Engaging pre-civil war piece. The author keeps the reader intrigued by alternating the voice between two main characters (one a black slave and the other a white indentured servant). Themes of slavery, social status, survival, mental illness and family are explored.

This book is truly amazing, I could not put it down, and still every day think about the characters. History comes to life in this story of friendship, family and hardship. The betrayal is inexplicable and yet is a part of America's history. I loved this novel and would recomend for anyone or any book club to make it their next selection.

Excellent read. Very informative. Characters were interesting and kept you reading to find out what happens to them next.

Full of characters who, even with their terribly hard lives, are so kind and caring to others. I really cared about them and found this book hard to put down.

I enjoyed the author's writing style and appreciated the amount of research needed to write this work of fiction. Our club enjoyed good discussion using the author's book club questions.

Great storyline. Easy to get into the characters

Very seldom do I find a book that leaves me wanting more. The characters drew me in and I found myself thinking of them throughout the day. "The Kitchen House" enticed me throughout its entire story, it was never tedious or boring. I want to start it over and read it again!

This first novel could have used less plot and better writing. The reader is propelled from one tragic episode to another, and characters are cardboard cutouts whose actions are often inexplicable. The novel's minimal dialogue contributes little and Lavinia's voice is inauthentic. Events lack a historical or geographical context (naming a city is not a context, my dears) and details to flesh out the plot are missing. The tired old soil of the antebellum South has been tilled many times before, often better. It would seem the author rushed to tell the story and get it published. It does succeed in engaging the reader but otherwise is not worth your time. A better book club selection would be Gone With the Wind. I hope Grissom will step off the publishing merry-go-round and write a good book.

Kitchen House is a tale of life in the antebellum south amd the relationships between the people on the plantation - owners and slaves! A wonderful story!

I enjoyed this book very much. I thought it told the story of how connected slave families were. It was very enjoyable and once you start you don't want to put it down. The old south was definitely NOT a place I would want to be, whether you were white or black. Recommend it easily.

Very informative as to what life was like during slavery. I couldn't put it down because I wanted to see what was happening next.

a difficult read emotionally....we had a wonderful book club discussion...but emotionally draining to go through all of what occurs in the book...

A different look at anetebellum times. Many relationships and plot lines examined.

Great Book! Hard to put down. Our entire bookclub really liked this book.

Everyone in our book club LOVED this book. We hated for it to end... Lots of great discussion topics and emotions to talk about. How isolating and rigid for everyone!

Our book club loved it and felt it was one of our best reads. The characters really came to life in our discussion. An amazing first novel for the author. Her next book will be CROW MARY and our group looks forward to reading it. We also hope she writes a sequel to The Kitchen House. We would love to see what happened to some of the characters who escaped slavery and were freed of their indentured servitude.

I loved this book, I couldn't put it down!

An Antibellum story from the slaves' point of view. It was told as a narration from two characters---one white enslaved girl and one half white half slave. The story flowed and was so engaging I found it hard to put down and was sorry to finish.

Wonderful book! I couldn't put it down. My only thought is that the end/final chapter seemed so abrupt. The author went into so much detail through the whole story, but there was very little of that in the last chapter. It was a great book, but I felt a little 'jipped' by the ending. I wanted to read more about these characters and what happened to them.

Great book. Story line kept me interested and wanting to know how the plot would eventually turn out. Underlying theme was "denial". Very original theme sense the author managed to include every form of a possible human want into something that was denied to them. Enjoyed the plantation setting and the 18th century time and way of life.

Wonderful!

our entire book group enjoyed the book!

This book was so well written. It was told from the point of view of children and the author portrays that through her writing style and as the children grow up so does the writing. Lavinia although introverted is such a strong character.
All that happens in the book is believable and because of that heart wrenching.

Loved this book-wished there was a bit more detail at the end but couldn't put it down.

Absolutely loved this book. Right from page 1 it had me. Would recommend this book for other book clubs. You won't be disappointed.

This book was hard to put down - I stayed up late into the night to finish chapters.

Someone needs to make a movie out of this book.

It was a good book, there were a few holes in the story and I wanted to create my own ending. over all, It was very hard to put down and I really enjoyed it!

This was a book club choice and I liked the beginning, the characters were interesting given their social standing. I did not like the ending. I was unconvinced. The plot lines of the two main characters took them places that I didn't think followed a logical path. Instead of unexpected twists and turns it felt unnatural, as if the author wanted tension, but for me never achieved it.

Enjoyed the book until the end, then felt as if i'd been dropped like a hot potato. The author took so much time to lead you up to the end, I wish she'd given us a little more information, although maybe she is saving it for a sequel. The historical aspect of the book was great, as were the characters and the story line. Over all it was great, and i think a good choice for a book club, know i'll be recommending it to my club.

Could not put this book down! Great story and never a dull moment!

My book club had this as one of our reads and we all really liked it and had a great discussion about the era that it was written in, The characters in the book were great for discussion.

It gave us lots to talk about!

The book was interesting with details of how plantations, etc were run back in that time. The character Lavania truly tried to make the best out of her dismal situation.

I truly enjoyed this book. I loved the way the author used two viewpoints to tell the story. The story moved along well and I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. I felt fulfilled when I finished the book.

Once I started reading this book I couldn't put it down. Our book club of 8 people all agreed that it was a really good book. Very well written. Sad at times but a story beautifully told by the author.

This was one of those books that I could not put down but I never wanted it to end. This is the author's first novel and she is a superb writer. She develops the characters so well that they become part of your life while you are reading the book. Our entire book club loved this book and were amazed that the Irish were treated so poorly in the US. I highly recommend this book.

We felt it was as good or better than The Help. Was hard to put down.

Another good read! Characters were believable and the storyline flowed. Well done!

I tend to gravitate toward books with powerful lead characters and this book just did not have that. She was very passive and resigned to her situation. She was handed a crappy deck and at points she tried to make the best of it, but many other times it was Lavinia pitty party. She was very naive and sometimes that clouded her ability to put herself out there to get what she wanted. None of the characters were particularly likeable (except Mama Mae) and I had a difficult time figuring out if I was even SUPPOSED to like certain people. As I said, good book, just not my cup of tea.

I actually enjoyed this book even though most of it was quite sad. The characters were great and the transition in story-telling between the 2 main characters made the story rich and interesting.

This was an interesting book that was a little slow to get through. I would recommend it to other book clubs as there are social issues that can be discussed at length.

Could not put down. Really good book although it was sad. We had plenty to discuss at our meeting.

Interesting twist as a white girl is raised among black slaves and then brought into the "white" world. Good character development - even though there are a couple of very evil people. My only complaint with the story was the complete isolation of the main family - to be more realistic is seems that some non-family members would have been around occasionally. I most enjoyed how the strength in relationships comes through as love binds people together for a lifetime.

When I first heard the setting, I was skeptical. I'm so glad my group selected this book. I recommend to all.

This is a great read. Unlike Gone With the Wind, it tells the story from the slaves and servants points of view. The characters are all believable because the author does a great job setting up their individual backgrounds.

Starts as a real page turner; fascinating look at a troubling time in American history from a new perspective. Middle and end not quite as strong but still absorbing and worth the read

It was very informative on how indenture servants and slaves were forced to live. One must not compare it to the Help. It has it own stories to tell.

The book started off a little slow and then picked up and I couldn't put the book down. The topic of an endured servant living with slaves was different than anything else I have read. Overall the book was depressing and I felt there could have been some good somewhere in the story. I kept waiting only to be disappointed. I felt the author fell flat at the end of the story. She wrote it fast paced but then finished the story in one paragraph. Our book club liked it but wished there was something more at the end. Some light to give the girl Lavinia. Aside from that, I did enjoy it as well as the club. We would recommend it and it did lead to many conversations about that time period and the characters.

Addictive from the first page, when I read about it in the internet I knew I will like it because I like history. This book was everything but history, although written beautifully and the history facts were all present. The book was more of abuse of power, race and sex. Every day I wish my ride home was longer to be able to read more and the last chapter I did not put the book down until I was done which was early in the morning the next day. I did no realized I had been reading all night.

A real page-turner. Great character development. Gave our book club plenty to talk about!

Very interesting book about slavery in Virginia. Excellent character study. I enjoyed reading from the perspective of two different women.

Have you ever read a book where you were so dreading the end? A book that brought you such joy and pleasure that you forced yourself to ignore the fact that, at some point, it would be over? This is the book! Amazing, endearing, shocking, heart-warming, inspiring...

Our book club unanimously loved this book! We found it to be well- written, excellent character development, wonderful story. Book is historical novel set in Virginia in early 1800s and poignantly educates the reader with the dreadful plight of slaves both black and white, and the class struggles of this era. Exceptional book to explore the terrible conditions for women in America and their problems as the property of their husbands and/or masters. Fantastic story about family and family loyalty. Excellent first novel...eager for Grissom's next book.

I liked, not loved, the book. Other members of our book club loved the book, however. I felt it was slightly depressing and hard to get into. I did find the second half fairly interesting and became anxious to continue to the end.

An interesting read for me, but not my favorite book. It had a good story line, but hard to follow sometimes. Definitely a darker book to read with slaves being beaten and raped.

Gosh, I liked this book. So much different from others I've read and a great historical fiction novel that led to some really terrific discussion.

This book was a great read and I enjoyed it.

The percieved differences between an indentured servant and a forever-slave are focussed in this treatment of difficult time period in American history.

well written from two perspecives. very rich characters.

The book detailed slave life in America but also touched on the life of white indentured servants. Much of the story line revolves around the mores of the time and those things which were happening but never discussed. It brought home the isolation that both blacks and whites felt living on plantations. There were many supporting characters to remember so at times I would have to write out a list to keep them all straight. Interesting to me as I'd never read a book that detailed both slavery and indenture.

Beautifully written. Wonderful character development.

This book was so fascinating! I couldn't put it down. Loved the way the author told the story through two of the characters. The scenes are very 'Gone with the wind' feeling-very large and dramatic and real. I would highly recommend it and hope they make it into a movie.

Great story depicting slave life!

This was a very informative book of life on a Virginia Plantation early 1800's. A slave family and their owner's family and how they all live together through the years.

This book was insightful and thought provoking. You feel in love with the characters! If you like works on slavery times, this is one to add to your collection.

This book was great! The characters were very well described and I easily could imagine each of their individual feelings and perspective. It's not all roses, but the story line is very beleiveable and because of that, is heartrenching at times and joyous at others. Highly recommend.

A sad reminder of black/white relations pre-Civil War. Very well written, hard to put down.

Great book on this time period. Great detail and story line.

I liked this book and learned a lot about an early version of slavery in the US. Very interesting, but I do admit making a "family tree" at the beginning of the book to keep the characters straight. It was eye-opening to realize that the master had many
"relatives" in both the Big House and in the Quarters.

This well-written, captivating novel is not only a good story with interesting characters, but also a look at a piece of history and how it affected people of different backgrounds, social levels and race.

Well written book about a unique aspect of slavery. The book was a quick read and I was anxious to see what would happen next. There were many twists and turns that add depth to the story.

These characters come to life in this interesting historical novel set in the American South prior to the Civil War.

Our group really liked this book. We highly recommend this to other groups. The questions in the back of the book were great.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it was interesting to learn about the history. The only issue is that a few of the scenes could be too graphic for some readers.

Compulsively readable.

The Kitchen House depicted a very sad, but true time in history. Slavery was portrayed as happy and sad. They found happiness amongst family and friends, despite the many difficult situations they faced. The author's did a great job of having two narrators tell the story. It is a must read for all!

Captures a dark period of American history. Very well written.

It is so sad to read the horrible things that happened to the people that lived there.

the slave era version of the Help!

maybe not as funny and quick to read but a good read.

A wonderful read!

Similar to Uncle Tom's Cabin, Gone with the Wind, and other works about slavery and the number of characters and themes. Powerful ending keeps readers enthralled. Realistic insight into the institution of slaver relates to today's injustices.

I loved this book - the characters were all so richly drawn that I felt as if I truly knew them.

I found this book to be stereotypical and a ltitle too tragic.

I hate to resort to using words like formulaic and contrived, but this book fits (at least it did for me). The author seemed to include every Southern slave-era stereotype possible in a very dark and depressing read that provided little entertainment or insight into this bygone era.

A must read

Made for quite a discussion at our BK meeting!

It was an easy read, kept your attention and stayed on point

It captured my interest in the first few pages. Great read. Excellent for discussion within book groups. Loved it!

Loved the book. Different look at the time before the Civil War.

Slavery from a unique perspective.

A thoroughly engrossing, although tragic, story set in the South on a plantation. Orphaned young white girl is brought to plantation by the owner and made to work and live with a slave family. Very complex characters & relationships. Twists & turns to the story. Deeply moving.

This was an absolutley wonderful book. I really enjoyed how the author made the story line a turned around from your typical plantation type book and that the main help character was white raised by a colored family. Beautifully written

This story was related in such a spellbinding fashion it was impossible to set it aside. The last half of the book kept me awake til dawn because i had to know the outcome. The characters were so well developed I cried when each met their fate by illness or treachery. All the issues of the era, slavery, discrimination, women being treated as chattel the heroine Lavinia had to be stoic thru it all. Learning that her brother died shortly after being separated from her, betrothed to a man nicknamed \"mr. Boring\" ending up married to a man tortured by his own demons who took out his evil on her. This author is to be commended for making it feel contemporary.

Mixed emotions came from our book club when we met to discuss Kitchen House. We all agreed however that this novel was a must read. It was entertaining and kept everyone\\\'s attention. Specific words that were used to describe this novel were: melodramatic, predictable, unfortunate, familiar, abrupt, realistic and sorrowful.

Bookaholics discussed in length the relationships between Lavinia and Miss Martha, Lavinia and Marshall as well as all of the other intertwined relationships. As it was most likely the author\\\'s intent, everyone wanted to hate Marshal and wanted to make Lavinia come to her senses and stop being so naive to life.

A great decription posted on goodreads by one of our members was the following \\\"heartfelt, emotional, suspenseful. a true realistic adaptation of what really happened during slavery times.\\\"

The Kitchen House is a must read for book clubs and for those who just want to have a realistic view on what might have actually happened.

I absolutely loved this book...couldn't put it down.

You will fall in love with the characters and share their joy, sadness, triumphs, and defeats...you will want to be right there with the ladies in the kitchen house preparing meals and being loved by them.

The book is during the time of plantation owners and slavery. On his boat trip back from Ireland, James Pyke brought Lavinia with him...she is a seven-year-old white child whose parents died on the boat during the return trip.

Lavinia is sent to work in the Kitchen House, and the black families learn to love her and she learns to love them as the only family she knows...her memory is gone when she arrives and remembers nothing about her parents and her childhood.

Lavinia works alongside the ladies in the Kitchen House and then learns to take care of the Mistress of house's new born baby...the Mistress begins to teach Lavinia how to read and write. Lavinia is the main character along with Belle, Mama Mae and Papa George and of course the harsh plantation owners

The book takes you through the loyalties the black families have for each other and their Master and his family. It also makes your heart ache at the truths of what really occurred on the plantations concerning the relationship between the slaves and the plantation owners.

A lot of tragedies throughout the story, a terrific account of occurrences, excellent depictions of the surroundings and people.

Through the author's wonderful descriptions, you feel you are right there......the novel is fabulously written.

If you loved THE HELP, you will love this book as well or you may like it even more.

ENJOY!!!! It is wonderful.

I received this book from the publisher free of charge and without compensation in return for an honest review.

THE AUTHOR WAS SUCCESSFUL AT INTERTWINING MANY SMALL STORIES INTO ONE BIG STORY. PLANTATION LIFE DRAMA. LOVED THE NARRATIVE BETWEEN BELLE AND LAVANIA. YOU WILL WANT MORE

Fast moving on multiple levels. . .distrubing and important subject matter

Imagine a world polluted by sin and its inhabitants trapped by that sin. That is the idea behind this book. The reader learns how the human spirit handles and yet in some cases even surpasses the evil that is all around them. Amazing book about the resislance of the human spirit.

One of those books that you can't put down and didn't want it to end.

As I read this book I was reminded of the Victorian novels I read as a young girl, in which the heroine always faced the most awful circumstances but was rescued by a hero at various turns in her life, each one with a secret that tormented him or her and caused the story to twist and turn until it resolved itself in some way, at the end, with consequences that could not be avoided or altered.

This book is a saga, well worth the read. I listened to an audio version and the reader did a spectacular job speaking in many voices and never confusing any of the characters. Her expression was spot-on. It was almost like watching a show playing out in my mind.

The well developed characters are gentler and wiser than those far more educated and worldly, and they will endear themselves to you. Those that do not are typical of the cruel monsters we often encounter in life and ascribe their tormented souls to their environment or their experience, but whatever the reason, they are the dregs of the universe.

The opening horror-filled scene is quickly moved into the background as the story begins on a beautiful plantation in the 1700's, a time when slavery was accepted and people were property.

A young child, Lavinia, is brought home to a plantation by the master of the property, the Captain, and she is placed in the Kitchen House to work alongside the slaves, although she is Caucasian. Her brother has been sold, her parents are dead, and she is alone in the world.

Blacks who are enslaved and without free papers are doomed to a life of unbearable bondage, poor housing, insufficient food, overwork and constant fear of being beaten, used or sold and separated from those they loved. In spite of their hardships, they forge a community and care for each other, taking pleasure in life’s simple joys. They embrace Lavinia, regardless of her color, and nurse her back to health.

This is Lavinia's story. She grows up "colorblind" and is not aware of her different station in life or of the fact that she will be free some day, and she loves her home and her family, Mama Mae, Papa George, Uncle Jacob, Belle, the twins, and all the family that surrounds her. She wants to remain with them forever. Her days are work filled and pleasant, once she grows used to her surroundings and responsibilities. She thrives and is actually happy, working and enjoying the friendship of other children her age. As young as she is, she cares for those younger and learns to love.

This is the story of her plight, which although in sharp contrast with the plight of slaves, is almost as dreadful, even though it will only be for a finite term of which she is unaware. They are all owned. It is the story of her innocence, her ignorance and naïveté which leads to dramatic events, some happy and some tragic.

The secrets and mysteries of life on the plantation move the tale in numerous twists and turns. Knowing the truth would have made circumstances turn out in a happier fashion, but these were times when many things were not discussed openly, and women had limited power and freedom. Women belonged to their husbands as much as slaves belonged to their masters, albeit they lived in better circumstances.

The author has done a commendable job capturing the idea of what it meant to be a "slave" and a "master" from both perspectives, as well as how enslaved a wife was, even though she was "free". The author has captured the mood of the times, the hardships, total helplessness and hopelessness and the need for utter obedience and humility in order to survive the most distasteful circumstances and in order to put up with the most cruel and despicable people. The lives of slaves were incidental, unimportant to the masters, simply property. There was no justice, no recourse and utterly no regard for their needs or their humanity. They were unable to fight back and had to witness and bear the most awful punishments and deprivations, sometimes just at the whim of the master.

Through Lavinia's eyes, we experience the life of a slave and a free woman in the same body. The lesson we learn from Lavinia is that one's color does not make a difference. Like "The Boy In The Striped Pajamas", when stripped to our souls we are the same, only some of us are cruel and some of us are kind and it is not our color or religion that determines that, but the sickness in one's mind.(less)

I loved this book. The character development was wonderful and the story kept you hooked. I read late into the night.

If your group read The Help, this is even better. So many discussable topics and heartbreaking story of slavery in 1800's.

Highly dramatic & historical. Great discussion book both of slavery, but of heroes and life changing events. Looking for the movie & follow-up book coming soon!

It was easy to become involved with the characters. the author was historically correct and the book written beautifully. It will open your eyes to a world that is thankfully in the past.

I found this book hauntingly beautiful. Many parts were hard to read because how the characters treated each other, but I could not put this book down. You will need tissues.

I loved this book. Although, I was screaming at Lavinia the whole time!! I think it is a very good read for book clubs!

This book was beautifully written with never ending drama and explicitly portrayed characters with whom I felt as though I knew by the end of the book. Very hard to put it down.

Once you get through the character development, it was fantastic

One of the things our book enjoyed about THE KITCHEN HOUSE is the glimpse it gave into people's lives during that time. Grissom also takes care in describing the home life of the slaves and white family on the plantation. The lives of the slaves center around their roles in the kitchen house and the “big house”.

The secrets that so many of the characters harbor and which change and destroy lives and lead to the eventual catastrophic climax are to our club the central theme of the story.

The Kitchen House gave a vivid description of how two different men, raised very differently treated slaves. The females each had their own way of dealing with personal crisis and each learned from each other, even though their situations were very different. Very well written, although at times, we would have liked more information about certain characters, that the author said in an interview, she purposely did not give us.

Excellent read; hard to put down. Very well defined characters. Is on the darker side of life.

The book can be quite frustrating at time and the characters are not very memorable either. The members of our club had trouble recalling the events of the book which made it difficult to discuss. We didn't think it makes a good book club book, even if the cover of the book says otherwise. Rate 3.5

Great plot, great characters...hard story to read some times but with hope in a better future...

I was very sad when it was done. I could have kept going for much longer

Amazing book from beginning to end.
Waiting for book two:-)

Thought provoking look into lives and times of lives owned by others. Although this was a novel it was based on many actual events. Our club was fortunate to chat with the author and learn about some of her experiences.

I liked this book. At times I had to put it down as it was hard to read how the slaves were treated at times. Also, toward the end I felt myself wanting something to happen because you knew it was coming. But all in all it was good.

I found this book fascinating... the setting, the relationships,the era, for me it was a book I did not want to put down. i found the characters very endearing. It was a GOOD read!

A very good book with several interesting characters to follow. This book led to a great deal of discussion among our group.

After trying to read four previous books that I could not get in to, I was so excited to have a book in my hand that I could not put down. "The Kitchen House" was inspiring, dramatic, addictive. I felt like I was there with this family ~ experiencing all that was going on in their lives from the safety of my own home. It was sad, it was happy, it was hopeful, it was dire....the book caused me to stay up at night, not wanting to put it down. In the end, loyalty amongst the servants/slaves was the best quality of this book.

Everyone in our club enjoyed reading it, and all said they would read other works by Kathleen Grissom.

In an interesting twist on the pre-Civil War story of slavery, Grissom presents us with an Irish child orphaned on the ocean crossing and delivered into the life of an indentured servant. Because Lavinia is only 6 years old as the tale begins, she is handed over to the “house slaves” to raise by the master of the house. Belle, who ultimately becomes Lavinia’s “mother/sister,” is the master’s illegitimate daughter and receives many privileges because of this relationship. Promised her freedom by the master, Belle unhappily comes under the eye of the master’s son who is unduly influenced by the evil overseer.
Grissom has written an engrossing tale of life of “house slave, “field slave” and bullied and frightened wife. The characters are clearly written, the scenes are believable, the secrets are many. The plot will grab your interest from the first page and keep you reading to the final page. Grissom has a clear vision of plantation life, family relationships, and the fear engendered by powerlessness. The tempo of the story gains momentum as the characters reveal their lies, secrets, loves, hopes and fears as Lavinia grows from child to adult.
5 of 5 stars

I loved this book, it is very well written and keeps you engaged all the way to the end.

Great plot idea of exploring indentured service to slavery issues and characters. However missed opportunity on the indentured servant side. Disappointing

This book is layered with characters and a compelling storyline. Good character development. Everyone in our club enjoyed it.

It was not my favorite book. For the most part, I felt it was well written, but, the main character seemed self-centered and repeatedly did things that, in her daily life, knew would ccause harm to others. I also felt the ending was rushed.

Great book !

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast moving and full of surprises, and kept you turning the pages. It was an unbelievable story of a young, white indentured servant and the slaves she lived and worked with. The way in which it was written allowed you to see the perspective from both sides. The story takes place at a plantation in the south named Tall Oaks. You will be absorbed by this surprising tale full of colorful characters.

I didn\'t really enjoy the book. Our book club has 6 members - 3 really liked and 3, not so much. It took me a full 2 weeks to read the book, which is unusual for me. I just couldn\'t get into the story. There seemed to be nothing but tragedy in the story, and while that may have been how life was back then, it started to get predictable and I was waiting for what horrible thing would happen next. While I didn\'t really enjoy the book, it did make for good discussion.

This is hands down our club's favorite! We have a very diverse group and everyone agreed this is a must read.

The characters were mostly one dimensional. And not set in a place that could come alive in your imagination.
Characters did not sound like they inhabited their period in history.

Loved the unfolding of this book - charismatic, thought provoking and the writing flowed nicely!

Enjoyed the book very much

Informative historical novel covering the emotions of slavery and half-breeds in the South. Fast moving and told from the perspective of two different women.

Great book for book clubs. Interesting inside look at the old south with slavery and indentured servants. One of our ladies found that her library had a book club bag for this book with 10 copies in it and a folder with discussion questions and other information. Ask your library if they do this for any titles.

Seems much like a book I have read previously.

A 7 year old Irish girl, who parents have died on the passage over, is taken as an indentured servant by the captain. She is put with the Big House slaves to be raised and taken care of. This of course leads her to believe it is the slaves who are her family and not those who live in the big house. How does this later affect her life beliefs and choices is what the rest of the book is about. This is the author's first book and she does a good job of making the historic period come alive. You won't want to put the book down until you find out how it ends.

Our book club, The Bookies, had a wonderful time discussing this last night. We all enjoyed the book and came away feeling a connection to the characters.

I absolutely loved this book...couldn't put it down.

You will fall in love with the characters and share their joy, sadness, triumphs, and defeats...you will want to be right there with the ladies in the kitchen house preparing meals and being loved by them.

The book is during the time of plantation owners and slavery. On his boat trip back from Ireland, James Pyke brought Lavinia with him...she is a seven-year-old white child whose parents died on the boat during the return trip.

Lavinia is sent to work in the Kitchen House, and the black families learn to love her and she learns to love them as the only family she knows...her memory is gone when she arrives and remembers nothing about her parents and her childhood.

Lavinia works alongside the ladies in the Kitchen House and then learns to take care of the Mistress of house's new born baby...the Mistress begins to teach Lavinia how to read and write. Lavinia is the main character along with Belle, Mama Mae and Papa George and of course the harsh plantation owners

The book takes you through the loyalties the black families have for each other and their Master and his family. It also makes your heart ache at the truths of what really occurred on the plantations concerning the relationship between the slaves and the plantation owners.

A lot of tragedies throughout the story, a terrific account of occurrences, excellent depictions of the surroundings and people.

Through the author's wonderful descriptions, you feel you are right there......the novel is fabulously written.

If you loved THE HELP, you will love this book as well or you may like it even more.

ENJOY!!!! It is wonderful.

There are few books that make it to my \"keep it\" shelf. This one is one of the few that has a place there. I was captivated from the first page. The characters were so well developed and the mix of historical fact and fiction made this book a page turner from beginning to end. I loved it! My copy is well worn from the passing on to friends who have loved it too. A must read!

This book is good for book clubs because of the rich plot. Many characters with their own drama. We were able to discuss quite a bit and the story initiated some deeper topics.

I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. It was well written and I felt anxious for these characters at times. I enjoyed the twists & turns the story took and liked being surprised by some of them. Books about this horrible subject are usually hard to read but the author did a fine job of leaving some things to your imagination and bringing some issues to light. A great book to read for book club

It was the liveliest book club discussion we have had!
So many characters to talk about and their affect they
had on each other. Great read!!

Excellent read!

Loved this book and intense read

The overall consensus of the book club about the book was that is was enjoyed by all. There were few changes that some of the members voiced their opinion, one being that one of the main characters was too naive, she married a very flawed character, knowing that he had been abused by some of the people he was entrusted to and she thinking that she had no other choice, but she did. For that reason we could not give the book a higher star rating but the book enabled us to have a very lively discussion.

This is my favorite book by far out of all the books I have ever read. It captures the readers attention from the first chapter and doesn\\\\\\\'t let you go. Hollywood needs to make a movie out of this book!!

I enjoyed the book. It is always difficult to imagine the horrific life of being a slave.

I literally could not put the book down until I finished.

Every member thought this book was riveting. It is also an important book which looks at slavery from several viewpoints. Character development was excellent.

I could not put this book down. Told from two perspectives of life on a tobacco plantation in the late 1700s. Excellent first book. Excited that she wrote a sequel.

We liked the way the story was told from 2 very different perspectives. A couple members found it hard to keep the many characters straight in the first part of the book.

This book was really good and I couldn't put it down. I liked the way it was told from the two perspectives of Belle and Lavinia, one a bi-racial slave and the other an indentured servant of Irish descent. There were some very sad parts but there was also hope that things would get better. I will read more by this author.

Trite and shallow.

Our Book Club really enjoyed this story and the colorful characters. Brings you back in time to a life we're not accustomed to.

This title was informative if you are not familiar with slavery, indentured servitude, and plantation life in the late 1700s. A young Irish orphan is brought to a tobacco plantation to work in the kitchen with the slaves. She becomes a member of their family, while grappling with the scattered memories of her past. This is a book that will grab you at first, and you will find you can't wait to find out what happens next. About mid-way through, you will find it becomes a bit predictable. This is not a feel-good novel, but the familial relationships are warm and sincere.

We had so much to discuss, from the characters to the historical setting, to the writing style.

I loved this book. The characters came to life for me and I find myself thinking about them even though I have finished the book. It was informative and truly made me feel blessed to live now and not then.
Women were not treated well by many men who treated them as second class citizens and treated their slaves even worse. I know their were good men but many were overbearing and controlling. I feel like I got a front row seat to this.

Very well written!

Loved from the first page on.

Well written and interesting characters, heartfelt pain.

We rated this an A.