Review: The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

Historical fictions aren't my forte. I'm not altogether fond of stories that begin when a character is very young, because it generally takes several years of story time and at least fifty pages to get to the main story.

Because of this, I didn't expect to enjoy The Invention of Wings as much as I have. Kidd's pacing of the story, told over thirty-some years from two separate perspectives, is masterfully done.

The Basics

Sarah Grimke is the small, stuttering daughter of a well-to-do slave owner in early 1800s Charleston, Virginia. For her eleventh birthday, her mother presents Sara with a slave of her own--Handful. Sarah tries to refuse, but her mother's insistence and her own wavering voice force her to give in. For the rest of her life, Sarah fights to say what she knows must be said, and to free girl she never wanted to own.

Handful watches Sarah grow up, battle her mother, and fall ungracefully in and out of southern society, all the while keeping a careful eye on her own rebellious mother. Charlotte, the Grimkes' seamstress, is passionate, fierce, and seemingly unbreakable. Even while mending Missus' clothes, Charlotte speaks of serving no mistress but herself. Handful realizes the dead certainty in her mother's words only too late.

The Craft

The book is split into six sections spanning one to two years, with roughly five to ten years between each section. This allows the reader to follow the characters from childhood, to awkward teenage years, to spinsterhood without getting bogged down with needless details. By the end of the book, you feel as if you have grown old with these characters, even though in reality, you've only seen red-letter glimpses of their lives.

Switching between two very different points of view gives a real depth to this historical fiction. Kidd does not shy away from the horrors of slavery--Sarah's voice first failed her after she witnessed a slave being whipped, and Handful matter-of-factly describes the common brutality she and the other slaves experienced in Charleston daily. But neither does Kidd dwell on slavery. Both girls' stories revolve around it, yet neither story comes off sounding preachy.

From Sarah's perspective, we get a sense of the dos-and-don'ts of 1800s American society, as well as the world of difference living in the south versus the north makes in Sarah's life. This constant fear of not fitting in to "good" society, I think, is something we generally relate to Austen novels. It's good to be reminded that this was a valid fear in the States as well as in England. I personally enjoyed the details of Sarah's changing faith; last semester, I took a History of Christianity class, and I was glad to be able to recognize the theological and social differences between the Anglican, Presbyterian, and Quaker churches Sarah attended. I also appreciated the inclusion of the all-black church Handful attends, and its role in how the plot unfolds.

All this, combined with Kidd's lovely way with words, made for a haunting, addicting story. With the many breaks and point of view switches, the story was easy to put down during a busy summer without being easy to forget. I found myself thinking of these characters while at work or in the car. If you're looking for something different, refreshing, and wholly satisfying, I highly recommend The Invention of Wings.

'Write' is a Verb

I've called myself a writer for a while, but I'm starting to feel like that's stretching the truth.

'Write,' after all, is a verb. A writer is someone who writes, and lately, that's not something I do very often. I go to class, or to work, or I cook or clean or cross stitch, but the last time I sat down to write a story... let's say it's been a while.

This blog is my attempt to get back into my craft, my art, my domain. I'll write a little about my upcoming stories or articles, but I'll write about the craft in general, what I'm reading, and whatever else pops into my head.