A Must Read....

The last day of 2012! Wow. Time is flying by toooo quickly for my liking. Since I still have no sewing/quilting to show, how about another book review? The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom is definitely one of my Top 5 favs for the year. I read it in less than 24 hours - truly one of those "I REALLY don't want to put this book down" types. Who cares that it's supper time and the troops are hungry?  Bedtime? Nooo, I don't wanna go to bed.. I just wanna keep reading!! If you liked The Help, you will LOVE this book!
Canadian author Grissom has written a powerful tale of life on a southern plantation, and although a fictional story, she has obviously carefully researched the historical facts. The characters are well drawn and one feels present as the story unfolds. The descriptions are rich and enveloping and you find yourself wanting the story to continue and never end. Grissom created two protagonists, Lavinia and Belle, and the story is told from their perspectives. Lavinia is a young child as the story opens (1791), an Irish immigrant who is orphaned on the voyage and is taken by Captain Pyke, the ship owner, to his Virginia tobacco plantation as an indentured slave. She is sent to work in the "kitchen house" with Belle and the other "nigras". Lavinia develops a deep bond with the slaves and comes to think of them as her family. I don't want to give away any more of the story, but suffice it to say, as Lavinia grows up at Tall Oaks, her life takes many twists and turns and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough... I highly recommend this novel. It is one I will definitely read again, and I cannot wait for Grissom's next book.

Peace,
Linda

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." ~ Dr. Seuss