Kathleen Grissom

Well-written historical fiction based on real characters, a Crow Indian girl who willingly marries a fur trader white man in Montana in the mid 1800’s. They have three children and Crow Mary loves her husband, Abe Farwell, who because of a trial where he was on the Indians’ side was ostracized by white men. Abe fell into alcoholism and died. In the story we learn to understand Crow culture and see white poeple take over land and kill once plentiful buffalo. We see Crow Mary’s children stolen and sent to Carlisle for “education.”… (más)

Kathleen Grissom is an author I will automatically read because she never disappoints. Her thorough research into pieces of history that were never taught in school (at least when I went!) is detailed and informative. She takes those slices of history and weaves them into multi-layered stories with characters you care about and root for. Crow Mary sounds like such a strong, determined, giving, caring, woman who didn't back down in a man's world.
This story will take you on a journey from Montana to Canada and back in the late 1800s, teach you a bit about the way of Crow Indian life, and the struggles of keeping their world as the white man took over their land. It's a book I'll read again and one I highly recommend!… (más)

Kathleen Grissom's first novel, The Kitchen House is probably my all-time favorite book, and I've been looking forward to reading Glory Over Everything. As with TKH, this "sequel" of sorts held my interest from page one.

I purposely saved this treasured book to read on a trip to New Orleans, as a vacation treat to myself. It held special interest as I toured plantations in that area, seeing how slaves lived in the same time period as Kathleen's novel.

We follow Jamie's story, a young character from TKH, as he takes us along on his journey after fleeing Tall Oakes plantation... his home as a "white person" until the discovery his real mother is a black slave at the plantation.

The story takes place for the most part in 1830, but has flashback chapters from 1808 and on as we get a glimpse of how Jamie's life ended up the way it did. This book has other wonderful characters who will melt your heart... Pan, a young black boy taken as a slave, Sukey, a slave we met in TKHnovel, and many others that will pull you right into their story.

Glory Over Everything, as with The Kitchen House, is not a lighthearted story. It is a story of grit, perseverance, heart, love of mankind... and cruel hatred of mankind. It is another story that will stay with you long after you turn the last page!
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