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goodin10tions's review
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Excrement, Death of parent, and Colonisation
sheilaborcher's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
guitarlisa's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
pained_creations's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The story gives you some insight into what this time period was like, the blurred lines between slave and master, and what it means to be "family". Wraps up rather quickly, after a slow build up, or I would have given it 5 stars.
jenbsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
3.75
I'd had this on my list for a long time ... WHY did I think this was a P&P or "Downton Abby" type of book? Totally wrong perception on my part! This made me think of Octavia Butler's Kindred (although there's no time travel in The Kitchen House). Both address the horrors of slavery, the "relationships" between the family and the slaves, and Mr.Marshall here, has some similarities to Rufus in Kindred. We see them both as a child, then growing up, the evil as well as the tiny spots of goodness.
This has a prologue - one showing the reader a scene from much later in the book. 1810 at the opening, then going back 19 years starting chapter 1. Personally, I really dislike this technique, it's a "spoiler" ... I prefer NOT to know what it going to happen in the story. At the very end in the author's notes, there is an explanation that makes me a little more accepting of opening the book this way (she basically says that is what she wrote first, before she even had any of the rest of the story).
I had this in all three formats (audio/ebook and physical book) and went primarily with the audio. Two narrators for the two 1st person POVs, Lavinia and Belle. Laninia's POV is past tense, while Belle's is present tense. There is already a marked difference in the voice in the writing, and again in the narration, but this tense shift further differentiates the two. Basic chronological chapters (55 of them) with an author's note (included in audio) and a Reading Group Guide and Q&A with the author (in the text copies/not audio). I really wish the POVs (and dates when listed) were also listed with the chapters in the Table of Contents. Helpful for if I wanted to go back and check something, and knew which POV I was looking for. I have to manually flip through without it listed.
This kept my interest, and I cared about the characters ... so it was hard to continue, as so much of it was horrible experiences. When we "caught up" to the scene in the prologue, it was not word-for-word the prologue, slight changes ("stay here" in the prologue, "stay there" in chapter 55, and other similar/slight shifts ... ) The moment of truth, finding out who ... I had guessed it correctly.
I don't know that this will really stick in my memory, among all the other historical fiction I've read. It was good, but not one that I'd rave about. No proFanity, there is some sex, nothing written in explicit detail. There is rape. There is violence.
This has a prologue - one showing the reader a scene from much later in the book. 1810 at the opening, then going back 19 years starting chapter 1. Personally, I really dislike this technique, it's a "spoiler" ... I prefer NOT to know what it going to happen in the story. At the very end in the author's notes, there is an explanation that makes me a little more accepting of opening the book this way (she basically says that is what she wrote first, before she even had any of the rest of the story).
I had this in all three formats (audio/ebook and physical book) and went primarily with the audio. Two narrators for the two 1st person POVs, Lavinia and Belle. Laninia's POV is past tense, while Belle's is present tense. There is already a marked difference in the voice in the writing, and again in the narration, but this tense shift further differentiates the two. Basic chronological chapters (55 of them) with an author's note (included in audio) and a Reading Group Guide and Q&A with the author (in the text copies/not audio). I really wish the POVs (and dates when listed) were also listed with the chapters in the Table of Contents. Helpful for if I wanted to go back and check something, and knew which POV I was looking for. I have to manually flip through without it listed.
This kept my interest, and I cared about the characters ... so it was hard to continue, as so much of it was horrible experiences. When we "caught up" to the scene in the prologue, it was not word-for-word the prologue, slight changes ("stay here" in the prologue, "stay there" in chapter 55, and other similar/slight shifts ... ) The moment of truth, finding out who ... I had guessed it correctly.
I don't know that this will really stick in my memory, among all the other historical fiction I've read. It was good, but not one that I'd rave about. No proFanity, there is some sex, nothing written in explicit detail. There is rape. There is violence.
emma_trblayy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
shailydc's review against another edition
2.0
Very disappointing.
One of the biggest disappointments of this book was that it doesn't actually address anything about Lavinia's Irish roots and the history of how and why she is forced to be a servant. I thought that would play a big part of the story but the only importance it seemed to have was that it made her a white servant instead of a black slave.
I know one of the themes is history repeating itself but I hated that Lavinia follows in Miss Martha's footsteps - at least MM didn't grow up with the kitchen house or consider them her family. Lavinia never, not once, stands up for anyone, even though she constantly says she will.
At some point, Mama says Lavinia has the mind of a child, which somewhat helps the reader understand but doesn't completely explain how utterly clueless she is. Lavinia mentions how Jamie looks like a carbon copy of Campbell, yet she never once considers that Marshall could be the father.
I hate how universally evil Marshall turned out and that his childhood abuse was never addressed by anyone after he was sent away for school. I was hoping that at some point, something would break through to him and he would have one redeeming act to help him get back on the right track. Instead, he gets progressively more diabolical until he's just a caricature of bad.
It was so disappointing to not have a real reaction from Marshall once he finds out Belle is his half sister. After all that build up throughout the whole book, it sucked to have him find out in the middle of all the other drama at the end of the book and to have him die before he has to face the reality of his incestual rape.
I could go on about more things I didn't like but it'd be as pointless as this book. If nothing else, it did provide a great book club discussion as all the ladies in my group shared similar frustrations.
I know one of the themes is history repeating itself but I hated that Lavinia follows in Miss Martha's footsteps - at least MM didn't grow up with the kitchen house or consider them her family. Lavinia never, not once, stands up for anyone, even though she constantly says she will.
At some point, Mama says Lavinia has the mind of a child, which somewhat helps the reader understand but doesn't completely explain how utterly clueless she is. Lavinia mentions how Jamie looks like a carbon copy of Campbell, yet she never once considers that Marshall could be the father.
I hate how universally evil Marshall turned out and that his childhood abuse was never addressed by anyone after he was sent away for school. I was hoping that at some point, something would break through to him and he would have one redeeming act to help him get back on the right track. Instead, he gets progressively more diabolical until he's just a caricature of bad.
It was so disappointing to not have a real reaction from Marshall once he finds out Belle is his half sister. After all that build up throughout the whole book, it sucked to have him find out in the middle of all the other drama at the end of the book and to have him die before he has to face the reality of his incestual rape.
I could go on about more things I didn't like but it'd be as pointless as this book. If nothing else, it did provide a great book club discussion as all the ladies in my group shared similar frustrations.