Taylor Thompson’s debut novel, Crowning Glory River’s Journey introduces the reader to River Thomas, a young black girl struggling with self-acceptance, in particular, her insecure relationship with her hair. When the melting pomade burns her eight-year-old scalp, she swallows down the pain for she understands her mother is only fixing what is wrong with her hair, making it nice and straight as hair should be. Thsi internalized whiteness is strengthened when every Sunday she smiles up at eh white Jesus painted above the baptisimal bay. She smiles up at him with hiar just as straight as his. This journey to self-rejection is reinforced when as a teenager she has to accept that not even straight hair is enough to win her Elvis’ love. Angrily she takes her love from him, stops straightening her hair and starts to wear an afro. Twenty years later, river’s doomed marriage to her bland, older husband who can’t match her intellect and passion for life, is in jeopardy. As River climbs the cooperate ladder after her promotion to Senior Accountant, she makes the decision to straighten her years-old-afro, hoping to feel less out of place as the only black person in the office. Her relationship with Daryl, the Office Manager, grows strained when she refuses his advances. The author uses this relationship to deeply explore the historical relationships between black women and white men. When Daryl hires Alpha, blond and beautiful, as River’s assistant, their past and future relationships prove deatructive to them both, but more so for River. With dramatic urgency, a powerful sennse of self-worth, and a beautifully rendered cast of characters revealing a deep understanding of human nature in all its flawed glory, Crowning Glory is an unforgettable novel about overcoming internalize self-contempt, effects of racism and abuse, and adversity.
Spis treści
1. Thinking Back
2. The Early Years
3. School Days
4.Paradise Palace
5. Chief Manders
6. Daryl and Alpha
7.The Side Door
8. Adam
9. The Big House
10.River’s Townhouse
11. Alpha’s Training is Over
12. Tomorrow’s Revelation
13. A Quiet Time
14. Club Meeting
15. One Month Later
16. Evaline and Jim
17. Two Days before Monday
18. A Brother’s Help
19. Monday Morning
20. Grand Jury is Convened
21. Straightening Things Out
22. Home Again
23. Wednesday’s Work
24. Galveston Beach
25. The Abortion Plan
26. The Doctor’s Orders
27. Packing Up
28. Getting Away
29. The Cemetery Visit
30. Chicago
31. The Letter
32. The Renovation
33. Yesia’s Round Brush
34. Opening Night
35. One More Buy
36. Stefan’s Pain
37. Back in Bayou City
38. Wedding Plans
39. Stefan’s Mother
40. Car Trouble
41. One More Godbye
42. Another Problem
43. Where’s Alpha?
44. Time to Talk
45. Harry Jones is Dead
46. A Phone Call from Texas
47. Back to the Present