The Kitchen Help-Important Historical Fiction that Needs Help with the Writing

Kathleen Grissom's novel "The Kitchen Help" is historical fiction portraying the brutal oppression of slavery in our country.  Canadian author Grissom takes on the heinous brutalities inflicted on slaves as seen through the eyes of an indentured white girl, Lavinia, and Belle, a black slave both living on the same plantation.  Lavinia was 5 when her parents were sailing to America from Ireland in 1791.  Both parents died on board.  Gravely ill, she was brought to the plantation by its owner.  Her parents were to work off their passage as indentured slaves.  The plantation master brought Lavinia back to work as indebted by her parent's.  Caring little for the sickly girl, Lavinia was placed among the slave quarters where she finds acceptance, love and family. Belle, is the child of the Captain & one of his slaves. Belle receives his doting and affection which also brings resentment from others.  Both girls are living in a world apart; below white aristocracy and above harsh conditions of field slave hands.  Belle, takes it upon herself to care for Lavinia and is warmly embraced by black slaves that form Belle's extended family.  The parallel narratives was a clever device.  However, this novel would have worked better written as Young Adult fiction.  We watch Lavinia discover divided stations in life as she grows into adolescence.  "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."  The important messages are lost in an undertow of stupor.  A missed opportunity; this should have been something super.