A review by eesti23
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.5

"This world is not the only home. This world is for practice to get things right."

"What the color is, who the daddy be, who the mama is don’t mean nothin’. We a family, carin’ for each other. Family make us strong in times of trouble. We all stick together, help each other out. That the real meanin’ of family. When you grow up, you take that family feelin’ with you.”

"You look at today, chil’. You say, ‘Thank you, Lawd, for everythin’ you gives me today.’ Then you worries about the next day when the next day come.”

I wasn't expecting to like The Kitchen House very much, but once I got all the characters figured out, I struggled to put it down at times. It is a reminder of how cruel we are to other humans and how kind we can be to them. The story was fast paced with plenty of highs and lows, twists and turns. I was heartbroken with the ending
(the death of Mama Mae)
and while I know there is a sequel, I wish it was about Lavinia.
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