Set in the late 1700s and early 1800s, the story focuses on Lavinia, a six year old Irish girl orphaned during the crossing to the new world. Completely ignorant of the fragile social structure of the period, Lavinia is neither fish nor fowl,a white girl raised in the slave quarters of The Kitchen House. Growing to adulthood straddling the line, Lavinia's love for her family comes into conflict with what Society deems is her "place", with shattering results. 
 Absolutely gripping. First time author Kathleen Grissom has a lot to live up to after this one. Her settings are beautifully drawn, her prose crisp and clear. She manages to explore the societal structures of the time without invoking knee-jerk reactions or stereotypes and focuses on the delicate relationships between house servants and the master they are related to by blood. 
 The only flaw (if one can call it that) is the nagging question in my mind of why an indentured Irish girl would be released and educated as a lady of status in the first place. White slavery in America at the time was far from unheard of, particularly among the Irish and Scots. Even as an indentured servant and not an outright slave, she would have been considered property of the estate, an asset of value. It seems to me unlikely that she would have been simply taken off by the Fairy Godmother. 
 Aside from that, a fantastic read, and one I highly recommend to anyone with a taste for historical fiction.