SAXTON B. LITTLE FREE LIBRARY
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Saxton Reads! & Reviews

We invite the public to post reviews to our catalog by logging into our online catalog. Reviews will then be posted to this blog. Comments can be added to existing posts or may be added as separate reviews on our catalog
SEPTEMBER 15, 2011
The Kitchen House ~ Kathleen Grissom
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comments by CarolK

The need for a book for our September book group meeting when we couldn't get enough titles of our first selection prompted me to suggest The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom. It had been on my list for awhile. I think the original appeal to me was that it told the story of an indentured white girl working in the kitchen house with slaves on a plantation, a different point of view than usually expressed. Most of the stories I've read in that take place in this time period (late 1700's, early 1800's) usually tell the story from the viewpoint of the negro slaves. Also, it was a debut (I always hone in on these) and it seemed an a good choice as we had read The Help by Stockett last year.

Grissom caught my attention right away with a great opening scene. I'll not spoil this for you, but it haunted me throughout the story and is one I will remember. It's hard to tell just enough here to pique your interest without revealing too much of the plot. Lavinia, the young white girl who ends up in the care of the plantation slaves in the kitchen house, arrives there due to the death of her parents in a crossing by ship from Ireland. Her brother is sold, but Lavinia is too young  and ill for the Captain (owner of the plantation) to abandon. Best he can do is bring her home to work for him.

Dumped on their doorstep, the negro slaves have no choice but to take Lavinia in and do so reluctantly. What to do with this white child? The story is told in alternating chapters and voice of the young Lavinia, and Belle, a favored slave of the master. As you can imagine, there are many story-lines going on, an interesting, large cast of characters, hard to keep track of at first, lots of loose ends, many twists in the plot and so much tragedy that you want to say, enough.

It does make a great book discussion book as there are many themes to explore and debate; family, loyalty, love, race.  Though our group felt it did go a bit over the top we all kept turning the pages, none of us able to put it down. Myself, I liked it very much. Our group wondered if there would be a sequel. I hope not as I have my own ideas where the lives of all the characters go. 


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