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There is no doubt in my mind that this book will make my top ten this year and will very likely be either number one or close to it. It contains every element that makes a book especially interesting to me. Although a fiction novel, there are historical facts and people in it. It is about Sarah Grimke, a abolitionist and advocator of women's rights way before her time. The story takes place in the first half of the 1800s. She grew up in Charleston in a well to do family that owned slaves. I listened to this book on audio and it was very well presented. Sarah's voice was the same reader as Skeeter's voice in The Help. The book is written and read in two voices, that of Sarah and her slave friend Handful. It is the character of Handful that is partially made up. Sarah was presented with a slave on her eleventh birthday and she did teach her to read as put forth in the story. And both girls were punished for it. But the real life Hattie died in childhood where as the author of this book depicted a life long friendship between the Sarah and Handful. There are some other fictional parts to the book but included is a lot of accurate history. Also brought into the story are some specific foods that I was able to find the recipe's for online. The punch that Sarah spills during one of her disaster filled southern social parties can be found HERE. And Sarah smells THIS wafting from the slave's kitchen house. One of her birthday cakes is called an Election Cake. Besides the art of cooking, Sue Monk Kidd also weaves the art of sewing into the novel. The factual history of Story Quilts was inspired by the admiration of the author for the quilts of Harriet Powers. I highly recommend this novel. Please find the seven links interspersed in this blog and enjoy the video that follows.
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