The Kitchen House takes place in the midst of America's worst period of history - slavery. Orphaned while on board ship from Ireland, seven-year-old Lavinia arrives on the steps of a tobacco plantation where she is forced to live and work with the slaves of the kitchen house and an indentured servant. Under the care of Belle, the master's illegitimate daughter, Lavinia becomes a part of her adopted family even though she is set apart from them by her white skin. Eventually, Lavinia is accepted into the world of the "big house", where the master is always absent and the mistress battles opium addiction. Lavinia's world is a constant balancing act between her two very different worlds. When she is forced to make a choice, loyalties are brought into question, dangerous truths are revealed and lives are put at risk.
I LOVED this book. The subject matter is obviously disturbing but it tells an amazing story based on a truth that our country would probably like to forget (but shouldn't). The characters are wonderfully developed and the writing is super. Such a good read!
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