The Kitchen House

I recently read The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom.  It had been on my to-read list for quite a while, and I finally got to reading it.  When I posted on Instagram a lot of people said it's a book that stays with you, and I totally agree.

Set in the south when slavery still existed, we meet Lavinia, an orphan from Ireland who becomes and indentured servant on a plantation amongst slaves.  She finds family within the community of slaves, but is also tied to the "white world" by the color of her skin.  We also meet Belle, whose mom was a slave and fell in love with the plantation owner, and actually was living in the "big house" with him and their daughter Belle.  She suddenly dies, the plantation owner meets another woman, and Belle is removed from the big house to live amongst the slaves.

This story is gripping and twisted in many ways, and shows the evils of slavery and an awful side of plantation families and owners.  This isn't always a pleasant read, but it's very powerful.  I would definitely recommend adding it to your to-read list today!