The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom was our last book club read.  Our member seemed to really enjoy this book - I was worried because this book was not always an easy read as the subject matter about slavery was sometimes tough to read.  I think we'd all love to think this chapter of our history did not happen!

What we all enjoyed was the character of Irish indentured servant Lavinia - we did not know about white indentured servants and their past in American history.  She was very likable although naive.  Our group liked the book because we were able to have a good discussion about the book.  We did grade the book a "B" because at times the plot was boring and predictable.  Although this book is also compared to The Help, we did not think it compared in any way.  I'd give it 4 stars.

Amazon.com Review

When a white servant girl violates the order of plantation society, she unleashes a tragedy that exposes the worst and best in the people she has come to call her family.

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. Under the care of Belle, the master's illegitimate daughter, Lavinia becomes deeply bonded to her adopted family, though she is set apart from them by her white skin.

Eventually, Lavinia is accepted into the world of the big house, where the master is absent and the mistress battles opium addiction. 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.