#43

Kathleen Grissom has written a wonderful novel. "The Kitchen House" is about life in the late 1700's in the South. A young Irish girl named Lavinia shows up on the plantation when her parents both die at sea and she's taken by the Captain to be indentured as a kitchen helper in his home. Having no one, she's taken into the life of the plantation slaves and becomes part of their family. Disruption occurs when the Captain dies and she's taken to Williamsburg to live with her insane mistress' sister when it's realized that the mistress has to be hospitalized. Her new station and refinement is not missed by the Captain's son. He takes an interest and when he inherits the plantation he marries her and brings her back to the only home she knew. Hoping to bring changes to her "family's" lives as the new mistress of the plantation, she soon realizes that she can not change the ways of her new husband and she's forced to live a nightmare. Excellent read!!