📚So I'm not one to read the book descriptions prior to reading, and because of Sue Monk Kidd's 2 most popular books, The Secret Life of Bees and the Mermaid Chair, I assumed this was also a solely fictional novel. So it is with complete embarrassment that I must admit, I didn't recognize a historical figure's name until Lucretia Mott arrived on the scene. I certainly felt somewhat relieved to learn, in the author's notes, that the Sue Monk Kidd herself never knew about the historical protagonists prior to her decision to write this book. When I finally realized that this was a historical fiction novel based on the lives of the abolitionist Grimké sisters, my frame of reference changed, and so did the context through which I read the rest of the novel. These formidable women were an important part of our American history that should be highlighted and celebrated!
📚Although this book had lovely descriptions and good character development, I didn't agree with the parallels formed between the two female protagonists on several occasions. There is just no comparison between the horrors that a southern slave endured, and the personal loss of freedom that a "southern belle" faced. However, I can understand that this was likely an attempt to allow Sarah to better relate to Handful.
📚This book was really interesting and I did enjoy learning more of the lesser-known history of this time period. I sure appreciated the author's interpretation of that history. So for these reasons, I felt it was certainly a worthwhile read!
Read 2/16/14
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