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The Invention of Wings

The Invention of Wings: A Novel - Sue Monk Kidd

The year is 1803 and we find ourselves in Charleston, S.C. and its Sarah’s eleventh birthday. Missus has Handful (Hetty) all cleaned up, she circles a ribbon under her neck and waist and leads her up to Sarah stating, “Sarah, dear, she is your present, your very own waiting maid.” Sarah tries to refuse this human present but she soon realizes, this is how things are done and there are is no way around it.  Although Sarah doesn’t want a maid to boss around, she finds something more in Handful, something she is not supposed to find and something she didn’t think she would find in a slave.  Sarah finds a friend and the relationship that develops between these two girls is two-fold; one that the world sees and one only that is shared amongst the two of them.  So much time passes within the pages of this book and I enjoyed reading the full history of the maturity of the girls and their families.  They were from such diverse backgrounds, yet the action and adventure from both sides was nonstop.  There was talk of freedom and some people felt strongly towards independence but not everyone felt that way.   Sarah wanted to help Handful but her hands were tied coming from a family of slave owners and Handful knew the situation and was frustrated yet she was hopeful for something better.  These girls will capture your heart as they throw out their frustrations to you, their hopes, their determinations and their love.  I felt for them and l loved their stories, truly a treasure.

 

This is one book that you cannot fly through.  I don’t know what it is about this book that made me want to spend more time with it than other books I have read; perhaps it is the imagery, or the timeframe or the subject matter.  I really enjoyed this book and the ending was not what I expected but I loved it even more for the high point it left there.  As Sarah matures and finds herself, she does not leave Handful behind.  Handful becomes a part of her just like all the other servants who have been in their households.  Catherine, Handful’s mother becomes an important part in Sarah’s life also and the promise that Sarah made becomes a burden to her yet it is something that Sarah cannot cast aside.  Handful led a hard life and her time in the Work House, what a crushing blow.  Love, life and friendships occur everywhere and in the most difficult situations.