Play Book Tag discussion

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd - completed 9/25/20 - 3 stars - My Review

I like to read historical fiction based on lesser known real people. This book is about sisters Sarah and Angelina Grimké, early abolitionists and feminists. Set in South Carolina in the early 1800s, the first two-thirds is a conventional examination of the evils of slavery. Sarah is “given” a slave, nicknamed Handful, as a gift, which, even at a young age, she sees as wrong.

The narrative portrays relentless cruelty and injustice. It is hard to read such grim material and I set the book aside a number of times. Toward the end, the narrative shifts to the sisters’ joining with the Quakers in the crusade against slavery. It is too bad this part of their story is limited to the last third of the book.

I listened to the audio book, competently read by Jenna Lamia (Sarah) and Adepero Oduye (Handful). I appreciated the author’s end note outlining what was real versus what she fabricated. I liked this book, but not quite as much as The Secret Life of Bees.

I've read this book few month ago, and I felt the same – it wasn't an easy read.

I liked it very much back in 2015, before I moved back to the US.
I think it would be harder to read now.

I always have difficulty reading about beatings and abuse.