The Invention of Wings

The No. 1 New York Times bestseller. A powerful and extraordinary novel about the unlikely friendship between two exceptional women during the last years of slavery in the US. From the celebrated author of the multi-million-copy-bestselling novel The Secret Life of Bees.

‘Fascinating… A splendid tribute to a pair of true heroines’ The Times

‘Wonderful – well-written, moving and engaging by turns, and always compelling’ Daily Mail

‘A remarkable novel that heightened my sense of what it meant to be a woman – slave or free’ Oprah Winfrey

‘A resonant, illuminating novel’ Observer

Sarah Grimké is the middle daughter. Her mother says she’s difficult and her father says she’s remarkable. On Sarah’s eleventh birthday, Hetty ‘Handful’ Grimké is taken from the slave quarters she shares with her mother, wrapped in lavender ribbons, and presented to Sarah as a gift. Sarah knows that what she does next will unleash a world of trouble. She also knows that she cannot accept another person as a present. And so, indeed, the trouble begins …

A powerful, sweeping novel, inspired by real events, and set in the American Deep South in the nineteenth century, The Invention of Wings evokes a world of shocking contrasts, of beauty and ugliness, of otherwise respectable people living daily with cruelty they fail to recognise; and celebrates the power of friendship and sisterhood against all the odds.

What readers say about The Invention of Wings:

‘You cannot fault Sue Monk Kidd’s writing; she very adeptly speaks with both Sarah and Handful’s voice. The pictures she paints are vivid, compelling and haunting; this is not a novel I will easily forget‘ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘I was not expecting this book to grab my heartstrings and pull the way that it did‘ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘The weaving of fact and fiction into a powerful novel covering abolition of slavery, women’s ambitions in 19th century America, love, family, betrayal and hope for a better future make compelling reading‘ Amazon reviewer, 5 stars

‘Unforgettable. This book was completely and utterly dynamic. From the first word to the last I was enthralled with Sarah and Handful. So powerful‘ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars