Book Review: Glory Bishop

Glory Bishop. Deborah King. Red Adept Publishing, June 4, 2019, E-book, 302 pages.

Reviewed by Sierra Kay.

It’s 1983, but you wouldn’t know it from Glory Bishop’s life. Glory’s mother is raising her under strict rule and must have had “spare the rod, spoil the child” surgically etched in her brain. Glory goes to church, work, and home, and struggles to find any freedom as she progresses through her senior year in high school.

While most of her classmates prepare for college, Glory can only hope for the freedom that a man can provide. Her mother doesn’t believe in college. So, marriage would be her only way out. 

The man that chooses Glory happens to be the preacher’s son, Malcolm, who is Glory’s senior by ten years. Her mother is ecstatic. Glory is hesitant. Malcolm is persistent. 

Glory finds herself reveling in the new freedom she experiences while dating Malcolm. She’s eating at the best restaurants, getting rides to and from school, and receiving expensive gifts. Her mother can’t even say no to Malcolm. The problem is neither can Glory. Malcolm would do anything to protect and keep Glory. But what does Glory want? 

Glory Bishop is a well-developed story. Glory’s internal struggle trying to determine what she wants manifests itself in different ways throughout the novel, which keeps the reader engaged. 

Glory’s boss, Herschel, tries to guide Glory through her complex emotions and the world outside of the church. He offers practical advice, while also serving to highlight what was happening in the society at large during this time. 

Deborah King has written a compelling, thought-provoking novel that engages readers and made me wish the story would never end.