The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom is a gripping historical fiction novel about a young white girl raised on a plantation. This story is deeply touching, suspenseful, sweet and heartbreaking.
Lavinia arrives in America from Ireland an orphan. Her parents died during the journey and since she has no one to claim her, she and her brother are separated and she is sold to a plantation owner. She is a white girl who is now to live with the slaves on a tobacco plantation as an indentured servant. She lives and works in the kitchen house with the owner's illegitimate daughter as her caretaker. She bonds with her new family and lives life as they live it, but eventually gets accepted into the "big house" to help care for the master's wife who is hiding her own depression and psychological issues with an opium addiction.
As a white girl, who was raised as a slave, she is placed into a difficult position. She loves and misses her "family" from the kitchen house, but also understands the advantages that living in the big house afford her. She is forced to make decisions and choices that put everyone in danger.
This is a riveting book full of characters that the reader cheers for and those that the reader loathes, and some that the reader hopes until the end will somehow redeem themselves. Written from the perspective of Lavinia and Belle (the master's illegitimate daughter) provide the reader with a more full picture of the story. This was a fantastic read that became one of my favorite books. Highly recommend.
Happy Reading!
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