The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

"There was a time long ago in Africa when the people could fly. They flew like blackbirds up above with their wings shining against the blue sky. When these people were captured into slavery they forgot that they could fly. They shed their wings on the long boats to America. As slaves the people lived in misery, they got sick on the waves of the sea and they no longer could breathe and smell the sweet scent of Africa."

                      -from the folk tale The People Could Fly

I fondly remember much of Virginia Hamilton's children's literature from my teaching days. As I read The Invention of Wings, I kept thinking of the book pictured here and quoted above. There were a number of references to blackbirds' wings and flying away to freedom, even in the title.

I LOVED the The Invention of Wings! It's a 5, for sure. Since historical fiction is my favorite genre it was bound to grab me. It is plain to see why it has been on the Bestseller List for quite a while now.

The setting spans from 1803 to 1838 mostly in Charleston, South Carolina, though some of the action moves North later in the story. Sarah Grimke is the white daughter of a judge and plantation owner who, as an eleventh birthday gift, is given a 10-year-old slave girl named Hetty, also called Handful. Sarah tries to free her at that time, unsuccessfully. This attempt foreshadows Sarah's rebelliousness and her future as an abolitionist and women's rights advocate. When Sarah's baby sister, Angelina, is born, Sarah becomes her godmother. Under Sarah's influence, Angelina, called Nina, adopts similar views on slavery and gender equality. In fact, after Nina becomes a notorious speaker, she is called "Devilina" by some who oppose her radical opinions.

I had heard of Angelina Grimke, one of few female abolitionists of historical note. Through the story, Sarah and Nina's crusade introduces them to William Lloyd Garrison, Lucretia Mott and Theodore Weld, who marries Angelina. The first two names were familiar to me but not the last.

Alternating between chapters of the Grimke sisters' story, is the fascinating but ugly saga of Handful. I was no stranger to the ill-treatment of slaves but by becoming involved with these characters, the cruelty seemed more intense. It was easy to recognize Handful's voice since she used such expressions as "It was April and half the heat from hell had already showed up in Charleston" and "the picture I had of [Mauma] was washed-out like the red on a quilt after it's boiled too many times." The author did not use dialect heavily, however.

In the Author's Note, Ms.Kidd tells how she came to write this story. She says she did not know about the Grimke sisters until recently, even though she was a Charlestonian.  She felt her ignorance was "a personal failing" and set out to share their amazing journey and their before-their-time feminism. She added the fictional Handful as a contrast and it works perfectly. I highly recommend this novel!
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At the time I could check out a set of copies of The Invention of Wings, I chose it for our book club selection. It was very well-liked by our members who gave it a 4.8 average rating out of 5. In fact it was very close to 4.9. My plan was to skim over the book and read my blog and the book jacket to remember the plot. However, when I started rereading I didn't want to stop! One of our Page Turners thought the Grimke sisters would be SO shocked and pleased that we have now had an African-American president and will possibly elect the first woman to that office. An interesting point!