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A review by andrewspink
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
For some reason, I've read several books about slavery in America recently. This one was somewhat easier to read, I got through its many pages in no time at all, and although the horrors are portrayed plainly enough, it is not quite so heart-rending as some other books I have read. Nevertheless, to read that 'by law, a slave was three-fifths of a person' and that to speak out against slavery was an imprisonable offence was quite striking.
What is also a bit different is that there are two protagonists, an enslaved woman and a woman who becomes an abolitionist. Both are based on historical figures - I wish I had known that before I started. The abolitionist is the more important character in the book, which I guess would not be the case if the book was written now.
Of course, reading that book now, in the time when such books are being banned in the US and the Trump administration is doing what it can to rewrite history, gives it an added edge. Near the beginning, someone says to Sarah, 'This is our way of life, make your peace with it.' You could imagine the white supremacists in the White House coming out with a similar utterance today.
What is also a bit different is that there are two protagonists, an enslaved woman and a woman who becomes an abolitionist. Both are based on historical figures - I wish I had known that before I started. The abolitionist is the more important character in the book, which I guess would not be the case if the book was written now.
Of course, reading that book now, in the time when such books are being banned in the US and the Trump administration is doing what it can to rewrite history, gives it an added edge. Near the beginning, someone says to Sarah, 'This is our way of life, make your peace with it.' You could imagine the white supremacists in the White House coming out with a similar utterance today.