The Kitchen House - Kathleen Grissom

The Kitchen House

By Kathleen Grissom

  • Release Date: 2010-02-02
  • Genre: Historical Fiction
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 2,847 Ratings

Description

Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of the highly anticipated Glory Over Everything, established herself as a remarkable new talent with The Kitchen House, now a contemporary classic. In this gripping novel, a dark secret threatens to expose the best and worst in everyone tied to the estate at a thriving plantation in Virginia in the decades before the Civil War.

Orphaned during her passage from Ireland, young, white Lavinia arrives on the steps of the kitchen house and is placed, as an indentured servant, under the care of Belle, the master’s illegitimate slave daughter. Lavinia learns to cook, clean, and serve food, while guided by the quiet strength and love of her new family.

In time, Lavinia is accepted into the world of the big house, caring for the master’s opium-addicted wife and befriending his dangerous yet protective son. She attempts to straddle the worlds of the kitchen and big house, but her skin color will forever set her apart from Belle and the other slaves.

Through the unique eyes of Lavinia and Belle, Grissom’s debut novel unfolds in a heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful story of class, race, dignity, deep-buried secrets, and familial bonds.

Reviews

  • Kitchen House

    5
    By YayaNetski
    Kitchen House is a place situated within a way of life made possible by slavery in the American South. It’s a story of a family shaped by a dreadful period in history where human beings were owned by others and used not only for labor , but to breed. In this story, unusual ‘family’ is formed and is the heart and soul of this book
  • Enjoyed reading

    4
    By Montaqua
    Good read; but lots of sad parts. I did like the way it ended.
  • Terrific Historical Fiction

    5
    By VR56
    Excellent worthwhile read.
  • Page turner

    5
    By Liildebpdx
    I could not put this book down and when I did I could hardly wait to pick up where I left off and read the next pages. I loved the characters most of all.
  • Speechless

    5
    By Ari. V
    5/5. I read the book in 8 hrs more or less. You’re transported into another time. Shed a few tears, laughed, gasped. The illustration included at the beginning gives you a mental a picture of the setting allowing you to feel as though you’re reading about a place you know very well. The feelings of the characters were made to feel my own, I couldn’t help but feel a sort of attachment when reading of the feelings and connections the characters created. The unexpected twists of events and the need to know what happened next would not let me put this book down.
  • Amazing

    5
    By Edith ing
    I loved this book so much I also listened to the audio version once I had finished reading it. Highly recommend it.
  • Gear read!!

    5
    By whitreads
    I loved this booked beginning to end!! I do wish the ending would’ve been a little more in depth as to what happened to their lives.
  • Excellent!!

    5
    By Elby Hall
    Best book I’ve read in a while.
  • One of the best I’ve read

    5
    By Fleshfam
    A little slow to start, but I quickly became engaged in the story and couldn’t wait to finish. One of the best novels I’ve read in a long time.
  • Devastating

    4
    By karisad
    It was devastating to read about the lives that were lived back then. My heart breaks for every character. I couldn’t put it down - but I was haunted by it when I wasn’t reading it.

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