Sue Monk Kidd (born August 12, 1948) is an American writer from

Sylvester, Georgia Sylvester is the county seat of Worth County, Georgia, United States. The population was 6,188 at the 2010 and at 5,865 (2019) census. The city is the county seat and business center of Worth County and is claimed to be the ''Peanut Capital of th ...

best known for her novels '' The Secret Life of Bees'' and ''The Invention of Wings''.

Early life and education

Kidd was born in Sylvester, Georgia, and attended local schools. She graduated from

Texas Christian University Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private research university in Fort Worth, Texas. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison and Randolph Clark as the Add-Ran Male & Female College. It is affiliated with the Christian Church (Discipl ...

with a B.S. in nursing in 1970. She worked in her 20s as a

Registered Nurse A registered nurse (RN) is a nurse who has graduated or successfully passed a nursing program from a recognized nursing school and met the requirements outlined by a country, state, province or similar government-authorized licensing body to o ...

and college nursing instructor at the

Medical College of Georgia The Medical College of Georgia (often referred to as MCG) is the flagship medical school of the University System of Georgia, the state's only public medical school, and one of the top 10 largest medical schools in the United States. Established ...

. She was influenced in her 20s by the writings of

Thomas Merton Thomas Merton (January 31, 1915 – December 10, 1968) was an American Trappist monk, writer, theologian, mystic, poet, social activist and scholar of comparative religion. On May 26, 1949, he was ordained to the Catholic priesthood and g ...

to explore her inner life. In her 30s, she took writing courses at

Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...

and Anderson College in

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

, now Anderson University, as well as studying at Sewanee, Bread Loaf, and other writers' conferences.

Career

She got her start in writing when a personal essay she wrote for a writing class was published in ''

Guideposts ''Guideposts'' is a spiritual non-profit organization that encourages wellness through inspirational content creation. Founded in 1945 by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, Raymond Thornburg, and Peale's wife, Ruth Stafford Peale with just one inaugural ...

'' and reprinted in ''

Reader's Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wif ...

''. She went on to become a Contributing Editor at ''Guideposts''. Her first three books were spiritual memoirs describing her experiences in contemplative

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...

, the last telling the story of her journey from traditional Christianity to

feminist theology Feminist theology is a movement found in several religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Neopaganism, Baháʼí Faith, Judaism, Islam and New Thought, to reconsider the traditions, practices, scriptures, and theologies of those rel ...

. ''God's Joyful Surprise: Finding Yourself Loved'' ( Harper SanFrancisco, 1988) is focused on abandoning a hopeless quest for perfection and accepting one is loved as one is. ''When the Heart Waits: Spiritual Direction for Life's Sacred Questions'' (Harper SanFrancisco, 1990) tells of her painful midlife crisis. Finally, ''The Dance of the Dissident Daughter: A Woman's Journey from Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine'' (Harper SanFrancisco, 1996), discussed her encounter with women's spirituality. Her first novel, '' The Secret Life of Bees'' (2002), is set during the American civil rights movement of 1964, telling the story of a white girl who runs away from home to live with a black woman who now works as an independent bee-keeper and honey-maker with many of her sisters. It has been adapted as an award-winning play in New York and debuted off Broadway at the Atlantic Theater. The novel was also adapted as a movie of the same name by Fox Searchlight, starring

Dakota Fanning Hannah Dakota Fanning (born February 23, 1994) is an American actress. She rose to prominence at the age of seven for her performance as Lucy Dawson in the drama film ''I Am Sam'' (2001), for which she received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomin ...

Queen Latifah Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album ''All Hail the Que ...

Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and talk show host. Throughout her career, she has received various accolades for her works in recorded music, film, televisio ...

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

and

Sophie Okonedo Sophie Okonedo (born 11 August 1968) is a British actress and narrator. The recipient of a Tony Award, she has been nominated for an Academy Award, three BAFTA Television Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. She began her f ...

. ''The Secret Life of Bees'' movie won two People's Choice Awards at the 35th annual awards ceremony, taking home Best Movie Drama and Best Independent Movie. Her second novel, ''

The Mermaid Chair ''The Mermaid Chair'' is a 2005 novel written by American novelist Sue Monk Kidd, which has also been adapted as a Lifetime movie. Synopsis ''The Mermaid Chair'' is the tale of Jessie Sullivan, a middle-aged woman whose stifled dreams and desire ...

'' (2005), won the 2005 Quill Award for General Fiction. The story concerns a woman who upon coming home to an island off the coast of South Carolina becomes attracted to a Benedictine monk who is just a few months short of taking his final vows. The title refers to a chair in his monastery carved with mermaids dedicated to a female saint said to be a mermaid before her conversion and who is patroness of the island. It was adapted as a 2006 Lifetime movie of the same name. The movie starred Kim Bassinger and Bruce Greenwood. In 2006, ''Firstlight'', a collection of Kidd's early writings, was published in hardcover by Guideposts Books; it was published in paperback by Penguin in 2007. After traveling with her daughter, Ann Kidd Taylor, to sacred sites in Greece, Turkey, and France, Kidd and Taylor co-authored a memoir, ''Traveling with Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Story''. Published by Viking in 2009, it appeared on numerous bestseller lists, including the ''New York Times'' list and has been published in several languages. Her 2014 novel, ''The Invention of Wings'', is set during the antebellum years and based on the life of

Sarah Grimké Sarah (born Sarai) is a biblical matriarch and prophetess, a major figure in Abrahamic religions. While different Abrahamic faiths portray her differently, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all depict her character similarly, as that of a ...

, a 19th-century

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

and women's rights pioneer. The novel debuted at No. 1 on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list and was later selected for Oprah's Book Club 2.0. In April, Kidd appeared in an interview with Oprah on

OWN Ownership is the state or fact of legal possession and control over property, which may be any asset, tangible or intangible. Ownership can involve multiple rights, collectively referred to as title, which may be separated and held by different ...

's ''

Super Soul Sunday ''Super Soul Sunday'' is a self-help talk show hosted by Oprah Winfrey, which airs on the Oprah Winfrey Network. ''Super Soul Sunday'' premiered on October 16, 2011. Format ''Super Soul Sunday'' is designed to help viewers awaken to their best sel ...

'' episode. Kidd's novel ''The Book of Longings'', was published on April 21, 2020. It tells the fictional story of Ana, an educated woman who marries

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

. Her formerly privileged life changes greatly, and she is often left alone once Jesus begins his ministry. D. G. Martin calls it "an enriching and challenging read."

Personal life

Kidd is married to Sanford "Sandy" Kidd. The couple have two children, Bob and Ann. She has lived in Charleston and Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

, and currently resides in

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

Bibliography

* ''God's Joyful Surprise: Finding Yourself Loved'', 1988 * ''When the Heart Waits: Spiritual Direction for Life's Sacred Questions'', 1990 * ''The Dance of the Dissident Daughter: A Woman's Journey from Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine'', 1996 * '' The Secret Life of Bees'' , 2002 * ''

'', 2005 * ''Firstlight: The Early Inspirational Writings of Sue Monk Kidd'', 2006 * ''Traveling with Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Journey to the Sacred Places of Greece, Turkey and France'' (with Ann Kidd Taylor). Viking, 2009 * ''The Invention of Wings'', 2014 *''The Book of Longings'', 2020

References

External links

Official web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kidd, Sue Monk American women novelists 21st-century American memoirists American religious writers American spiritual writers Novelists from Georgia (U.S. state) Texas Christian University alumni Writers from Charleston, South Carolina 1948 births Living people People from Sylvester, Georgia 21st-century American novelists Nursing educators American women memoirists 21st-century American women writers Women religious writers Novelists from South Carolina American Quakers Quaker feminists