I couldn’t find a voice to answer, so I felt a rush of gratitude for Marshall when he pulled the attention away from me by jiggling the swing. “How old am I?” he asked his sister.

If you like historical fiction, excellent writing, beautifully developed characters, and plotlines we haven’t all read a million times before (um, who doesn’t?), The Kitchen House is one of the best recs I can make. Lavinia’s story is fresh and fascinating and sometimes distressing. I found it impossible not to sympathize with her plight. Grissom’s characters are complex; disturbingly well-rounded, to the point that I found myself understanding–if not agreeing with–the antagonists in the story. For me, that’s a sign of profoundly great writing. The novel grapples with themes of race, birthright, love and slavery, and handles them all with grace.Nearby landmarks such as Nathaniel Russell House (0.2 mi) and Rainbow Row (0.4 mi) make The Kitchen House a great place to stay when visiting Charleston.

One of the novel’s themes is history repeating itself. Another theme is isolation. Select scenes from The Kitchen House that depict each theme and discuss. Are there scenes in which the two themes intersect? But this book had me reading late at night. From the instant I opened it, I was invested in the story, in the place, and sadly, in the footsteps of our two main characters. In time, I divorced and remarried, relocated to Manhattan, and there worked as an Ad Executive for a graphics company. I did not stop reading, nor writing, and over the next years took various classes in creative writing. Eventually Lavinia is accepted into the world of the big house where the master is absent and she battled opium addiction. With the captain’s death, Miss Marsha’s sister and her family, the Maddens, come up to the Pyke estate to bring Marsha to Williamsburg with them. They also bring with them Lavinia, who does not want to be separated from her family but is forced to go because she is white and therefore deserves a proper education. At Williamsburg, she bonds with Meg, the Maddens’ daughter, and—as she does not know his true nature—Marshall. Even as Lavinia grows to be a woman, she still longs to return to her family at Tall Oaks. That is why, when Marshall asks her to marry him, she says yes and they return to Tall Oaks with Miss Martha.If you’re looking for a cafe, consider a visit to Five Loaves Cafe, Kaminsky's Most Excellent Cafe, or Carmella's, which are all conveniently located a short distance from The Kitchen House. Belle was nervous. She fussed at me with a comb until, in frustration, she finally wrapped my head in a scarf to cover the chopped mess that was my hair. I was dressed in a fresh brown shirt that fell below my knees, over which Belle tied a white apron that she had stitched hastily from a kitchen cloth. In the end Lavinia must make a choice, loyalties are brought into question, dangerous truths are laid bare and lives are put at risk. How will the end of this story be?...... this is a must read!! (this is so rare fore me!!!that i never recommend any specific books to anyone!)

The only downside for me was I had a hard time understanding one of the characters. He seemed to have been traumatized as a child but the situations surrounding him were not very clear nor were his motives. But I will say that it didn’t take away from the intensity of the book for me. I had absolutely no problems looking over this bit of confusion and just came up with my own ideas. This can be seen as a positive, however, because it intensified my engagement toward the book.

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Belle went to the enormous fireplace that stretched the length of the room. There she poured steaming milk into a wooden mug. When she held it to my mouth, I choked on the milk, and my body began an involuntary tremor. I vomited, then I passed out.

What your name?” she asked. When I didn’t answer, she continued, “This be my baby, Henry,” she said, “and I his mama, Dory.” When the door closed behind him, I was more surprised than anyone that my supper came up without warning. With it, though, I felt some relief, as my involuntary action seemed to refocus Belle and steady her while she cleaned me. When he pushed the swing, the little girl, all blue and blond, squealed. The tall boy laughed. There it was again! A laugh I recognized. Driven by hope, I ran down the wooden stairs, out the open door of the kitchen, and up the hill to them. The boy pulled the swing to a stop, and the two gaped at me. Both had deep blue eyes, and both exuded vibrant health. In time, Lavinia is accepted into the world of the big house, caring for the master's opium-addicted wife and befriending his dangerous yet protective son. She attempts to straddle the worlds of the kitchen and big house, but her skin color will forever set her apart from Belle and the other slaves. The CG, when it is on display, is absolutely fantastic. London’s transformed skyline looks recognizable enough to be familiar but changed enough to see that many years have passed from the present. Other tidbits of the future are scattered throughout, whether that’s hologram advertisements of the bustling commerce section of The Kitchen or the buzzing of police drones monitoring the building.KATHLEEN GRISSOM delivers a very descriptive and well-written novel here that I found was easy to follow along with the storyline and all the characters involved. There is a lot happening throughout this story and I thought it was a fantastic account about this part of history. And you know me...... the prose style is ever so important! I like it. Look at the following lines. Look at what they say about the individuals: Describe the relationship between Ben’s wife, Lucy, and Belle. How does it evolve throughout the novel? Is it difficult for you to understand their friendship? Why or why not?