Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
The Kitchen House cover art

The Kitchen House

By: Kathleen Grissom
Narrated by: Orlagh Cassidy, Bahni Turpin
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Fireflies cover art
Winter Garden cover art
The Secrets of Heavenly cover art
The Color of Our Sky cover art
Sister of Mine cover art
Yellow Crocus cover art
Vivid cover art
The Tender Years cover art
The Pecan Man cover art
Abby: Mail Order Bride cover art
True Colors cover art
Romancing Olive cover art
Train Station Bride: Prairie Romance cover art
The Girls with No Names cover art
The Midwife's Revolt cover art
A Thousand Splendid Suns cover art

Summary

A New York Times best seller and word-of-mouth phenomenon, this is perfect for book-groups and fans of The Help and The Postmistress.

"You must not become too friendly with them," she said. "They are not the same as us."

"How?" I asked. "How are they not the same?"

In 1791 when seven-year-old Irish orphan Lavinia is transported to Virginia to work in the kitchen of a wealthy plantation owner, she is absorbed into the life of the kitchen house and becomes part of the family of black slaves whose fates are tied to the plantation. But Lavinia’s skin will always set her apart, whether she wishes it or not. And as she grows older, she will be torn between the life that awaits her as a white woman and the people she knows as kin....

©2013 Kathleen Grissom (P)2013 Random House AudioGo

More from the same

What listeners say about The Kitchen House

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    71
  • 4 Stars
    19
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    61
  • 4 Stars
    17
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    56
  • 4 Stars
    20
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent a real gem

This is my type of book, easy to follow, tear jerking great human story.
Loved the narration and could not wait to hear more and more.......
Any one recommend more like this?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Beautifully told and narrated

Both touching and sad, this is a well written story beautifully told. The narrators are excellent. Highly recommend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

excellent

this book is excellent and beautifully told. it is sad, funny and heartwarming. you become invested in the characters

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Where does The Kitchen House rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Not my favourite, but still really good - best 'listen to' book is The Help, (by far!!)

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Kitchen House?

I really liked all of it. It gives a real insight to how slaves were treated and more to the point, mis-treated. Learned a lot about the slave trade from this book many things I had no idea about. It is amazing that this kind of thing actually happened and is maybe still happening somewhere else in the world even now.

What about Orlagh Cassidy and Bahni Turpin ’s performance did you like?

They were both very good narrators. Orlagh Cassidy's Irish accent wasn't the best, but overall she was easy to listen to. Bahni Turpin is always a joy to listen to. I wish she had have had a bit more of the book devoted to her narrating. 65% of it was Orlagh Cassidy.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Fiction novel but based on historical facts!!

Any additional comments?

The book was good in the beginning, then seemed to get a bit boring - well, boring is a bit harsh, but it got less interesting. I was temped a couple of times to give up, but I was glad I didn't as it then got very interesting. If you get to the same point that I did - don't give up. It has a lot of lovely characters that you will find heartwarming. Parts of the book, towards the end had me in tears. Well worth a listen!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding

Although linked to an era of tragedy involving slavery, this story highlights the influence of love & friendship. Two sides of the story are told. One from a white Irish girl who has been taken into the folds of an enslaved family, and the other from an enslaved woman.
Brilliantly written& narrated.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Really excellent book was hooked from the start and really enjoyed the narration you two narrators

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Every aspect - magnificent

A wonderful, gotta-keep-listening book.
The storyline interesting -a white girl indentured and living with the slaves, who became her family.
The narrators? They could not have been bettered. Each perfect, with the voice appropriate to their ‘character’. Thankyou Bahni and Orla - I will look for more of your work.
Kathleen Grissom - your telling of this story, admirable. Thankyou.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The kitchen house

I detest books that discuss racism but some how could not stop listening
Great book but also terrible!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Antabellum history and the 5th dimension

This started so powerfully I was hooked, I spent most of summer listening wit such intent to this story I surprised myself. The prologue makes little sense as it is so emotionally charged but by the end it is as transparent as glass.
You will grow to love and hate the characters in turn but be rest assured there will be times when you have to push yourself to go on.
It is a human a story as you can find and I will in time no doubt listen to it again as the story saids so much about the terrifying power held in the hands of so few over the lives and destiny’s of so many.
Thank you Kathleen

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

gripping, raw and deeply moving story

this book takes you to the true experiences of slavery from plantation masters who are portrayed from kindest to nasty. it is deeply moving and makes you feel like you are in each chapter right there in the room as it is happening.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!