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Description edit
Orphaned while onboard ship from Ireland, seven-year-old Lavinia arrives on the steps of a tobacco plantation where she is to live and work with the slaves of the kitchen house. Under the care of Belle, the master’s illegitimate daughter, Lavinia becomes deeply bonded to her adopted family,... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Summary edit
Orphaned while onboard ship from Ireland, seven-year-old Lavinia arrives on the steps of a tobacco plantation where she is to live and work with the slaves of the kitchen house. Under the care of Belle, the master's illegitimate daughter, Lavinia becomes deeply bonded to her adopted family,... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)
Characters/People edit
- Lavinia, aka "Abinia": Main character and narrator. A 6 or 7-year old girl from Ireland who grows up throughout the novel. She's referred to as Abinia, Vinny, and Binny throughout the novel. Central Character, caught between the world of slaves, and the world of their masters.
- James Pyke, the captain: Master of Pyke plantation where this story takes place. A ship captain who spends a lot of time away from home. Husband to Martha. Father to Marshall, and Sally. Also fathered Belle, but his family does not know this.
- Mrs. Pyke (Miss Martha): The captain's' wife. Mother to Marshall, Sally and Campbell.
- Uncle Jacob: One of Pyke's slaves. Kind, old man, works in "The Big House" at the Tall Oaks Tobacco Plantation. He's referred to as Uncle Jacob.
- Isabelle: One of the book's narrators. Young woman who works in the kitchen house. Daughter of Captain Pyke. Her deceased mother was one of Pyke's slaves. Mama Mae and George act as her parents.
- Master Marshall: Oldest son of Captain James Pyke and Martha Pyke, brother of Sally. Lives in the Big House at the Tall Oaks Tobacco Plantation.
- Sally Pyke: Daughter of Captain James Pyke and Martha Pyke, sister to Marshall. Lives in the Big House at the Tall Oaks Tobacco Plantation. Sunny, golden, innocent.
- Dory: Young slave mother. Daughter to Papa George and Mama Mae. Sister to Ben, older sister to Fanny and Beattie.
- Mr. Henry Crater: Dory's baby.
- Mama Mae: One of Pyke's slaves. Mother to Dory, Ben, Beattie, and Fanny. Wife of Papa George. Adoptive mother to Belle.
- Papa George: Daddy to Dory, Ben, Beattie, and Fanny. Husband to Mama Mae.
- Fanny: One of Pyke's slaves. Beattie's twin, Mama Mae and Papa George's daughter. Younger sister to Dory and Ben.
- Beattie: One of Pyke's slaves. Fanny's twin, Mama Mae and Papa George's daughter. Younger sister to Dory and Ben.
- Benny: One of Pyke's slaves. Son of Papa George and Mama Mae. Brother to Dory, Fanny, and Beattie.
- Meg Madden: Sally and Marshall's cousin. Walks with slight limp, wears glasses. Lives in Williamsburg with her parents. Studies botony. Befriends Lavinia.
- Sara Madden: Sister of Martha Pyke. Mother to Meg.
- Jimmy: One of Pyke's slaves who works in the fields. He's in love with Dory, and fathered baby Henry.
- Ida: One of Pyke's slaves. Jimmy's and Eddy's mother.
- Mr. Rankin: Overseer of the slaves in the quarter. Disliked by the slaves. Drunk most of the time. An evil and nasty man.
- Mr. Waters: Marshall's tutor.
- Campbell: Captain and Martha's last baby.
- Sukey needin: Dory's baby girl.
- Mr. Will Stephens: His father rents land from the Pykes. Will hired to care for Tall Oaks Plantation by Capt. Pyke. Good, hard-working, honest man.
- Lucy: One of Pyke's slaves. Works in the quarters.
- Jamie Pyke: Belle's son.
- Elly Pyke: Lavinia's daughter.
- Mr. Madden: Meg's father and Miss Martha's brother-in-law, who helped Lavinia; he was a lawyer.
- how successful people think: Add a description of this character.
- Molly Boran: Daughter of Mr. Boran.
- Mrs. Ames
- Eleanor: See Elly.
- Lavinia McCarten: See Lavinia. Lavinia Pyke.
- Mr. Boran: Lawyer partner with Mr. Madden and family friend to the Maddens.
- Dr. Mense
- Mary
- Moses
- Barney
- Vinny
- Bess
- Miss Abby
- Mr. Alessi: A fiddle instructor
- Miss Sarah
- Eddy
- Mr. Cardigan: Lavinia's brother.
- Baby Henry
- Mr. Degat: A dance instructor
- Nancy
- Miss Sally
- Mrs. Madden
- Miss Martha Blake
Quotes edit
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“When I saw their hunger, I was struck with a deep familiarity and turned away, my mind anxious to keep at bay memories it was not yet ready to recall.”
Lavinia -
“...That day I was awakened to a new realization and made aware of a line drawn in black and white, though the meaning of it still had little meaning to me.”
Lavinia
- Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers
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This world is not the only home. This world is for practice to get things right.
Highlighted by 249 Kindle customers -
What the color is, who the daddy be, who the mama is don’t mean nothin’. We a family, carin’ for each other. Family make us strong in times of trouble. We all stick together, help each other out. That the real meanin’ of family. When you grow up, you take that family feelin’ with you.”
Highlighted by 219 Kindle customers -
Her words calmed me, but that day I was awakened to a new realization and made aware of a line drawn in black and white, though the depth of it still had little meaning to me.
Highlighted by 128 Kindle customers -
“Abinia,” he said, pointing toward the chickens, “you look at those birds. Some of them be brown, some of them be white and black. Do you think when they little chicks, those mamas and papas care about that?”
Highlighted by 123 Kindle customers -
You look at today, chil’. You say, ‘Thank you, Lawd, for everythin’ you gives me today.’ Then you worries about the next day when the next day come.”
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In many ways, his treatment of me reminded me of the way I had behaved toward the doll that Mama Mae had given me as a child. I favored it so that I had refused myself the joy of playing with it, daring to love it only with my eyes. But in doing so, I had denied myself its very purpose.
Highlighted by 103 Kindle customers -
Down in the kitchen house, Mama Mae don’t care that the cap’n is my daddy.
Highlighted by 66 Kindle customers -
Mrs. Pyke raised me in the big house and taught me everything, just like a white girl. She even shows me how to read and write. She says there’s no reason to act like I don’t know better, just because I’m half Negro.
Highlighted by 62 Kindle customers -
I’m eighteen now and old enough to know what I want. This kitchen house is my home, and no matter what, I’m not leaving here for nobody. I don’t care what they say. I don’t want no free papers. They’re just a way for the cap’n to get me out of here.
Highlighted by 60 Kindle customers -
tulipier, displayed proudly as the latest expense from across the sea. I remember very clearly, though, the terror I felt as I was led to the dining room.
Highlighted by 33 Kindle customers
Setting & Locations edit
- Williamsburg, Virginia
- Philadelphia
- Tall Oaks: Plantation where the Pyke family and their slaves live.
- Ireland
- Kitchen House
- Big House: The main house that the white family lives in.
First Sentence edit
There was a strong smell of smoke, and new fear fueled me.
Table of Contents edit
Prologue 1810 Lavina
Chapter 1 1791 Lavina
Chapter 2 Belle
Authors & Contributors edit
- Kathleen Grissom (Author)
First Edition edit
Original Language: English
Publisher: Simon and SchusteR
Country: USA
Publication Date: 2010
ISBN: 1439153663
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Simon and SchusteR
Country: USA
Publication Date: 2010
ISBN: 1439153663
Page Count: 384
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
- Dewey: 813
Subjects edit
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