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)

Another excellent book by Sue Monk Kidd

Very thankful I found this book. Touched me at a deep level. Thank you Sue Monk Kidd for your novel. I will remember your story for a long time

Very good listen...

Really appreciated the historical context provided, while a bit predictable at times, I thoroughly enjoyed the listen.

The narrators make all the difference

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

I tried to read this book, but had a difficult time with the dialects, etc. I decided to listen to it instead and am I glad I did. This is a wonderful story about two real life American heroines and Ms Kidd enriches their real life story with some all too plausible fictional touches. You won't be disappointed. Ms. Lamia and Ms Oduye make the story come to life.

New Favorite Book

This quickly became my new favorite book. It's beautifully written and such an amazing story. I'm so glad I randomly heard about this book because I loved every second of it!

Truly Wonderful

One of the best audiobooks I have ever listened to. I didn't want to stop listening. The narrators were outstanding and I will start looking for any audiobooks they are a part of.

Awesome

Fantastic story and narrators truly brought the book to life. I was surprised to learn at the end with a note from the author that it was based on actual events.

I was so sad when it ended! Highly recommend.

Excellent! Bravo!!

Sue Monk Kidd has whisked me away to the early1800s and put the weight of enslaved days of race and gender on my heart with the beauty of shared love and friendship. Excellent reader performance!!! I couldn’t quit listening until sadly the story was finished.

amazing and educating book. beautifully written.

captures your imagination and holds it long after the last page. truly inspirational and educating.

Great Book

I loved Sue Monk Kidd's' book "Secret Life of Bees" , which I thought would be a hard act to follow, but I was not disappointed. This book was every bit as good. I was not aware until the end of the book that it was historical fiction and was pleasantly surprised to hear the author at the end of the book explaining why she had written the book and which parts where fact and which parts she embellished with her own imagination. The narration was superb and made the book come to life. Amazing talent from all angles!

Awesome!

This ranks at the top with The Help and Time Traveler's Wife. It is based on the true story of two sisters raised on a Southern plantation who were the first women fighting for an end to slavery. They angered other Abolitionists by also speaking out against segregation and for women's rights. The detail is rich, revealing, and often based on fact. I'm so glad I fiund this.