Home › Historical Fiction › The Invention of Wings
An enslaved girl and a wealthy white girl in Charleston share decades of struggle
2014Steady paceHopeful
What it is about
On Sarah Grimké’s eleventh birthday, she is given an enslaved girl, Hetty, called Handful, as a gift. Sarah finds the idea of owning a person wrong, and the two grow up bound together. Over thirty-five years, each tries to find her voice and freedom. Sarah was a real historical figure.
Who will enjoy it
Readers who like historical fiction about courage.
What you will get
A powerful, absorbing novel.
The Invention of Wings Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Historical Fiction · Slavery · Abolition · Friendship
Length
373 pages · ≈ 11 h
More about this book
Characters
Sarah Grimké and Hetty “Handful” Grimké.
Setting
Charleston, South Carolina, from 1803.
What makes it different
Based on the life of the real abolitionist Sarah Grimké.
Feel
Moving, vivid and strong.
Roots
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
All the Light We Cannot See
The Help
Beloved
The Kitchen House
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay