Crowning Glory River’s Journey

Taylor Thompson's debut novel, Crowning Glory River's Journey introduces the reader to River Thomas, a young black girl struggling with self-acceptance, in particular, her insecure relationship with her hair. When the melting pomade burns her eight-year-old scalp, she swallows down the pain for she understands her mother is only fixing what is wrong with her hair, making it nice and straight as hair should be. Thsi internalized whiteness is strengthened when every Sunday she smiles up at eh white Jesus painted above the baptisimal bay. She smiles up at him with hiar just as straight as his. This journey to self-rejection is reinforced when as a teenager she has to accept that not even straight hair is enough to win her Elvis' love. Angrily she takes her love from him, stops straightening her hair and starts to wear an afro. Twenty years later, river's doomed marriage to her bland, older husband who can't match her intellect and passion for life, is in jeopardy. As River climbs the cooperate ladder after her promotion to Senior Accountant, she makes the decision to straighten her years-old-afro, hoping to feel less out of place as the only black person in the office. Her relationship with Daryl, the Office Manager, grows strained when she refuses his advances. The author uses this relationship to deeply explore the historical relationships between black women and white men. When Daryl hires Alpha, blond and beautiful, as River's assistant, their past and future relationships prove deatructive to them both, but more so for River. With dramatic urgency, a powerful sennse of self-worth, and a beautifully rendered cast of characters revealing a deep understanding of human nature in all its flawed glory, Crowning Glory is an unforgettable novel about overcoming internalize self-contempt, effects of racism and abuse, and adversity.

1. Thinking Back

2. The Early Years

3. School Days

4.Paradise Palace

5. Chief Manders

6. Daryl and Alpha

7.The Side Door

8. Adam

9. The Big House

10.River's Townhouse

11. Alpha's Training is Over

12. Tomorrow's Revelation

13. A Quiet Time

14. Club Meeting

15. One Month Later

16. Evaline and Jim

17. Two Days before Monday

18. A Brother's Help

19. Monday Morning

20. Grand Jury is Convened

21. Straightening Things Out

22. Home Again

23. Wednesday's Work

24. Galveston Beach

25. The Abortion Plan

26. The Doctor's Orders

27. Packing Up

28. Getting Away

29. The Cemetery Visit

30. Chicago

31. The Letter

32. The Renovation

33. Yesia's Round Brush

34. Opening Night

35. One More Buy

36. Stefan's Pain

37. Back in Bayou City

38. Wedding Plans

39. Stefan's Mother

40. Car Trouble

41. One More Godbye

42. Another Problem

43. Where's Alpha?

44. Time to Talk

45. Harry Jones is Dead

46. A Phone Call from Texas

47. Back to the Present