeful.” (NPR)

Read this book!

Loved it!
A wonderful book weaving historical facts into a beautifully written novel! It transports you to the period and makes you appreciate the plight of all the abolitionists and feminists who paved the way for us to have the rights we have today. It makes you feel grateful and encourages you to find ways to do the same for our future generations!

Well researched story.

I liked that the author spoke at the end.
I also thought both narrators did a great job

Wonderful story! Terrific narration!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes

What did you like best about this story?

Everything

Which scene was your favorite?

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Within a few days

Any additional comments?

Rings true! Fiction based on fact.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This book is helpful to understand how the rights of slaves and women's rights have been an ongoing issue in our country, and how certain brave people spearheaded both issues.

What did you like best about this story?

The narration was wonderful.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Both equally. The voice of slave and the voice of the one who came to oppose the institution of slavery are both performed impeccably.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not necessarily, but I did because I was on a long road trip.

Any additional comments?

Anything by Sue Monk Kidd is wonderful.

This was a Fantastic story, beautifully written.

I loved the characters of Handful, Sarah and Nina. ĺi am so glad I learned about these women.

Worthwhile!

The historical details of old Charleston, interwoven with the sisters' struggles make a worthwhile read. I can see this becoming a wonderful movie. I loved the characters of Charlotte, Heddie and Sara. Heartbreaking & enchanting, I throughly enjoyed this audio book.

Loved it!

This was a great book. It is a marathon as opposed to a sprint. But I enjoyed it. I liked the characters and the factual history blended with the author's interjections to make the story more interesting and enjoyable. It's so hard to believe that humans can treat other humans in such an obscene manner as happens in the book. I would recommend listening! The narration was well done as well.

A LIFETIME FAVORITE

What made the experience of listening to The Invention of Wings the most enjoyable?

The narrators are incredible, so luscious to listen to, and the story and some of the characters - are based on much historical research. I love enjoying a book while also knowing that I have learned things of import.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sarah Grimke, who is historical, is fascinating but I enjoyed HETTIE aka HANDFUL, who is fictional, even more. Her courage, stubbornness, and cunning, along with her willingness/ability to forgive make her unforgettable. Oh, and her narrators VOICE!!!

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Their seductive accents, their inflections. I get the feeling that they LIKE their characters.

If you could rename The Invention of Wings, what would you call it?

The Story Quilt

Any additional comments?

Listen! Read! This book is so worthwhile.

Don't read this book!

The performance of these 2 narrators was so fabulous that I would strongly recommend to anyone: don't read this book, listen to it.

Couldn't stop listening or reading

This is an eye opening book about both slavery and the first female activists. It was well written and superbly narrated.