April 2016

I tore through GLORY OVER EVERYTHING: Beyond The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom realizing it’s been a while since I had read a book set before the Civil War. It opens in 1830, and Jamie, who is biracial but passes as white, has fled from Virginia where his parentage has been discovered and is living in Philadelphia society as a wealthy silversmith. He must return to the South to do a favor for a man to whom he owes a great debt, traveling there to rescue that man’s son. This will take him near Tall Oakes and a ruthless slave hunter who has not forgotten him. Escape via the Underground Railroad weaves its way into the story, which is a complete page-turner.

The writing is wonderful. This is true storytelling, and each of the settings was detailed and brought to life for me.

As readers can see from the title, Kathleen is the author of THE KITCHEN HOUSE, which I am surprised I did not read when it originally was published. Book clubs would be wise to book two months of reading with these two novels. What a marvelous opportunity to be able to watch characters grow and how their lives will be changed.