By Kelly Bridgewater
Nearly a decade after her husband’s affair drove her back home to South Alabama, Jessie McBride has the stable life she wants—operating her garden shop, Twig, next door to her house on Glory Road, and keeping up with her teenage daughter and spunky mother. But the unexpected arrival of two men makes Jessie question whether she’s really happy with the status quo. When handsome, wealthy businessman Sumner Tate asks her to arrange flowers for his daughter’s lavish wedding,
Jessie finds herself drawn to his continued attention. Then Ben Bradley, her lingering what-could-have-been from high school, moves back to the red dirt road, and she feels her heart pulled in directions she never expected.
Meanwhile, Jessie’s fourteen-year-old daughter, Evan, is approaching the start of high school and navigating a new world of emotions—particularly as they relate to the cute new guy who’s moved in just down the road. At the same time, Jessie’s mother, Gus, is suffering increasingly frequent memory lapses and faces a frightening, uncertain future. Once again, Jessie feels her protected and predictable life shifting.
In one summer, everything will change. But for these three strong Southern women, the roots they’ve planted on Glory Road will give life to the adventures waiting just around the curve.
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| From Amazon |
My Thoughts:
Lauren K. Denton is a southern writer who writes about the
people and culture of the lower southern American states. I was first
introduced to her writing when I read The
Hideaway. I enjoyed the time-slip novel and the characters. Her second
novel, Hurricane Season, didn't wow
me like the first one. But then I heard she was writing another novel entitled Glory Road. I prayed it was as
well-written as The Hideaway was.
Fortunately for Denton, I really enjoyed Glory
Road.
Her writing is clear and concise. She does a wonderful job
at creating the southern way of life and bringing it to life for this Yankee. I
have visited the south once to visit my aunt, but I have really never traveled
down there. I have spent most of my life traveling across the northern part of
the country. But Denton allows me to experience and slower and more polite way
of life in her novels through her characters.
I really liked this coming of age story with Evan and
flashbacks told in third person from Jessie. I really liked how she dived into
the realistic dilemmas of a teenager and a mother who are trying to survive
after moving home ten years ago. As for Gus, the grandmother or mother, who is
dealing with the early signs of forgetfulness, she gripped my heart with her
boastful mouth, but then I felt bad when she couldn't remember simple things. I
liked seeing Evan, the teenage girl, struggle with life and early romance.
The story doesn't just feature the mother's romance. It
features all three heroines. I enjoyed seeing them ride the rollercoaster of
emotions as they chased the different feelings weaving through their lives. The
romance didn't overshadow the main storyline. It strengthens the women and made
each of them stronger heroines.
Overall, Glory Road
by Lauren K. Denton was a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours. I loved
seeing three generations of strong women and watching them interact with each
other with love and respect. It was a relief with all the hatred floating around
through the generations today. It was a nice change. I enjoyed the novel, and I
believe fans of Catherine West and Beth K. Vogt might enjoy this literary
women's fiction novel too.
I received a complimentary copy of Glory Road by Lauren K. Denton from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but
the opinions stated are all my own.
My Rating:
4 out of 5 stars
