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The Invention of Wings by Kidd, Sue Monk

by Kidd, Sue Monk | HC | VeryGood
US $5.44
ApproximatelyAU $8.35
Condition:
Very good
Missing dust jacket; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ... Read moreabout condition
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Last updated on 09 Aug, 2025 05:51:05 AESTView all revisionsView all revisions

Item specifics

Condition
Very good
A book that does not look new and has been read but is in excellent condition. No obvious damage to the cover, with the dust jacket (if applicable) included for hard covers. No missing or damaged pages, no creases or tears, and no underlining/highlighting of text or writing in the margins. May be very minimal identifying marks on the inside cover. Very minimal wear and tear. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections. See all condition definitionsopens in a new window or tab
Seller notes
“Missing dust jacket; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ...
Binding
Hardcover
Weight
1 lbs
Product Group
Book
IsTextBook
No
ISBN
9780670024780

About this product

Product Identifiers

Publisher
Penguin Publishing Group
ISBN-10
0670024783
ISBN-13
9780670024780
eBay Product ID (ePID)
167414841

Product Key Features

Book Title
Invention of Wings : a Novel
Number of Pages
384 Pages
Language
English
Publication Year
2014
Topic
Literary, Biographical, Historical
Genre
Fiction
Author
Sue Monk Kidd
Format
Hardcover

Dimensions

Item Height
1.2 in
Item Weight
22 Oz
Item Length
9.5 in
Item Width
6.4 in

Additional Product Features

Intended Audience
Trade
LCCN
2013-028185
Reviews
Praise for The Invention of Wings "A remarkable novel that heightened my sense of what it meant to be a woman - slave or free . . a conversation changer." - Oprah Winfrey, O, The Oprah Magazine "Exhilarating. . .powerful. . .By humanizing these formidable women, The Invention of Wings furthers our essential understanding of what has happened among us as Americans - and why it still matters." - The Washington Post "A textured masterpiece, quietly yet powerfully poking our consciences and our consciousness . . . leaves us feeling uplifted and hopeful." - NPR "A searing and soaring story of two women bound together as mistress and slave." - USA Today "Kidd has managed to avoid both condescension and cliché, creating an unforgettable character in the slave Handful, the emotional core of her utterly engaging third novel." - The Boston Globe "If this isn't an American classic-to-be, I don't know what is. . .this book is as close to perfect as any I've ever read." - The Dallas Morning News "A powerful story of rebellion and heroism. . .The remarkable courage and hope found in The Invention of Wings is a reminder that we all have those wings - and tells us a lot more about how we got them." - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Kidd has done a marvelous job of capturing two special and vibrant voices. . . I can't recall reading a book about slavery that presented in such vivid and heartbreaking detail just what the daily life and labor felt like." - The Minneapolis Star Tribune "A total revelation. . .the book is balanced by two extraordinary women: real-life abolitionist and feminist Sarah Grimké and the imagined handmaiden Handful, who nearly leaps off every page." - Patrick Bass, Essence, Praise for The Invention of Wings "Kidd hits her stride and avoids sentimental revisionism with this historical novel about the relationship between a slave and the daughter of slave owners in antebellum Charleston...Kidd's portrait of white slave-owning southerners is all the more harrowing for showing them as morally complicated while she gives Handful the dignity of being not simply a victim, but a strong, imperfect woman."- Kirkus Reviews "A moving portrait of two women inextricably linked by the horrors of slavery…Kidd is a master storyteller, and, with smooth and graceful prose, she immerses the reader in the lives of these fascinating women as they navigate religion, family drama, slave revolts, and the abolitionist movement."- ALA Booklist "Monk's compelling work of historical fiction stands out from the rest because of its layers of imaginative details in the lives of actual abolitionists…This richly imagined narrative brings both black history and women's history to life."- Library Journal, Praise for The Invention of Wings "A remarkable novel that heightened my sense of what it meant to be a woman - slave or free. . .will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to find her power and her voice. . .Sue Monk Kidd has written a conversation changer. It is impossible to read this book and not come away thinking differently about our status as women and about all the unsung heroines who played a role in getting us to where we are." -Oprah Winfrey, O The Oprah Magazine "A searing historical novel. . .these two women's relationship with each other grows more complex while the culture shape-shifts around them. Their bold individual requests for independence are explored by Kidd in exquisitely nuanced language that makes this book a page turner in the most resonant and satisfying of ways." - More "Kidd hits her stride and avoids sentimental revisionism with this historical novel about the relationship between a slave and the daughter of slave owners in antebellum Charleston...Kidd's portrait of white slave-owning southerners is all the more harrowing for showing them as morally complicated while she gives Handful the dignity of being not simply a victim, but a strong, imperfect woman." - Kirkus Reviews "A moving portrait of two women inextricably linked by the horrors of slavery…Kidd is a master storyteller, and, with smooth and graceful prose, she immerses the reader in the lives of these fascinating women as they navigate religion, family drama, slave revolts, and the abolitionist movement." - ALA Booklist "Monk's compelling work of historical fiction stands out from the rest because of its layers of imaginative details in the lives of actual abolitionists…This richly imagined narrative brings both black history and women's history to life." - Library Journal, Praise for The Invention of Wings "A remarkable novel that heightened my sense of what it meant to be a woman - slave or free. . .will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to find her power and her voice. . .Sue Monk Kidd has written a conversation changer.  It is impossible to read this book and not come away thinking differently about our status as women and about all the unsung heroines who played a role in getting us to where we are." -Oprah Winfrey, O The Oprah Magazine   "Alternating between Sarah's and Handful's contrasting perspectives on their oddly conjoined worlds allows Kidd to generate unstoppable narrative momentum as she explores the troubled terrain that lies between white and black women in a slaveholding society. . ..the novel's language can be as exhilarating as its powerful story. . .by humanizing these formidable women, The Invention of Wings furthers our essential understanding of what has happened among us as Americans and why it still matters." -Margaret Wrinkle, The Washington Post                                                                               "Potent. . .Tells a searing and soaring story of two women bound together as mistress and slave. . .a beautifully written book about the awe-inspiring resilience of America's enslaved people.  It's a provocative reminder of why slavery's wounds still scar the country 250 years later." -Patty Rhule, USA Today                                                                               "[An] epic, affecting tale." -Andrea Walker, People   "Masterful. . .in short, provocative chapters we step into the lives of these amazingly brave and stalwart women. . . Wings is a story about empowering women to change the world. . .with historical bedrock as her foundation for a compelling narrative, Kidd serves up a remarkable novel about finding your voice." -Carol Memmott, The Chicago Tribune                                                                                   " The Invention of Wings isn't just the story of a friendship that defies an oppressive society. . .it's a much more satisfying story of two people discovering together that their lives are worth the fight." -Jodi Walker, Entertainment Weekly                                                                                   "If this isn't an American classic-to-be, I don't know what is. . .even after only a few dozen pages, I could tell that this would be one of the best books of 2014. . .this book is as close to perfect as any I've ever read." -Joy Tipping, The Dallas Morning News "A searing historical novel. . .these two women's relationship with each other grows more complex while the culture shape-shifts around them.  Their bold individual requests for independence are explored by Kidd in exquisitely nuanced language that makes this book a page turner in the most resonant and satisfying of ways." - More  
TitleLeading
The
Synopsis
The #1 New York Times bestseller of hope, daring, and the quest for freedom taken on by two unforgettable American women, from the celebrated author of The Secret Life of Bees . "A remarkable novel that heightened my sense of what it meant to be a woman - slave or free . . a conversation changer." - Oprah Winfrey, O, The Oprah Magazine "Powerful...furthers our essential understanding of what has happened among us as Americans - and why it still matters." - The Washington Post Writing at the height of her narrative and imaginative gifts, Sue Monk Kidd presents a masterpiece of hope, daring, the quest for freedom, and the desire to have a voice in the world--and it is now the newest Oprah's Book Club 2.0 selection. Hetty "Handful" Grimke, an urban slave in early nineteenth century Charleston, yearns for life beyond the suffocating walls that enclose her within the wealthy Grimke household. The Grimke's daughter, Sarah, has known from an early age she is meant to do something large in the world, but she is hemmed in by the limits imposed on women. Kidd's sweeping novel is set in motion on Sarah's eleventh birthday, when she is given ownership of ten year old Handful, who is to be her handmaid. We follow their remarkable journeys over the next thirty five years, as both strive for a life of their own, dramatically shaping each other's destinies and forming a complex relationship marked by guilt, defiance, estrangement and the uneasy ways of love. As the stories build to a riveting climax, Handful will endure loss and sorrow, finding courage and a sense of self in the process. Sarah will experience crushed hopes, betrayal, unrequited love, and ostracism before leaving Charleston to find her place alongside her fearless younger sister, Angelina, as one of the early pioneers in the abolition and women's rights movements. Inspired by the historical figure of Sarah Grimke, Kidd goes beyond the record to flesh out the rich interior lives of all of her characters, both real and invented, including Handful's cunning mother, Charlotte, who courts danger in her search for something better. This exquisitely written novel is a triumph of storytelling that looks with unswerving eyes at a devastating wound in American history, through women whose struggles for liberation, empowerment, and expression will leave no reader unmoved.
LC Classification Number
PS3611.I44I58 2014

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4.9
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  • c***m (425)- Feedback left by buyer.
    Past 6 months
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    WOW!; I cannot believe this 3 Days to Hawaii! ; AAA+++; Excellent Service; Great Pricing; Fast Delivery-Faster Than Expected to Hawaii!; Shipped 05/05, Mon, Received 05/08, Thu to Hawaii using free shipping; USPS Ground Mail, Book in Excellent Condition--Better Than Described ; TLC Packaging; Excellent Seller Communication, Sends updates . Highly Recommended!, Thank you very much!
  • v***v (2064)- Feedback left by buyer.
    Past month
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    Although this book was not as described, with no picture of it in the listing, the seller communicated well and quickly gave me a full refund while letting me keep it. The minimal packaging left the book a bit vulnerable (typical for ThriftBooks), but it did arrive safely and timely. As usual, it’s hit or miss with this seller, but often times you can get great values, and their customer service is always very good. Many other sellers with millions of transactions don’t even communicate.
  • 2***j (113)- Feedback left by buyer.
    Past month
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    I've ordered several items from this vendor now and they've always been what they were advertised as. This was no exception. Both discs were in great shape as well as their jewel cases. Delivery is good, packaging is simple but effective for what you're paying and I haven't had any get damaged. Will keep buying from this vendor because of the results so far and good prices, too.

Product ratings and reviews

4.7
24 product ratings
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  • Top favourable review

    The title was questionable until the heart of the story revealed why. Very good symbolism I thought.

    Read this book as required for my book club. It was a novel but based on reality. It was interesting through out and kept me reading. My book a hard copy was in excellent condition.

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-ownedSold by: second.sale

  • Top critical review

    Nothing new here

    Have read much more compelling books on the subject of slavery in the south and the efforts of the abolitionists. I found this book only foe those who know nothing about the era in which this story takes place. I was bored silly. Characters were one dimentional, stereotype and not engaging in the least. Skip this book.

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-ownedSold by: mtwyouth

  • I’ve read another book by this author and once again, not disappointed

    Interesting book, thoroughly enjoyed reading it, would certainly recommend it.

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-ownedSold by: linderlegacy

  • invention of wings. great title to this book

    thoughtful and enlightening . We need to remember history so it doesn't repeat itself. I enjoyed this book. It lets you feel about how the slaves wanted to be free and to imagine how it could be done.

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-ownedSold by: second.sale

  • A great read, damaged copy

    This book is a great read. Unfortunately, the edge of the pages in this copy were ragged and looked like they had been cut with scissors.

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-ownedSold by: bookoramapaul