Welcome to Litsy!

Inspired by true events, Sue Monk Kidd brings both history and these characters to life. It‘s a beautiful book.

Up next: I‘m hoping to squeeze this one in before the end of the month. I‘m using it for the Book Girls‘ Guide Reading The States Challenge (South Carolina).

It‘s also one of my #unreadbookshelf books!

#bookspinbingo

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A must-read if you have a connection to or are visiting Charleston, South Carolina! A must! Pair it with a walking or small bus tour of the city (please don't take a carriage 😔🐴). With some research, you can find a tour that will take you to many of the places included in this novel. (I recommend Frankly Charleston, Gullah Tours with Alphonse, and Two Sisters) Visit the Aiken-Rhett house as well. Lots of important history in Charleston!

📙The Killer Angels
🖊️Sue Monk Kidd
🎥The King‘s Speech
🎤Alison Krauss
🎶Kingdom Come (Civil Wars)
#manicmonday #letterk

As this book was July‘s pick for the #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead, I‘m a bit late with my review. ? But I just HAD to post about this one. It was so good! The narrators were excellent and the story absorbing. The author captured antebellum South Carolina in vivid detail. Real-life sisters Sarah and Angelina (Nina) Grimké were her inspiration. They worked tirelessly to end slavery and improve women‘s rights. A compelling read.
(August 27, 2022)

The fictionalized story of abolitionist Sarah Grimke‘s life told in tandem with the life of the slave “given” to her at age 11, Handful. I did the audiobook version and it was fantastic, would highly recommend and was already recommending it to people before I finished! I wish I could have read with #literarycrew for the discussion, but happy for the recommendation as I don‘t know if I would have picked it up otherwise!

Told in alternating points of view between Sarah and Handful. Sarah was gifted Handful (during slavery times). I enjoyed this story.

It‘s time for the discussion of this month‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead !

You will find questions as spoilers by either searching for the group‘s hashtag, looking at the book‘s feed, or viewing my feed.

To me, this is a remarkable story (I‘m still finishing up!). Any other thoughts or lingering questions to share with the group? Comment below (and if you think it‘s a spoiler, feel free to us the spoiler tag). Thanks for joining!

#BookReport

I‘ve read the 7th and final book of In Search of Lost Time, The Man who Planted Trees and David Golder

I finished The Invention of Wings.

I‘m currently reading Excellent Women #PemberLittens, Culture Warlords #SheSaid and a biography about Louis 14th.

For her 11th birthday Sarah is given the slave Handful as a birthday present. This is going to change the lives of the two girls forever.

I loved that the story is told alternating between Sarah and Handful giving us both the life of the white South and the slaves.

I had no idea that Sarah and her sister Angelina were real historical figures being among the first female abolitionists and the first to fight for women‘s rights.

#WeeklyForecast

Continue with the buddy reads; Excellent Women #PemberLittens, Culture Warlords #SheSaid and The Invention of Wings #LiteraryCrew

I want to read the 7th and final book in Proust‘s In Search of Lost Times, The Man who Planted Trees, David Golder and a biography about Louis 14th.

It‘s my first week of vacation so hopefully I will have time for even more reading.

Check in time for this month‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead ! I plan to start this one this weekend. I‘ve noticed a couple reviews posted already…hooray!

I‘m really looking forward to this one. So many good things said about it!

For those who are reading along, any thoughts to share so far?

I am so glad I joined the #LiteraryCrew in reading this book this month! Before I read this, I didn't know who the Grimké sisters were, nor that they were the first well-known female abolitionists and women's rights advocates. Sue Monk Kidd has such a way with words and tells a powerful and compelling story.
@Librarybelle

This is a reminder that the July #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead for July is the tagged book. Tagging those who have expressed interest in joining. Open to everyone - if you‘re also interested, comment below!

We‘re a low key group that reads the title throughout the month, and I post discussion questions at the end of the month. I‘ll also post checkins periodically.

Inspiring story of a "handful" of strong, courageous women. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Told in the voices of Sarah Grimke and Handful, the slave girl she was gifted by her family on her eleventh birthday, this book gives perspectives of reluctant owner and slave. Grimke is a real historical figure, an advocate for abolition and women‘s rights. Kidd‘s efforts to faithfully tell Sarah‘s story from history alternated with Handful‘s richer more readable fictional story makes the first person narratives unevenly matched, but still good.

Getting ready to start this. I just finished a book last night and looking forward to this one. I've heard a lot of good things.
#booked2022 @OriginalCyn620

4.9/5 🌟 What an amazing story. Here, Kidd constructs a story that primarily centers upon Sarah Grimke, a true historical figure who left her privileged, slave-owning family to become a Quaker abolitionist in the 1800s. Sarah and her sister, Angelina, are now considered the earliest inspirers of the women's suffrage movement. It also follows the life of Hetty - a slave who was gifted to Sarah when she was a child - and her quest for freedom.

Brainstorming color tonight while listening to this wonderful book. I love how it describes Quaker philosophy and practices. In college, I regularly attended meetings at a liberal Quaker house and found a great deal of solace, connection, and empowerment there. Perhaps I should return 🌟

Working out the dimensions of this native orchid, Spiranthes cernua (Nodding Ladies' Tresses) while continuing this book. The story has been heartbreaking and I can't wait to learn more about Sarah Grimke, a real 19th century abolitionist. I love a strong female historical figure 💃💪

Experimenting with a new brand of paper while starting a new read. This is my first Sue Monk Kidd book, and I look forward to experiencing her writing. So far, this has been a great story... Though, I wish "poor Sarah" didn't find such distaste for painting flowers! I find painting flowers to be very important, educational, and delightful ?

Not greatly absorbing, I felt it was too long a period of time but appreciate it needed to be. I've read other fictional accounts of slavery which have struck more of a chord with me.
Having read the notes, I'm glad there were elements of historical fact included.

Library book club for next week.
I don't have huge hopes for it but happy to make a start.

#2021Book90
As I've gotten older, I've grown to really love historical fiction. And my favorite books are often those that include fictionalized versions of real people's lives. I especially liked that this one switched perspectives between a young white woman fighting against slavery and the slave she was desperate to free. Both woman have strong voices and their stories are both inspiring and heartbreaking.

This book reminded me a lot of The Kitchen House, and I really enjoyed it! I had never heard of the Grimke sisters before, and I liked how the story was told from both Sarah and Handful‘s point of view.
⭐️: 4/5

We move in a bit over a month, so my mind has been on so many things that by the end of the day I can‘t focus on anything! Which is probably why I‘m not as in love with this book as I thought I would be. I‘m about 120 pages in and I find it a slow build. I‘m not super invested in Sarah and find myself wishing the focus was more on Handful. Hopefully it picks up soon and I get back into my groove 🤞🏻

⭐️ ◼️ So I only got to about 16% of this and I feel like a total failure...I usually pride myself that I can stick it out, but I just couldn‘t continue and I really don‘t know why. It just wasn‘t enjoyable for me. I checked this book out like 3 different times and couldn‘t go anymore. I just didn‘t connect with it. Life‘s just too short and there are way too many good books out there to read things that don‘t do anything for you...Happy Reading!!!

I'm posting one book per day from the ever growing unread stacks in my personal library. No description or explanation, just books I own and plan to read. #tbr

Day 69 (Audible edition)

It took me 50 pages or so to get into this, but it was a book club pick, so I knew I would stick with it. I‘m so glad I did! It‘s a moving depiction of the evils and persistent struggles of slavery & racism.

I longed for it in that excruciating way one has of romanticizing the life she didn‘t choose. But sitting here now, I knew if I‘d accepted Israel‘s proposal, I would‘ve regretted that, too. I‘d chosen the regret I could live with best, that‘s all. I‘d chosen the life I belonged to.

An excellent book based on 2 historical sisters who were abolitionists. The story is told from the perspective of the oldest sister, Sarah, and from a household slave given to her on her 11th birthday.

This is an amazing read! Set in Charleston in the early nineteenth century, the story flits from the slave girl growing up in an oppressive house to her owner, a young girl also feeling the pressures of her time. Based on a true story, this is brilliant book that kept me completely engrossed and guessing the whole time! Bloody loved it! 👍

This is yet another great book by Sue Monk Kidd. I have had it for a long time and decided I needed to get it read. That was a wise choice. I love the strong female characters in this story. They defied norms of their time and forged their own way while facing adversity.

I skipped the post of my last grid because I was posting book stacks for other reasons. I like rating my books 9 at a time, and completely realize if I read the same book in another month or another mood, it may likely have a different grade! Tagged my favorite.

5* = Loved It, want non-reader IRL friends to read. I do/will own a physical copy. A+
4*= Liked it a lot, would love to discuss. Solid B
3*=Meh, no need to discuss. Average C

I know I‘m very late to the game on this one, but this story is beautiful. I didn‘t realize until I was done that Sarah and Nina existed in real life and were such badass women of the 1800s. The creation of Handful was a wonderful way to give life to the Grimke sisters.

#ReadTheUSA2020 South Carolina

It took me a while to get into this so I pushed myself on and im glad I did as I ended up really enjoying this. Well as much as you can ever enjoy a book about slavery that is.

Handful and Sarah arent the most likeable of characters in my opinion but it was hard not adore them in their own ways. I felt that their relationship was probably very realistic due to the dynamics, it had a quiet turbulence about it.

This is well-written, based in history and a sweeping story, particularly for a small book. I know more about abolition, slavery, the origins of the fights for women‘s rights, Puritans and the deep south. Very educational but feels like fiction. Lovely.

What I didn‘t know until the author‘s note at the end was that Sarah (and her younger sister, Angelina) were real people. They left South Carolina and became abolitionists who spoke publicly about ending slavery, and they were among the first feminists, also speaking out (and writing) for women‘s rights. This was in the 1830s. This was really good. I liked both women‘s stories. I thought the author‘s note at the end was very interesting. (