The Invention of Wings

I am a big Sue Monk Kidd fan (loved The Secret Life of Bees and The Mermaid Chair) so I was very happy when the notice came from the library that my hold was finally in. I proceeded to gobble up this book in short order, and I was not disappointed. What I didn't know until I reached the end notes was that the main characters were actual people.

Kidd tells the story of Sarah and Angelina (Nina) Grimke, two Charleston sisters of the early 19th century who find slavery so abhorrent that they head north, become Quakers, and are two of the most outspoken abolitionists and feminists of the time. In order to personalize the story a bit, Kidd creates Handful/Hetty, the slave Sarah's parents give her on her 12th birthday to be her waiting maid. The novel alternates telling the story from Sarah's and Handful's point-of-view, and it's a very effective way of really sending the message about the evils of slavery, and also of showing the complexities of the relationships between slaveholders and their slaves.

This is a beautifully told story with rich, interesting characters and a message that resonates across the centuries. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Invention of Wings

David and Goliath

I am a big Malcolm Gladwell fan, and his latest book does not disappoint. Gladwell has a way of thinking and looking at things that is quite different from the way I think and look at things, and that always makes me say, wow, that's really interesting.

In his latest book, Gladwell looks at how perceived advantages can sometimes be disadvantages, and vice versa. He uses examples of real people in real situations who have overcome something to do great things... or who didn't live up to their great expectations. He uses statistics and math, but in ways that are very approachable and understandable (and that had me going to Google again and again to find out more). And he just has this way of humanizing his subjects that's very readable and likeable.

This is a super easy, very interesting read. If you like this and haven't read any other Gladwell, I highly recommend The Tipping Point and Outliers.

David and Goliath

Lean In

I have been wondering what all the hype was about with this book, so I picked it up at the library. It's a nice read, and Sheryl Sandberg is a good storyteller, but there is really nothing profound here.

For those who don't know, Sandberg is the COO of Facebook - one of the few women to hold such a position (and probably one of Facebook's oldest employees). She previously worked at Google. She went to Harvard (twice), and interned for Larry Summers. The woman is privileged and connected. She also gives some good advice. I wish I had read it when I first entered the workforce in my early 20's rather than now, but it's good to read these sorts of books now and then.

But honestly, I believe I already practice much of what she discusses, as do most of the women I know.

Lean In