The Invention Of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

Now life has been rather busy for the past few weeks. Not that that has stopped me from reading plenty of books mind... I have just become incredibly lazy with writing reviews. But I'm catching up now. So I've already shattered any illusions you may have that I have read a book a day as I will be uploading quite a few reviews this week. I am ashamed for getting so behind! Ahh life...


Last year I read Sue Monk Kidd's first novel The Secret Life Of Bees and thoroughly enjoyed it. The huge best seller was a thrilling look into black oppression in the 1960s and Kidd continues to look at black oppression in her latest novel The Invention Of Wings. We are transported back to the beginning of the 1800s, when slavery was rife in the USA in many areas. Told through a dual narrative from the two main characters, Sarah Gimké, daughter of rich family who own many slaves, and Handful or Hetty, a slave of equal age. Kidd uses this to give us both sides of the story, the guilt that Sarah begins to feel about how er family are slave owners, and Handful's traumatic accounts of slavery from a first hand point of view. Handful is presented to Sarah as a gift on her 10th birthday, immediately bringing to the forefront the sheer ownership that the white population of the time took.

Now this year has seen more spotlight heaped onto the issue of slavery as the success of the film 12 Years A Slave has highlighted the importance of telling these tales of slavery still is. Steve McQueen has said many a time how there are millions still in slavery conditions, a shocking fact that needs to be dealt with radically and quickly. And novels such as Kidd's are equally just as important at reminding everyone of the horrors of slavery, ensuring we never forger how badly we have treated others in the past.

The novel itself is split into different time periods, as we track the two girls growing up, growing closer and growing into women. It was extremely readable but it may have been interesting to hear from some of the other characters in the novel. There are some voices that need a little more detailing, not avoiding the danger of telling a story through just two opinions. There are so many characters that intrigue through Sarah and Handful's narratives that would have been just as fascinating to hear from. Whether it be Handful's runaway mother, constantly stealing things from the white household, or Denmark Vesey, a free slave leading the revolution, or even Sarah's stern mother. So many horrid events occur throughout the novel, whippings, hangings and even something I had never come across before, tying a slave's leg to their neck behind them, choking them if they dare to move. These need the voices of the people who suffered them. Although it is traumatic enough from Handful and Sarah, a little more perspective would have added to it. However, there are some extremely saddening moments from Handful, especially her delight at how much she is commercially valued at by her owner. It should never be how much someone is worth to be sold to make them happy.

Aside from this, I cannot fault this novel. It is certainly a page turner and doesn't get caught up in unnecessary details. The skips in time help to keep it fresh throughout as well, as we get to learn what we have missed in the time that has passed. The thing that I loved about the novel was how it eradicated any stereotype that women did nothing at the time to put a stop to the the evil that was happening around them, much like Patsy from 12 Years A Slave. And imagine my delight when I discovered at the end of the novel, Kidd telling in her author notes that Sarah Gimké was a real- life abolitionist. I don't know where my own stereotype  of this comes from, seeing men argue over whether slavery was right or wrong, as if there ever should have been a question.

Sarah Gimké- remember that name folks

So whilst Sue Monk Kidd may have done good in again not letting us forget about the horrors of slavery, for me she has made me learn about the life of Sarah Gimké, and helped to make me that little less ignorant. It is important that historical figures such as Sarah are more commonly known because I have never heard of her before reading this novel. Kidd so well merges the historical fact with her own flowing fiction, something that is rare to find in today's world. I can only hope a film is made to bring Sarah's story to an even greater audience.

Another review tomorrow folks!


The Invention Of Wings is published by Headline books in the UK.