Kitty S. (kittynewengland) reviewed on 1/8/2013 + 116 more book reviews

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom is about life on a Virginia plantation during the late 1700s/early 1800s. The story is told from the points of view of two people: Lavinia, an Irish girl orphaned aboard a ship to America and raised by the plantation's slave family, and Belle, the mixed race illegitimate daughter of the plantation owner. Life on the plantation is harsh, to say the least. Death visits early and often. Mental illness, sickness and abuse exist unchecked. The secret of Belle's parentage causes needless jealousies and harmful lies. Wrong assumptions keep Lavinia from her true love. Freedom is elusive not only for the black slaves, but the women as well. Yet, despite the bleak conditions, the characters in the novel find love, family, and friendship often in unexpected places. These bonds are the heart of the story. The Kitchen House can be melodramatic at times, but overall I found it to be a gripping, well-researched tale.

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