Kidd's novel spans more than three decades and follows the lives of "Handful"-a 10-year-old slave living in Charleston in the early 19th-century with the Grimke family-and Sarah Grimke-the remarkable daughter of the house, whom, on her 11th birthday, is given Handful as a gift. Oduye and Lamia share the narration in this audio edition, with the former reading Handful's sections of the book and the latter handling Sarah's. Oduye skillfully captures the essence of Handful. Her pacing, tone, and annunciation are just right, and the southern accent she reads with pitch perfect. Lamia turns in an equally enjoyable performance. Her airy narration, steady pacing, and southern accent more than do justice to Sarah. Fans of Kidd's novel will be delighted. A Viking hardcover. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Kidd's (The Secret Life of Bees) latest is a remarkable work of historical fiction that relates the story of the wealthy Charleston, SC, Grimke sisters, Sarah and Angelina. Their house slave Hetty "Handful" Grimke inspires their efforts toward abolition and women's rights, and she ultimately becomes an integral part of them. The work is superbly read by Jenna Lamia and Adepero Oduye; the language wonderfully communicates the bond that evolves among these complex women as they travel through the political landscape and the social movements of this era. Be sure to listen to the last minutes of content as Kidd discusses her research and how it intertwines with the well-told fictional tale. -VERDICT An exceptional audiobook-this story is not to be missed. ["This richly imagined narrative brings both black history and women's history to life with an unsentimental story of women who became sisters under the skin," read the starred review of the Viking hc, LJ 11/1/13; see the Q&A with author Kidd on this page.]-Sandra C. Clariday, Tennessee Wesleyan Coll., Athens (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.