GLORY OVER EVERYTHING by Kathleen Grissom

I really enjoyed THE KITCHEN HOUSE, so I was thrilled when GLORY OVER EVERYTHING – Beyond the Kitchen House – came up on Net Galley. This novel essentially continues the story begun in THE KITCHEN HOUSE. (see my review of that here )

Here’s what Net Galley had to say about GLORY OVER EVERYTHING:

Description

The author of the New York Times bestseller and beloved book club favorite The Kitchen House continues the story of Jamie Pyke, son of both a slave and master of Tall Oakes, whose deadly secret compels him to take a treacherous journey through the Underground Railroad.

Published in 2010, The Kitchen House became a grassroots bestseller. Fans connected so deeply to the book’s characters that the author, Kathleen Grissom, found herself being asked over and over “what happens next?” The wait is finally over.

This new, stand-alone novel opens in 1830, and Jamie, who fled from the Virginian plantation he once called home, is passing in Philadelphia society as a wealthy white silversmith. After many years of striving, Jamie has achieved acclaim and security, only to discover that his aristocratic lover Caroline is pregnant. Before he can reveal his real identity to her, he learns that his beloved servant Pan has been captured and sold into slavery in the South. Pan’s father, to whom Jamie owes a great debt, pleads for Jamie’s help, and Jamie agrees, knowing the journey will take him perilously close to Tall Oakes and the ruthless slave hunter who is still searching for him. Meanwhile, Caroline’s father learns and exposes Jamie’s secret, and Jamie loses his home, his business, and finally Caroline.

Heartbroken and with nothing to lose, Jamie embarks on a trip to a North Carolina plantation where Pan is being held with a former Tall Oakes slave named Sukey, who is intent on getting Pan to the Underground Railroad. Soon the three of them are running through the Great Dismal Swamp, the notoriously deadly hiding place for escaped slaves. Though they have help from those in the Underground Railroad, not all of them will make it out alive.

*************************************************************

Wow – I started reading and couldn’t put this book down. It did a great job of being a stand alone, but I would still recommend reading THE KITCHEN HOUSE first, if possible, to further character development.

Speaking of characters, I did sometimes have difficulty with Jamie’s character – mainly because he often made bad/stupid choices that frustrated me. I wanted to see a change in him by the end. While there was a slight one, he still seemed pretty self-serving and selfish. At the same time, I loved the character of Pan.

Regardless of whom I did or did not like, this was a well-written sequel to TKH and I think readers who enjoy reading of the Civil War period would enjoy it.

Thank you for my review e-copy!