Oprah’s book club pick: ‘The Invention of Wings’ by Sue Monk Kidd
Just in time for the holidays, Oprah Winfrey has selected a new book for her Book Club 2.0: “The Invention of Wings” by Sue Monk Kidd.
“The moment I finished ‘The Invention of Wings,’ I knew this had to be the next Book Club selection,” Winfrey said in the announcement. “These strong female characters represent the women that have shaped our history and, through Sue’s imaginative storytelling, give us a new perspective on slavery, injustice and the search for freedom.”
Kidd’s 2002 novel “The Secret Life of Bees,” was a bestseller. Born in a small town in Georgia, Kidd attended Texas Christian University and wrote two books focused on spiritual issues, including her experiences with feminist theology. Then Kidd turned to fiction; “The Secret Life of Bees” sold more than 6 million copies in the U.S.
In the January issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, Winfrey interviews Kidd about her inspiration for “The Invention of Wings”; the issue goes on sale Dec. 17. The book club discussion will begin Jan. 7, 2014, and include online engagement on Oprah.com, a discussion group on Goodreads, and other social media. Kidd will appear on “Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday” -- counterprogrammed against the Super Bowl -- and their discussion will be simulcast on Serius XM radio.
Oprah relaunched her book club as Book Club 2.0 in June of 2012 with Cherl Strayed’s memoir “Wild”; she had closed her original book club a year before. Once a powerhouse in terms of driving book sales, Oprah’s book club had been losing steam. Taking a hiatus worked wonders: “Wild” was a big bestseller and will be a feature film starring Reese Witherspoon.
Kidd reacted appropriately to news of the choice. “I’m thrilled and honored that Oprah Winfrey chose my novel as her new book club selection,” she said in a statement. “After researching and writing ‘The Invention of Wings’ for the past four years, I can’t tell you how exciting it is to launch the novel with Oprah’s Book Club 2.0. I’m immensely grateful.”
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