The Kitchen House

by Kathleen Grissom
Scott County Library paperback 365 pages
genre: historical fiction, slavery
published: 2010

Wow! This is another book I got for my sister for her book club. I'm curious and love books, so I read it. Absolutely intense and wonderfully written. I'm going to get Grissom's Glory Over Everything after I've read some of the other books I already have.

Lavinia is a white Irish girl who is purchased as an indentured servant by slaveholder Captain. She was orphaned on the Atlantic crossing and separated from her brother Cardigan (I kept picturing a sweater) upon landing in America. Traumatized, she initially doesn't talk or eat until Mama, one of the slaves, coaxes her to engage. The story follows the lives of Lavinia, the "Big House" family, the slaves, and others through several twists and turns over the following decades. This is an incredible book, so I don't want to include any spoilers. I'll just make note of some of my reactions. (If you want a "pure" reading experience, stop here. Because there ARE some spoilers.)

Page 148 - "Will Stephens had been raised to go to church, and every Sunday he hitched up a wagon inviting as many to ride as could, while others walked the hour's distance. I was beyond envy the first Sunday when I discovered that Beattie and Fanny, accompanied by Ben and Lucy, had been given permission to go with the group from the quarters."

I think I put a post-it here because it was such a bright spot - Lavinia wanting to go to church, Will being kind, the slaves having a different option in their harsh lives. But when Lavinia does get to go, she doesn't understand why she rides next to Will, sits on the bench in church instead of standing in back with her friends, etc. Even in a Christian environment, the slaves were treated as lesser human beings. Humanity can be so awful.

Page 232 - "You must know I care for you. I want you to come with me, Lavinia. I want to marry you."

Ugh! No! First of all, I don't believe that Marshall would ever ask Lavinia to marry him. He's too arrogant and awful to want her - an Irish girl with no family, money, and as a former indentured servant. I just don't believe that. And HOW could she say yes?! She is fond of him, but also knows how he can be . . .

Page 278 - "Mama came back to sit in the chair beside me. She blew her nose before she took my hand. 'There times all we can do is pray to the Lawd,' she said. 'We say, "Lawd, we don't know, but we sure do need some help."'"

Other than the quotation marks getting out of hand in that . . . I loved Mama as a character. I loved her constancy, her calm, her wisdom, her love, her faith. She was a fantastic, amazing woman. (This scene was after Lavinia realized that Marshall was raping and beating Beattie.)

Page 329 - "'Thank you, Papa,' I said. That day, with Papa's words of forgiveness, my obsession for the drug began to recede."

Her use of laudanum as an escape from the horrors of marriage to Marshall and her cluelessness about the impact of her choices on the slaves were a boil that needed to be lanced. I love that forgiveness were such a key part of her willingness to change. I love that Papa George had told her, "We know you do the best you can when it come to Sukey. Now we askin' the Lawd to make you strong again. We here all needin' that.'"

Page 334 - "When Jamie don't come, I think, I got to get over there before Will gets back. I got it in my head that just maybe, if I talk to Marshall, he'll see my way. I'll show Marshall my papers, maybe even tell him the cap'n's my daddy."

THIS! I was picturing the very opening scene where a woman with a green headscarf was hanging, and I was shouting at the book, "No, Belle! Don't go! Marshall will not listen to you! He raped you even though you're his half-sister. He's a drunkard and an awful man! Don't go!" This also made me think (again) - WHY did Marshall's parents allow him to hang out with the overseer Rankin. He was such an evil man. WHY did they allow the tutor to abuse him? That was sick.

Page 353 - "I go to leave, but I hear Mama talking to herself. 'My head feel cold,' she says, patting at her ears and looking lost as a little girl. I take off my own dirty green head scarf and wrap it around her head, then I kiss her and say, 'You stay right here, Mama. I'm coming back for you.'"

Ohhhhh. Oh this made me realize how the author had misled me by that opening scene . . . and wonder if they would really hang Mama. And what would happen to Belle. And it made me reflect on the fact that American slaves really did have horrible things done to them. They had children taken away from them, owners who physically, verbally, and psychologically abused them. They were beaten, starved, and cheated. This was a very heavy book but there were moments of beauty, love, and kindness. It was realistic and gripping and powerful.

Author's Notes - Grissom really did her research. I loved reading about her process of writing this book. She said, "Each day more of the story unfolded, and when I finished, often emotionally spent, I was left to wonder what the following day would bring." Reading it felt a bit like that, too. At times, I had to put it down because it was draining. But SUCH a good book!