First published 2010
Orphaned Lavinia arrives at a tobacco plantation, where she's taken in by the slaves of the kitchen house. She grows close to Belle, the master's daughter, but their bond is forbidden. As Lavinia is drawn into the world of the big house, she must choose between the family she's always known and the privileges of the white elite. A tragic tale of loyalty, identity, and the devastating consequences of crossing plantation lines.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, southern-gothic, 19th-century, african-american-historical-fiction
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, tragic
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, forbidden-love
Setting: Southern States
Period: 19th-century
400 pages · Hardcover · Doubleday
Content warnings: racism, slavery