Kathleen Grissom

I truly enjoyed [b:The Kitchen House|6837103|The Kitchen House|Kathleen Grissom|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1463229128s/6837103.jpg|7048306] and was thrilled to have the opportunity to read this book. Dare I say I this is a case where the sequel is better than the original?

Told through the perspectives of several narrators, Grissom tells the story of a family woven together (and torn apart) by the horrors of slavery in 1830's America. As in Grissom's earlier work, it's a plot-driven novel with many compelling and interconnected story lines. Though the book borders on melodrama, it is engaging, and I personally found it to be more moving than [b:The Underground Railroad|30555488|The Underground Railroad|Colson Whitehead|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1469725597s/30555488.jpg|48287641].

"Glory"'s characters are memorable -- even the loathsome ones. The female leads are particular firecrackers.

While providing a tidy enough ending for this book, Grissom has also left the door wide open for a third installment in the series. This fan is hoping the books keep on coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a galley of the book in exchange for an honest review. While I was provided a galley I listened to the audio version.… (more)

This book takes a familiar topic -- southern, slave-holding plantation in the pre-Civil War era -- and adds a few twists. The first element that makes this book different than others which describe the same era, is that one of the main characters here is an orphaned white child who becomes an indentured slave alongside the African-Americans at the plantation. The second unique element of this book is a feminist look at the lack of power and rights any women (slave or free) had to control her own circumstances in that era.

While "The Kitchen House" tended toward the melodramatic, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Grissom thoroughly researched the time period and gives readers an engaging story of love, family bonds, forgiveness and redemption. I look forward to reading [b:Glory over Everything: Beyond The Kitchen House|25813937|Glory over Everything Beyond The Kitchen House|Kathleen Grissom|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1444246918s/25813937.jpg|45670647], Grissom's upcoming book which can be read as a stand-alone, but picks up where The Kitchen House ends.

4 stars.… (more)