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The Invention of Wings is a historical novel about urban slavery in the early nineteenth century. Summary of the Book A slave named Hetty "Handful" Grimke finds herself under the ownership of eleven year old Sarah Grimke of the wealthy Grimke household. Barely a ten year old herself, Handful yearns for freedom and a life of her own. Sarah, on the other hand, has always wanted to be something other than the docile girl her parents want her to be. She struggles against the barriers placed on the women of that age, and soon, both women begin shaping each other. The story of their relationship, one marked by guilt, defiance, estrangement and the uneasy ways of love, becomes the story of the Abolition and Equal Rights as Sarah leaves her hometown of Charleston to join her fearless younger sister in the Movement. Handful's own journey will see her experience loss and sorrow, learning to find courage in the face of loss and helplessness. Based on the historical figure of Sarah Grimke, this story looks at a black hour in American history through the eyes of two women who will struggle to find the freedom they want. About Sue Monk Kidd Sue Monk Kidd is an American writer. She has also written: The Secret Life of Bees, The Dance of the Dissident Daughter, The Mermaid Chair, and When the Heart Waits. A graduate of Texas Christian University with a B.S. in nursing, she has worked as a Registered Nurse and college nursing instructor at Medical College of Georgia for several years.