Try free for 30 days

1 credit a month to use on any title, yours to keep (you’ll use your first credit on this title).
Stream or download thousands of included titles.
Access to exclusive deals and discounts.
$16.45 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
The Invention of Wings cover art

The Invention of Wings

By: Sue Monk Kidd
Narrated by: Jenna Lamia, Adepero Oduye
Try for $0.00

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $22.78

Buy Now for $22.78

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Editorial reviews

From the international best-selling author of The Secret Life of Bees, comes the incredible audiobook and finalist in the Audie Awards 2015, The Invention of Wings, written by Sue Monk Kidd and co-narrated by Jenna Lamia and Adepero Oduye. Set in the deep south of America at the peak of slavery, this is the sweeping panorama of the lives of two little girls, Sarah and Handful, who form a lasting friendship despite the very different worlds they come from. Written into this story is the history of the Abolition Movement and the fight for Women’s Rights. Available now from Audible.

Publisher's Summary

From the celebrated author of the international best seller The Secret Life of Bees comes an extraordinary novel about two exceptional women.

Sarah Grimké is the middle daughter. The one her mother calls difficult and her father calls remarkable. On Sarah's eleventh birthday, Hetty 'Handful' Grimke is taken from the slave quarters she shares with her mother, wrapped in lavender ribbons, and presented to Sarah as a gift.

Sarah knows what she does next will unleash a world of trouble. She also knows that she cannot accept. 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 righteous people living daily with cruelty they fail to recognise; and celebrates the power of friendship and sisterhood against all the odds.

©2014 Sue Monk Kidd (P)2014 Headline Digital

What listeners say about The Invention of Wings

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    183
  • 4 Stars
    52
  • 3 Stars
    13
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    188
  • 4 Stars
    24
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    160
  • 4 Stars
    47
  • 3 Stars
    11
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

The era of slavery

I enjoyed listening to this reading. It was narrated by two great readers, who brought the diary entries to life.
It was interesting to listen and learn about some of the first women who were brave enough to speak out about slavery and women's rights.
A great listen...

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Sam
  • 04-05-2015

Fantastic story and great narration

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the book The Help.
I liked learning at the end it was based on facts.
The narration is great and engaging.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A brilliant story

Even better than her first book. This book opened my eyes to the reality of life as a slave and a slave owner and the beginning of the abolition movement. It is brilliantly narrated and beautifully put together.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Perfectly crafted

The Invention of Wings is a near true to life story recounting the lives of women in the South - both slave owners and slaves in the early 1800s. Although the truth of this time in history is heavy with racial prejudice and societal restrictions for women, not to mention the harrowing accounts of slavery, I thoroughly enjoyed the carefully woven words embellishing the real historical accounts. I really enjoyed this narration - both voices were wonderful to listen to, and the way the two narrators shared the story telling, eachfrom their character's perspective, was brilliantly balanced.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Sorrowful yet inspiring

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Incredibly well performed, a true pleasure to listen to, despite the horrendous lives spoken about in relation to the shameful times of slavery.
The strong female characters represented three distinctly different themes, those of slavery, white privilege & freedom fighting. These themes were threaded through the story for each of the characters in various ways. The authors notes in the final chapter acknowledged the fact & fiction woven together through this story. Importantly, the notes highlighted the courageous lives led by Sarah & Angelina in real life. Inspiring & infamous women fighting for abolition & women’s rights. Very well researched & integrates facts with fiction so well it felt like the whole story was fact. Highly recommended!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Captivating and inspiring!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I had read the Secret Life of Bees prior also written by Sue Monk Kidd and became immersed into the stories and the rich history she prescribes. Extremely satisfying and intriguing books. Highly recommended. I look forward to reading more of Sue’s books.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding

This novel gives a voice to women.
I thoroughly enjoyed the narration of the two different characters. It gave me insight to the atrocities of slavery and the disempowerment of women, a dangerous time to be either a woman or a slave.
Beautifully woven together with the ancient way of oral storytelling, keeping historic events very much alive.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

STUNNING book. Illustrated beautifully.

It captures the evils of slavery and the courage of women and weaves them together in the most heart wrenching way.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful

This was a wonderful story.
Made even more intriguing when I heard how it was written.
For me, this showed Sue Monk Kidd talent as a writer, the work that goes into it and her desire and dream for the story.
I loved the characters - I loved the father daughter connection and Sarah’s realization that she could do what she wanted, her Fathers blessing was not to tell her to go and do her thing, but his confession that his obedience to ‘what’s normal’, following that normal was too strong in him. But he knew her, he knew her talents, and her desires and he knew her restrictions by being a woman..

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Gorgeous

From beautiful literary sentences to an amazing story based on factual people, this is Gorgeous!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.