Tag: adult fiction

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

The Kitchen House

Kathleen Grissom (Adult Fiction)

The Kitchen House tells the story of seven-year old Lavinia, an Irish orphan with no memory, who is taken by the owner of a tobacco plantation to live on his estate.  She is assigned to work in the kitchen house and placed in the care of Belle, the owner’s illegitimate daughter.  The story takes several dramatic turns as tragedy befalls the household and Livinia’s race begins to interfere with her intended social status.

This is one of those books that opens with a heart-wrenching scene from the end of the book (current time) and then brings you back to the beginning of the story (the past).  I love this writing technique as it immediately creates a sense of urgency and tension.  Alternating narratives between Livinia and Belle, this book combines the best and worst of the human condition while masterfully pulling the reader along for an unforgettable journey from the big house to the kitchen house.

Rating: 5/5

 

 

 

We are All Welcome Here by Elizabeth Berg

We are All Welcome Here

Elizabeth Berg (Adult Fiction)

I read Elizabeth Berg’s Open House as it was an “Oprah pick” and was left less than dazzled.  Second time is clearly the charm!  Set in 1964 Tupelo, Mississippi, the story of Diana Dunn and her paralyzed mother Paige is heartfelt and solid, yet at times painful and cruel. But the life they manage to forge together, along with Paige’s black caregiver Peacie, is unforgettable, therapeutic, and inspiring.

Rating: 5/5

 

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

The Poisonwood Bible

Barbara Kingsolver (Adult Fiction)

This is the story of a Baptist missionary family who travel to the Belgian Congo in 1959.  Having the mother and four daughters each narrate this story gives the reader five thoughtful and unique viewpoints of the same events. At 543 pages, the novel spans three decades, but seems to go well beyond its natural endpoint and unnecessarily drags out to the point of reader fatigue. The author could have easily skimmed 150 pages and still had a poignant and interesting story. I gave it 4 stars rather than 3 because the writing is superb; however, the author does get very political and uncomfortably preachy at times.

Rating: 4/5

 

Miracle on the 17th Green by James Patterson

Miracle on the 17th Green

James Patterson (Adult Fiction)

I normally don’t gravitate toward James Patterson, but this little book drew me in and is a total departure from his normal thriller books. This quick read is a story of love, family, and chasing your dreams…no matter the cost. Some parts were a little technical for a non-golfer like me, but a story of redemption and forgiveness is written in a universal language that everyone can understand and enjoy.

Rating: 4/5