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This is the second book about a slave family that I've recently read. The first was Breena Clarke's fine novel, What in the world could a Canadian white author know about pre-Civil War plantation life? Quite a lot, actually, as Kathleen Grissom makes clear in her excellent, gripping novel, “The Kitchen House “. Set in Virginia between the years of 1791 and 1810, the story centers on Lavinia, an orphaned Irish servant, and Belle, the mixed-race slave who takes young Lavinia under her wing in the kitchen house. There, amidst a rich cast of characters, the Irish girl makes her home and finds a new family in the slaves who love her.As a white servant, Lavinia is treated differently from the others by the plantation owners up at the Big House. She is allowed to be tutored alongside the master’s children, and when she comes of age she is sent to Philadelphia to live with the family ofher mistress’s sister. There, she learns the graceful art of becoming a lady. However, she remains homesick for the people she calls family, the slaves of the Tall Oaks plantation.After the plantation owner dies, his son Marshall takes over. By this time Lavinia has returned to Tall Oaks as Marshall’s new wife. She watches with horror as her cruel, alcoholic husband threatens to destroy the lives of those she loves, including her beloved Belle as well as Mama Mae, the woman Lavinia calls “Mama”.As a reader, I knew that I was in the hands of a deft storyteller by the seamless way the author wove in the details of early nineteenth century plantation life without interfering with the true story, that of Lavinia and her slave family.I found myself caring for almost all of the characters, even feeling sorry at times for hardened, drunken Marshall. Each time I picked up the book, I became absorbed to the point where I had difficulty setting it down to do other things. The author excels in character, plot, and pacing. Her writing style is clear and heartfelt, and it is obvious to me that she has done a great deal of research into the time period and the realities of slave living. As I mentioned before, the author Kathleen Grissom is a white Canadian, which makes her achievement all the more remarkable. However, if you believe as I do, that the task of caring writersis to bridge the great divide between those who differ from one another, then Kathleen Grissom has done her job.Although I enjoyed reading The Kitchen House, it did not quite have the impact I think the author intended or I expected.It covers a wide range of sensitive topics including domestic abuse, rape, mental illness, drug dependency and of course racism as evidenced in the slave trade. These issues provoke fierce debate and evoke even greater emotions. Unfortunately I did not feel the emotion I believe the author intended to evoke in her reader. Rather than tackling these issues directly, Grissom skirts around them, maintaining a distance. The heinous acts committed by various characters are only ever implied. Although I do not expect explicit descriptions, I feel that had the author been more descriptive, the emotional impact would have been much greater.For me author's writing lacked sophistication and as a result I did not connect with the characters or the story as I would have liked to. I do not mean this in a derogatory way but this book very much had the feel of a young adult book and I do think this would be very popular with the young adult audience.However I would not discourage others from reading it! It is an interesting premise and shines a light once again on the horrors of the slave trade.Set between the years of 1791 and 1810 The Kitchen House tells the story of Lavinia, a young white orphan who is intentured to a wealthy landowner in Virginia. It's the story of 'what ifs'. What if her parents hadn't died on the passage from Ireland to America. What if she and her brother Cardigan hadn't been separated. What if she'd known the truth... This novel weaves layers and layers of secrets, some which Lavinia is too young to understand and and some which she makes up her own truth for. This, ultimately, is her downfall.Lavinia is but one of a large cast of characters in this novel. She is naive, but likable, however not my favourite. Out of all of them Mama Mae is my favourite character. 'I work for Mrs. Pyke like I don't know what tired mean. Nothing' that I won't do. "Yes, Mrs. Pyke, you right, Mrs. Pyke," that all I say. You girls watch me close. I act like I don't have no mind of my own, except how to make every body in the big house happy. That because I mean to stay up there, and I tryin' hard to keep you girls with me.'I found this to be a real page-turner; I really couldn't wait to see how the story would unfold. It was exciting up until the very end.Having read a few books similar to this, and having a strong passion for American history, especially the brutal times of slavery, not since The Colour Purple has a novel left me as touched as this book. Through tears, laughter and heartbreak following their stories has been a hard task, at times a moment will leave you wanting to throw the book across the room in anger and others will have you clinging to it in hope. This is the type of story that will stay with you and though times are still tough for some, thankful that we do not live in a world where slavery is allowed and women are impotent.This has been on my Kindle for quite some time and I'm pleased to report it was worth the wait. The novel centres on the stories of Lavinia, a 7-year-old Irish orphan, and Belle, the woman who cares for her when she arrives on the tobacco plantation where Belle makes her home. Despite the story's context of slavery in the early 1800s, it appears that the segregation of whites and blacks was not a simple matter and it is this which makes this novel both absorbing and provocative. The author's note at the end provided an interesting insight into Grissom's inspiration for writing The Kitchen House - reading this is worth the couple of extra minutes.This was so completely different from my usual reading matter, but I was hooked from the first page. The story and characters had me reading into the early hours. Just one more chapter......! Didn't want the story to end. It would make great movie material. Highly recommended.
