Book Reviews

The kitchen House

Reviewed by- linda (2010/06/16, 05:37 PM)

The Kitchen House is an absorbing story of slavery and life on a big plantation. The story is narrated in alternating chapters by two distinct characters; Belle, a black slave and Lavinia a white indentured servant, whose perspectives on situations are as different as they are. Although they share the same chores, living conditions and indebtednesses to their master, they are worlds apart where emotions or life choices are concerned. Grissom does an excellent job of giving the book an authentic feel for this time period and positively excels at making her characters, the circumstances they encounter and the story line real and believable. Further to the author’s credit, she presents balanced views of the slaves and plantation owners actions without passing moral judgment. A few things bothered me however. The book starts strong and grabs you, then a hundred pages or so in, loses momentum, but fortunately picks up again. I also prefer strong female characters that fight to the bitter end rather than fade and weaken like Lavinia. Overall a very enjoyable read that would have appeal to anyone who likes a well written book with an interesting story line about love and the impenetrable bonds of the people we choose to be family. Good book club selection.Back.