35: The Kitchen House

The Kitchen House, by Kathleen Grissom, was one of those books that was recommended to me a while ago (thanks, Sarah!) and I kept putting off reading it because I knew I was not going to like it and whoa. I was wrong. I FLEW through this book, hardly remembering to feed my child or leave the house every day. I think I finished it in a day. Seriously. I sat in a parking lot and read it just to get a little farther. I absolutely devoured this book, and while it’s not happy (it reminded me of Little Bee with the sadness), I still loved this book.

The Kitchen House is the story of a white girl, Lavinia, who is orphaned on a ship coming from Ireland. Instead of moving into “the big house” with the other white people when she arrives at the plantation, she is sent to live in the kitchen house with the black women. She learns about family and love and of the incredible differences in lifestyles between these two groups of people in this time.

This book completely follows the “what if” questions. What if Lavinia had married someone else? What if the papers had been served earlier? What if… what if… what if?

I give this book a 9/10. While the book is depressing and overwhelming at times, I absolutely devoured it and would think it’s a fantastic book for a book club to read, because the questions that could be asked about what could have been are absolutely amazing.

25: The Art of Racing in the Rain

The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein, tells the story of life through the eyes of a dog who is living his last days on earth. Enzo has been a faithful companion for many years, through thick and thin, to his owner Denny. Named after a racing car company, Enzo and Denny watch hours of racing footage on TV, as Denny tries to get his big break in racing, and when Denny marries Eve, Enzo steps aside, but knows he is still valued in the family. Denny and Eve have a baby, Zoe, and the family is so happy. Then Enzo smells something bad happening in Eve, but he has no way to warn his family. The something bad tears the family apart, and causes Denny and Zoe great pain for a long time. And, with the clarity of Budda, Enzo continues to tell the story of their life together. 

I cried from chapter one in this book. But, I absolutely loved it. The analogies to life are astounding, and I think you could make a case that this book should be required reading for college students around the globe. I am most certainly a dog-lover, but not necessarily a race-car lover and I still loved this book. I give this book a solid 9/10, because everyone should read this book. 

One of my favorite quotes from the book is, “Racing is about discipline and intelligence, not about who has the heavier foot. The one who drives smart will always win in the end.” Such truer words have never been spoken.

20: Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt is the debut novel by Beth Hoffman. A true Southern charmer, this book delighted me to no end. It was uplifting, funny, sweet and sad all in one book, and I found myself cheering for CeeCee, for her aunt and for her adopted family as the book went on and while the ending was a little far-fetched, I still loved the book so much.

CeeCee’s mother has a debilitating mental illness that she has stopped taking medication for. CeeCee immerses herself in books so she will learn as much as she can so the genetic disorder that has taken over her mother’s life will not take over hers. The story unfolds, and her absent father refuses to help and travels for his job so he is gone often and does not notice how deeply depressed his wife is. A tragedy occurs and CeeCee’s father sends her to Savannah, the land of bees and honey, to live with her great-aunt. CeeCee is plopped into a foreign world, complete with racial tensions, a naked neighbor, an aunt who loves her and a whole lot of fun.

The story solidifies women’s friendships, the strength of women and the delight of a young child. I loved this book. It is true Southern fiction and almost a perfect story. I give it a very, very, very solid 9/10 and recommend this to everyone.