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)

Wonderful!

Another amazing, thought provoking, empowering book from this author! Enough accurate history intertwined with well developed characters and relationships. A great read!

A new favorite

What did you love best about The Invention of Wings?

Strong women characters and the quilt

What did you like best about this story?

Hope and pride despite horrible circumstances

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Bodies enslaved, nut not their sprirts

Very good book

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book. It was beautifully written and the narration was great. It kept my interest and I found it hard to put down.

fantastic

This book was well written and engaging. I was moved throughout by each antagonists journey.

Breath Taking Inspiration

The eloquence of this novel is breath taking and the ability to weave historical facts into a fictional story is exemplary. Brilliant!

The Invention of Wings takes you places

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

This book's main character was somebody I would have wanted to know and to befriend. She embodies the strength and unfolding character of the type of women and men I want to know. The author takes us through her struggle to reconcile her families lifestyle (owning slaves) with the impact this way of treating other human beings had on the slaves and on their quality of life.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Invention of Wings?

The most memorable moment was when the mother of the household punished her seamstress the first time. The second was the main character turning down the proposal of marriage from the recently widowed suitor.

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

Each character had their own voice and rhythm. This type of reading is masterful.

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

I did want to listen to it all in one sitting. It is the type of book that makes you feel like you lost something when it is complete. It leaves you wanting more.

Any additional comments?

I highly recommend this book.

One amazing read!

This will fall into my list of BEST audio books of all time! SMK did an awesome job of researching the characters and the narration both in performance and content made the history of one of our country's worst (and best in some ways)
times come alive! I did not want to stop listening until I finished. I highly recommend this listen.

Wonderful narration; unforgettable story

Complex human stories, historically inspired and expanded into a rich dramatic narrative I won't forget.

learn about yourself

I loved how relatable the characters were. The dynamic women that have such south to the story and the setting, had me listening non-stop. great performance, lovely people.

Read the epilogue!

Any additional comments?

I was most impressed by the care and attention Kidd paid to the epilogue, where she explained her research and writing, making it clear what events in the book were documented facts and which were the product of her efforts to build a coherent narrative around these facts. She is a writer to be trusted with important stories. I applaud and thank her for this work.