The Invention of Wings

Handful. In November of 1826, Goodis catches a cold and Handful goes to the stable to visit him, taking advantage of the lack of oversight in the house now that Missus is always busy fighting with Nina. As Handful passes the garden, she notices an old slave woman and a slave girl outside the back gate. The woman calls Handful’s name, and Handful realizes it is her mother Charlotte. The slaves help carry Charlotte inside, as she is weak and sick from the journey. Handful introduces the slave girl as her sister, knowing she must be Charlotte’s daughter by Denmark Vesey.

As Charlotte sleeps, Handful asks the slave girl, whose name is Sky, about their journey. Sky loves to talk, telling Handful everything about their wandering trip away from a plantation. Charlotte even told Sky the same blackbird legends that she told Handful. Finally, Charlotte manages to wake up and Handful hugs her tightly.

Handful shows Charlotte the story quilt that she finished and Charlotte is pleased that Handful got the order of all the squares correctly. Handful dreads telling Charlotte what has happened to Denmark Vesey while she was gone. Charlotte also looks worse for the wear from her time away, with whip scars and missing teeth. Sky tells Handful that Charlotte was rebellious and mischievous on the plantation no matter the consequences or punishments.

Sarah. Israel visits Sarah at Lucretia Mott’s house, with a new beard covering his face. Israel and Sarah have a growing friendship, though Sarah can’t help but wish for a deeper relationship. On this visit, Israel admits that his eldest son is getting married and Sarah realizes that the only thing keeping the relationship between her and Israel from moving forward is her own passivity.

Sarah loves living with Lucretia and talking with her about theology and philosophy. The two women form a bond deeper than friendship. One night, Lucretia gives Sarah a letter from “Nina” that is in Handful’s handwriting. The letter explains that Charlotte has returned to the Grimké house with a new daughter, Sky, and reiterates Handful’s hopes for freedom. Sarah tells Lucretia about the letter and Lucretia sympathizes with the obstacles facing slaves, particularly women slaves. Sarah realizes that she can no longer dream about helping Handful—she has to do something real. Sarah decides to become a Quaker minister.

Sarah tries to write Handful a letter, but can’t find a respectful way to express her joy at Charlotte’s return (as Charlotte is still a slave even if she is “home”). Sarah gets the silver button out of her desk and remembers how Handful gave it back to her when she was on the verge of giving up on life. With the button on the desk, Sarah writes a letter to Handful expressing the depth of emotion she has for Handful and her mother and telling Handful that she is becoming a Quaker minister in order to speak against slavery.

Handful. Charlotte returns to sewing, but Sky does not fit well into urban life. She is too rough for house work and sings Gullah slave songs too loudly. Handful overhears Missus considering selling Sky in the spring to cover some of her growing expenses and rushes to form a way for Sky to earn her keep at the Grimké house. Charlotte insists that Sky is as smart as her daddy, Denmark, though Charlotte doesn’t tell Sky who her father is for fear that Sky will chatter that information to the wrong people. Handful and Charlotte decide to put Sky to work in the garden.

Sky has an incredible talent with the garden, coaxing even dead plants back to full harvest. The vegetables are so big and bountiful that spring that Missus keeps Sky on for good. Meanwhile, Charlotte does not tell Handful what happened to her while she was away, but begins to sew more squares of her story to add to the story quilt.

Sarah. Sarah wears the silver button to Quaker meetings, offending more conservative Quakers like Jane and Samuel Bettlemen with her flashy dress. Sarah does not care, as she offends many elders with simply her desire to be a female minister and her radical stance on immediate abolition and equality for the slaves. Despite opposition, Lucretia keeps Sarah from backing down or giving up.

Nina writes to Sarah with news that she has fallen in love with the Presbyterian Reverend McDowell, enchanted with how Rev. McDowell defended her right to give anti-slavery lessons at the Sunday School. As Sarah reads the letter, Israel comes to visit her again. He seems nervous and tells Sarah that he had a dream about Rebecca giving him back the locket. Israel then asks Sarah to become his wife. Sarah, happy and afraid, asks if she can be Israel’s wife and a Quaker minister. Israel does not say no, but he does make it clear that Sarah would be too busy with family and house care as a wife. Sarah refuses Israel, knowing that she cannot be true to both him and to her calling as a minister.

Handful. Handful works on the sewing for Missus while Charlotte sews nothing but her story quilt. As they work, Charlotte tells more about life in the plantation and the many times she and Sky tried and failed to run away. When the plantation master began to make sexual advances towards Sky, Charlotte knew it was time to leave or die trying.

Now at the Grimkés, Sky cannot easily leave the Grimké estate as she has no ownership papers and the regulations in Charleston are so strict. Still, Handful begs Nina to write Sky a pass, and she takes Sky by the house that used to be Denmark’s. Handful tells Sky that her daddy was brave with a big heart and lived to free all the slaves. Sky knows that Denmark was hung for the failed slave revolt.

One night, Charlotte asks what happened to her stash of money. Handful thought that Charlotte took it with her, explaining that she looked everywhere but couldn’t find it. Charlotte laughs and tells Handful to look inside the lining of the first quilt they made together, the one covered in red and black triangles. All the money is still there, and Charlotte tells Handful to keep it safe so she can one day buy freedom for herself and Sky. Charlotte no longer expects to gain freedom herself.

Sarah. Sarah writes to Nina, explaining how she refused Israel’s proposal. Sarah no longer wants to be Nina’s mother or example, she just wants to be her sister. Nina writes back that she has also broken off her engagement, fed up with Rev. McDowell’s inaction against slavery. Nina is full of righteous indignation, but Sarah carries more regret for refusing happiness with Israel. Yet Sarah knows she would have regretted accepting marriage as well.

For two years, Sarah struggles to be accepted as a minister. Her speech impediment renders her messages in meeting incoherent, though Sarah studies Quaker theology night and day. She continues to try Nina’s tongue exercises, trying to rid herself of the stammer. Nina writes letters detailing her efforts to push the Charleston Presbyterians toward abolition, while Sarah writes about the fights for racial equality among the more liberal Philadelphia Quakers. Finally, Nina writes Sarah that she will be joining her in the North.

Sarah leaves Lucretia’s house and moves in with Catherine so that there will be room for Nina when she comes. Sarah marvels at the thought that two daughters of a Southern slaveholder will now be living in the austere North. Nina finally arrives, looking more beautiful than ever, and the two sisters run to each other and embrace.