I'm a Bookworm....

Have I told you how much I enjoy reading? Yes, of course I have... more than a few times. Well, I've read a few great books lately, so it's time for another book review. Have you read any of  Sue Monk Kidd's novels? Perhaps The Secret Life of Bees, or The Mermaid Chair? If you enjoy her writing, you will want to add her latest novel to your Must Read list... The Invention of Wings. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would rate it highly. Set in the southern US in the early 1800's, the story follows the life of two young girls through to adulthood: Sarah Grimke, the daughter of a wealthy Judge and plantation owner is gifted a slave Hetty ("Handful") to be her personal maid, on her eleventh birthday. Neither girl is happy with this arrangement... Hetty doesn't want to be a maid/slave and Sarah does not want to have a maid/slave. How can one person "own" another? From there the story is set into motion as each struggle for their common goal of freedom - Handful wants freedom from slavery for both she and her mother Charlotte, and Sarah, a young woman "before her time", wants freedom from the sexist bondage and subordination of the times in the deep south. Sarah dreams of pursuing a career in law, but her father tells her this isn't possible because she is a female. This story is loosely based on the real-life story of Sarah Grimke who, along with her younger sister, became abolitionists and activists for women's rights. I won't reveal any more of the story but I will say this is historical fiction at its best. Well researched and well written, Kidd richly paints the story and weaves the characters together - they are so real, and will touch your heart. A story of strong women who weren't afraid to stand up for what they knew was right, the cruelties of slavery, courage and determination. 5 out of 5 in my books, and I think it would make a great movie! Are you listening, Hollywood?

Peace,
Linda

"I cannot imagine life without books any more than I can imagine life without breathing." ~ Terry Brooks