My dear friend Pam suggested that I read The Kitchen House last year. As I always do when anyone recommends a book, I immediately pulled up my Amazon account and added the book to my cart (and then clicked "save for later") so that when I need a book, or when someone asks me what I want for Christmas or my birthday, my list is ready! Unfortunately, sort of, I never got to The Kitchen House because I have been so wrapped up in Outlander that I rarely read anything else these days. I say "unfortunately" because I had the amazing opportunity to attend this years' Junior League Book and Author Dinner and Kathleen Grissom was one of the author's who came to speak. At the time I wished I had read her book, but after listening to her speak, in a very cryptic, and teasing sort of way, I realized that I did not have to have read it before hand and found myself to be even more excited to read it than before. So, now that I am done with the 4th Outlander book, and my friend who reads them with me is still reading away at that one, I tackled both The Kitchen House and Glory Over Everything: Beyond the Kitchen House and loved them!
The Kitchen House is the simultaneous story of Lavinia (Abinia) and Belle. Lavinia is a white girl, around the age of seven when she comes to the Plantation as an indentured servant. Belle is a seemingly white girl who runs the kitchen house. What we soon learn is that Belle is actually half white and half black (the product of the relationship between the master of the plantation and a servant who's mere presence drives the mistress of the big house insane which is why she is now running the kitchen house) but she is fair and often passes for white. Their stories are told in alternating chapters and function in my mind to set up all sorts of paradoxes throughout the story: young versus old, child versus adult, white versus black, kitchen house versus big house, and I'm sure there are others that I missed.
As Lavinia and Belle tell their stories, we meet so many other characters, both from the big house and beyond, that are larger than life and remarkable (for better or for worse) in so many ways. At one point I remember thinking as I read that The Kitchen House would make a great mini-series on TV, like a 19th century The Thornbirds. There is so much drama and so many moments that make you gasp, I just could imagine it all coming to life on the screen. I also remember thinking as I was reading that no matter who you were in this time in history, if you weren't the white male in charge, and even sometimes if you were, your life was going to be just plain hard. Again I say, I am glad I was born in 1972.
When the book started coming to a close, I quickly ordered Glory Over Everything and was glad that I could literally close one and open the next. But what I quickly discovered, as I have often suspected, is that sequels are never as good as the originals.
Glory Over Everything is the story of James, Pan, and Sukey (also told in alternating chapters but sometimes James gets more than his fair share and will tell several chapters at a time). While The Kitchen House focused mainly on telling the story of life on the plantation, both in the kitchen house and in the big house, Glory Over Everything tells the stories of slaves on the run as they are helped to freedom (or death in some cases) by The Underground Railroad. Again, we have a contrast created by the characters: James is the wealthy white man, raised by white parents; Pan and Sukey are both runaway slaves. Of course, James is the grown-up Jamie that we met from the first book (and is of mixed race which causes all sorts of issues in this new story). It is really fascinating, and heart-warming on most cases, to see how he turns out, what he has made of his life, and ultimately what sort of man be becomes.
What I found to be the biggest difference between these two stories is the cast of characters. While I found The Kitchen House to be mini-series material, the action and drama in Glory over Everything wasn't quite as large. Now, please do not misunderstand. Glory Over Everything is still an amazing story and one that needed to be told. We needed to know what happened to Jamie (although I would've liked knowing what happened to everyone from The Kitchen House) and telling the story of The Underground Railroad is a natural progression from the plantation story that came first. I just felt that The Kitchen House was more powerful and told a more powerful story.
If you get a chance to read anything about Kathleen Grissom before reading these books, you should try to find her telling the story of how Lavinia and Belle came to be. She shared this story at the Book and Author event and it really is interesting how these characters spoke to Grissom and made their stories known. Or better yet, perhaps you might run into her one day (she lives close in Southern/Southside, VA), and she could tell you the story herself. I'm sure she would if you just ask! It's a good story!
I hope she plans to write more, this lady from Canada with a knack for telling Virginia History.
Happy reading, everyone!
:) Dodie
I agree that this would make a great mini-series! Perhaps we should talk to Netflix!
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