The Kitchen House: Another Recommended Read

I stayed up way too late reading last night--and also the night before--to find out what would happen at the end of The Kitchen House, by Kathleen Grissom.

I found this novel on goodreads.com when I was looking for something to read, then requested it from the library several months ago. When it came in on Thursday, I knew I'd only have it for two weeks, but I ended up reading it in 6 days . . . mostly because I got to a point where I just could not put it down.

I was drawn into the story and impressed by the author's writing style. The novel is set on a tobacco plantation in the United States during the late 1700s/early 1800s. The main characters are black and white servants, slaves, and owners, and the story deals with their interrelationships.

I was amazed at how realistic the story could be without any graphic description (which usually exists in novels like this one) of the horrific events that occur.

And while the novel does contain a lot of sadness, brutality, irony, and injustice, it also has many moments that bring hope.

On the cover of the book is a quote from Alice Walker, who says that The Kitchen House, "like The Help, does important work."

I appreciated the points of view both of these novels describe. And in both cases, I think the characters and their stories will stay with me for a long time.