ARM IN ARM

This biography explores the evolution and impact of the Grimké sisters, Sarah (1792-1873) and Angelina (1805-1879), who grew up in a family of enslavers and became prominent abolitionists.

As children in Charleston, South Carolina, raised by a mother who parented with “a rod of fear,” the sisters were distressed by how their family members abused enslaved people. Over time, they questioned the morality of holding other people in bondage. Carpenter portrays the deeply entrenched prejudices of the time as a counterpoint to Sarah’s and Angelina’s growing awareness. Although they struggled against internalized messages about women’s inferiority, they found the courage to publish and speak, despite meeting with derisive, misogynistic insults in the press. The sisters stood firm, found fellow activists and supporters, and expanded their fight to include women’s rights. Again and again, the Grimkés broke with social norms, participating in a radicalism that was part of a seismic cultural shift in the lead-up to the Civil War. This relatively short book thoughtfully presents a period of upheaval and change and traces the sisters’ long-lasting impact as well as recent, more critical perceptions of their motivations and behavior that bring welcome nuance to their story. Archival images help readers digest historical details, and excerpts from primary sources capture the sisters’ growth. The author carefully lays a trail of details, weaving them together throughout her account.

Informative and insightful.