I can see
this book being adapted into a Hallmark movie.
Unfortunately, it is not a book I enjoyed; it is much too
saccharine.
In Glory,
Alabama, in 1964, Isaac Reynolds, a black field hand goes missing. When Jack McLean, Isaac’s friend and
employer, was killed two years earlier, Isaac took Pete, Jack’s son, under his
wing and the two were almost inseparable.
Thirteen-year-old Pete sets out to try and find out what happened to
Isaac; in the process he finds a new friend and learns about the world.
This is to
be seen as a coming-of-age novel showing Pete’s maturation from the age of 11
to 17. The problem is that Pete seems
mature from the beginning. If anything,
he is too good to be true. He never seems
to do anything wrong; his only transgression is lying to his mother that he is
going fishing with Isaac when he actually goes with him to a barbecue in the
black section of town where he hears blues music for the first time! He is unfailingly courteous, works hard, and takes
responsibility for his actions. He shows
no sign of teenage rebelliousness; he does get into a fight at school but only
because he is defending a girl’s honour.
And because he respects Dovey, his girlfriend, sex is never ever
mentioned.
And it is
not only Pete who is perfect. His entire
family borders on the saintly. They show
no prejudice; though Jack was white and wealthy, one of his best friends was a
black man and the other was a poor man.
Pete’s maternal grandfather, Ned Ballard, is the town philanthropist who
quietly gives money to any deserving person regardless of colour. In his attitude and behaviour, he is very much
the Atticus Finch character. Dovey’s
deceased mother is described as an angel and Dovey seems one too; she is always
doing nice things for others. She even
has an angelic singing voice! The one
person who could be seen as a rebel is Pete’s Aunt Geneva who is known for
speaking her mind; nevertheless, everyone is crazy about her, even those she
cowers into subservience. She is Harper
Lee’s Miss Maudie.
The blacks
and the poor are also portrayed as overwhelmingly good. Of the poor white people living in the hollow (?!) only Joseph Pickett is
shown in a negative light; he marries a woman who is described as a loudmouth
with no sense and who wears tight shorts and halter tops. The blacks are likewise shown only in a
positive light. Hattie, for instance, is
so hardworking that she is respected by all the whites. She brings to mind Calpurnia in To Kill a Mockingbird.
While Pete’s
family has no flaws, there are villains who have no redeeming qualities. A character is introduced early in the book
whom any discerning reader will immediately identify as one of the evil
characters who will keep reappearing throughout. Then there are the stereotypes: two obvious ones are the stupid, prejudiced
sheriff and the uneducated country bumpkin who in her mannerisms and speech reminded
me of Mayella Ewell in To Kill a
Mockingbird.
With all
the religious overtones, this book would probably fit the category of Christian
fiction. Hymns are quoted
liberally. The McLeans are good
church-going Christians, as are the blacks.
The poor whites do not feel welcome in Glory’s churches but worship in
their own way. In the end, the good are
rewarded (usually by finding a soulmate and getting married) and the hypocrites
receive their comeuppance.
Anyone who
loves a feel-good ending will love this ending. Despite some temporary setbacks, evil is eventually
vanquished. Good conquers all. Happiness awaits those who persevere through
hardships. I wish life
were so simple, but such endings are not very realistic.
Undoubtedly,
I will be criticized as being too harsh in my comments. I do not mean to be. This type of book is just not for me; it does
not reflect the real world. People are
more nuanced than the characters in this novel.
Furthermore, by resorting to stereotypes and clichés, the author does
not increase the reader’s understanding of Alabamians or appreciation for Southern
culture. (Or has my reading been coloured
by Roy Moore’s Senate campaign in
Alabama?)
Note: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via LibraryThing.
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