The Kitchen House: A Novel
Orphaned while onboard ship from Ireland, seven-year-old Lavinia arrives on the steps of a tobacco plantation where she is to live and work with the slaves of the kitchen house. Eventually, Lavinia is accepted into the world of the big house. Lavinia finds herself perilously straddling two very different worlds. When she is forced to make a choice, loyalties are brought into question, dangerous truths are laid bare, and lives are put at risk. The Kitchen House is a tragic story of page-turning suspense, exploring the meaning of family, where love and loyalty prevail.
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Community Reviews
It's a fast read because it's an intriguing story, told from the points of view of two characters, Lavinia and Belle, one a orphaned indentured servant, the other the daughter of the plantation owner and a slave. Their situations are similar and vastly different at the same time.
Much of the book is about family bonds, especially parent-child, or the lack of any bond for whatever reason. For some, the lack of a relationship leads to disastrous results affecting many more people than just that parent and child. Others build a family relationship where there is no blood relation simply because we need love, and without love and a home, life doesn't have much meaning.
Another concept that runs through the book is holding on to our preconceived ideas because of convenience, prejudice or insecurity. The captain, his wife, and Lavinia all make assumptions that change lives because it is generally easier in the short run to ignore a problem than confront the truth, even though it's always better for the long run to address the issue.
In short, I recommend the book.
Much of the book is about family bonds, especially parent-child, or the lack of any bond for whatever reason. For some, the lack of a relationship leads to disastrous results affecting many more people than just that parent and child. Others build a family relationship where there is no blood relation simply because we need love, and without love and a home, life doesn't have much meaning.
Another concept that runs through the book is holding on to our preconceived ideas because of convenience, prejudice or insecurity. The captain, his wife, and Lavinia all make assumptions that change lives because it is generally easier in the short run to ignore a problem than confront the truth, even though it's always better for the long run to address the issue.
In short, I recommend the book.
This tale of life in a 18th century farm in VA is a very graphic portrayal of the lives of people in slavery. Horribly cruel conditions existed, however for the white folk, too. All the grim detail of this story did point out the resiliency of the human spirit and the importance of family bonds,even when the family bonds are not based on birth, but on circumstance.
I often read books that are written from a 1st person perspective, and have enjoyed the voice of the writer changing as often as each chapter, but there was something slightly stilted about this writing that made it feel choppy and incomplete.
I often read books that are written from a 1st person perspective, and have enjoyed the voice of the writer changing as often as each chapter, but there was something slightly stilted about this writing that made it feel choppy and incomplete.
Loved this book. It was our Literary Leopards's bookclub selection for October 2013, and was enjoyed by everyone. Easy to visualize the characters. Life is about choices and this book certainly captured the characters' choices. Looking forward to more of Kathleen Grissom.
I really liked this book the story kept me interested, loved most of the characters. Interesting history from a different point of view. Btw hated the ending! Had so many what happened to….questions. Took me 3 days!
Loved this book. Loved it as historical fiction. It especially loved it for the rich characterizations the author has drawn. These characters and their story will undoubtedly stay with me a long, long time. I highly recommend this book!
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