At age 7, little Lavinia remembers only two things from her previous life when she arrives at the plantation: a bumpy ocean voyage and losing her family. Orphaned on a ship bound to America from Europe, Lavinia has been sold as “help” to a wealthy land owner. As the only white child thrust into antebellum slave quarters, Lavinia is isolated by more than just the color of her skin. Scrawny, sick and mute, Lavinia is treated as just another chore when she arrives at the kitchen house. Although she initially fits into neither the world of the white landowners nor the slaves, Lavinia soon bonds closely with her adopted black family despite social and cultural barriers.
The Kitchen House follows the life of Lavinia as she comes of age during the pre-Civil War era. The story is told from the perspectives of Lavinia and Belle, the illegitimate half-white daughter of the plantation owner, Captain Pyke. Both voices illuminate the challenges that were so common during this period in American history, from infant mortality and starvation to plagues.
Despite being white, Lavinia grows up feeling like a part of the black slave community until age 17, when she marries Captain Pyke’s alcoholic son, Marshall. Tensions that had simmered for years finally rise to the surface, as old crimes and bitter feuds culminate in rape, arson and lynching. Lavinia, who once felt as if she were a member of the kitchen house, now finds that her race and social standing have made her an outcast in her own home.
Grissom is unflinching in her portrayal of the Deep South in the early 19th century. Her writing is proof of the tremendous research Grissom did to ensure that historical references were accurate. Where Grissom sometimes falls short is in the story line; the lives of everyone from Captain and Mrs. Pyke to the lowliest slave are fraught with peril. As each chapter ends, one tragedy after another befalls the characters, making the story almost too sad to be believable. Despite that, The Kitchen House is an engrossing summertime read, with memorable characters and a satisfying and hopeful ending.
Michelle Palmer is Read To Succeed’s One Book Committee Co-Chair and author of the book blog, Turn of the Page (michellepalmersbooks.blogspot.com).
