'The Invention of Wings' sweeps across three decades of the 19th century, charting the intertwined lives of Hetty 'Handful' Grimké, an enslaved girl in Charleston, and Sarah, the daughter of the Grimké household, who is positioned to be her mistress from a young age. Although they begin within the rigid confines of an oppressive society, their bound destinies evolve as they pursue distinct paths toward freedom and empowerment. The historical backdrop of abolition and women's rights movements enriches their journey as they face love, loss, and the complexities of a friendship forged in the shadows of slavery. Sue Monk Kidd magnificently stitches fact with fiction, inspired by the real-life advocate Sarah Grimké, creating a resonant portrait of two women whose rebellion against their era's cruelties carves a narrative of hope and humanity.