I Been in Sorrow's Kitchen and Licked Out All the Pots

I Been in Sorrow's Kitchen and Licked Out All the Pots follows Marietta Cook, a tall, strong woman from the South Carolina Lowcountry Gullah culture. The narrative spans from the 1960s through the 1980s, tracking her journey from her rural island home to urban Los Angeles. In South Carolina, Marietta works in kitchens and encounters both discrimination and unexpected support from her community. Her path leads her to California, where she faces new challenges while raising her twin sons who become talented football players. The novel explores themes of identity, motherhood, and cultural preservation through Marietta's experiences in two vastly different American landscapes. The contrast between Lowcountry traditions and West Coast urban life creates a backdrop for examining how people maintain their roots while adapting to change. The title draws from an old saying that speaks to resilience and survival, reflecting both the personal strength of the protagonist and the broader experience of African American women in the twentieth century.

Readers highlight the authenticity of the Gullah culture depiction and the strength of main character Marietta Cook's journey through the 20th century South Carolina Lowcountry. Many note the detailed portrayal of Geechee traditions, food, and dialect. Readers appreciated: - Rich cultural and historical context - Character development over multiple decades - Descriptions of rural Southern life - The portrayal of mother-son relationships Common criticisms: - Slow pacing in the middle sections - Dense dialect writing that some found difficult to follow - Abrupt transitions between time periods Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (218 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (31 ratings) Several readers compared the writing style to Zora Neale Hurston and noted the book's contribution to Gullah-Geechee literature. One reviewer called it "an unvarnished look at poverty and perseverance," while another praised how it "captures the cadence and poetry of Lowcountry speech."

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🌟 Author Susan Straight grew up in Riverside, California, but masterfully captures the distinct Gullah culture and dialect of coastal South Carolina in this novel. 🌟 The book's unique title comes from an old African American expression meaning to have experienced the depths of hardship and suffering, yet emerged stronger. 🌟 The Gullah people, central to the novel's setting, maintained many African cultural traditions and developed their own creole language due to their relative isolation on the Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia. 🌟 The novel spans three decades (1959-1989) and follows its protagonist, Marietta Cook, from the rural South to Los Angeles during a pivotal time in the Civil Rights Movement. 🌟 Susan Straight wrote this book after extensive research and numerous visits to South Carolina's Lowcountry, though she herself is not of Gullah descent, earning praise for her authentic portrayal of the culture.