A review by savaging
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

4.0

There are so many mistakes a white author can make with a book like this, which is inspired by the lives of the Grimke sisters, abolitionists and feminists from the South. I was scared she would focus too much on 'white savior' figures. Or that she'd make the enslaved characters too secondary, too appreciative, focused on helping the white protagonist at the expense of their own narrative arcs.

But Sue Monk Kidd seems to avoid these missteps by really digging in to the lives of the people subjected into slavery by the Grimke family. These characters (Handful, Charlotte, and Sky) are extraordinary -- bold, active, and seeking out their own liberation in inspiring ways. Their stories are an important counterpoint to the story of white abolitionists -- and they're also the most full, vibrant, compelling parts of the novel.

My only remaining uncertainty is about the ending.

Spoiler

Handful and Sky, with Sarah's help, escape into freedom. In reality, the character who inspired Handful died when she was still young. It doesn't seem like Sarah physically helped anyone escape. It was a really lovely ending, but it felt like a fantasy compared with the rest of the book. Like Kidd didn't dare give us the reality of how awful and hopeless slavery was, and didn't want to admit that abolitionist lecturers sometimes had a limited immediate effect. I don't know that this was a mistake -- maybe the book wouldn't be bearable without it. But it's something I'm still stewing.

Overall, this is such a well-done book, pulling me into the scenes and conversations and giving me more appreciation for the people who did the hard work of resistance.