Glory over Everything

“ Five years after her novel The Kitchen House turned a stunning light on the lives at a Virginia plantation before the Civil War, Kathleen Grissom again takes up the generations of a family as they fight their way not only to a life of freedom, but to a life that matters. Everyone moving through these pages, especially James Pyke, established in this story as a durable character of American fiction, is tangled in a great web of secrets too important to keep and too dangerous to tell. Grissom has done the near-impossible: she has kept the tension alive, tension that doesn’t let up until the final page.” (Jacqueline Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean and Two if by Sea)

"Glory over everything, Kathleen Grissom has done it again! With her second novel, Kathleen gives us a stirring and uplifting tale of the triumph of compassion and courage over bigotry and brutality. The story jumps of the page, and her characters are unforgettably human. Perfect for book club discussions, Glory Over Everything is absolutely a must read." (David R. Gillham, author of City of Women)

" If Dickens had been an American he might have written such a novel as this, a story with all the elements of a classic, family secrets, the struggle of an orphan to affluence and prominence, a quest for love, plus miscegenation, and escape from slavery. This exciting story of danger, fear, cruelty, loyalty, and enduring love, brings alive some of the worst in our history, and some of the best. (Robert Morgan, author of Gap Creek)

“As she proved in The Kitchen House and reaffirms in GLORY OVER EVERYTHING, Grissom is a first-rate storyteller….But storytelling alone does not define her talents. A master of character creation and development, she draws a memorable cast….Throughout the novel, Grissom neither moralizes nor excuses; instead, she observes with an unwavering but kind eye, and she bestows upon the reader, amid terrible secrets and sin, a gift of mercy: the belief that hope can triumph over hell.” (Richmond Times Dispatch)

"Compelling...engaging...Like The Kitchen House, Glory over Everything will appeal to readers who appreciate a thought-provoking historical drama, making it a good selection for book clubs as well." (BookPage)

"A gripping tale filled with vivid characters....Grissom is a superior storyteller." (Library Journal)

“Grissom spins a dramatic story line—the suspense never wavers—and captures the racially tense times….An emotionally rewarding novel. Expect strong book club demand.” (Booklist)

“A continuation of Grissom's (The Kitchen House, 2010) gripping saga of escaped slaves in the 1830s…Breathless to the end.” (Kirkus Reviews)

Grissom’s lyrical storytelling is rich with period details, and the novel can be read as either a memorable standalone or a captivating sequel to The Kitchen House. (Publishers Weekly)