Gloria: A Novel

by Kerry Young

Jamaica, 1938. Gloria Campbell is sixteen years old when a single violent act alters the course of her life forever. Taking along her younger sister, she flees their hometown to forge a new life in Kingston. But in a capital city awash with change, a black woman is still treated as a second-class citizen. From a room in a boarding house and a job at a supply store, Gloria finds her way to a house of ill repute on the edge of the city, intrigued by the glamorous, financially independent women within.It is an unlikely place to meet the love of your life, but here she encounters Pao, a Chinatown racketeer and a loyal customer who will become something more. It is also an unlikely place to gain a passion for social justice, but it is one of the house's proprietors who instills in Gloria new ideas about the rights of women and all humankind, eventually propelling her to Cuba, where even greater change is underway, and where Gloria must choose between the life she has made for herself and the one that might be.

Alive with the energy of a country at a crossroads, this is a story of love in many forms, and of Gloria's evolution-from a frightened girl on the run to a woman fully possessed of her own power.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Novels, Cultural, Historical, Literary Fiction, Adult Fiction

401 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2013

About the author

Kerry Young was born in Kingston, Jamaica, to a Chinese father and mother of mixed Chinese-African heritage. She came to England at the age of ten. Kerry’s background is in youth work where she worked both locally and nationally, and has also written extensively. She has Master’s degrees in organisation development and creative writing, and a PhD in youth work. Kerry Young is a Buddhist in the tradition of Vietnamese Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh. Her interests include Tai Chi, weight lifting and golf. She also loves jazz and plays alto and tenor saxophone.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second of Kerry Young’s trilogy of historical novels about twentieth century Jamaica. The first novel, Pao, focussed on race and colour. Gloria deals with the same story and characters, but deals with gender and sexuality. Young is on record as saying that she wants to show there are many Jamaicas and showing the political and social issues and their impact (including slavery and colonialism).
“A hundred years ago they free the slave, but they nuh free the woman” The novel opens in 1938 when a sixteen year old Gloria beats to death a man who has abused her and has started to abuse her younger sister. They both move to Kingston to get away and start a new life and the story begins to intersect with Pao. Stretching over several decades and covering recent Jamaican history. Gloria also looks at what is happening to Cuba, comparing it to Jamaican politics.
As in the first book prostitution and racketeering are part of the background; the novel takes us through the end of colonial rule and through the changes of the sixties and seventies. The role and place of women is central and Young explores sexuality; relations between men and women and also between women and women.
I really enjoyed this novel, I didn’t find the dialect problematic and Young writes with zest and humour. The characters are engaging and not at all two dimensional. It does help to have read Pao and Gloria fills in a few gaps in the first novel. Seeing the same events from two points of view is also very illuminating. I’m looking forward to the final novel in the trilogy.

[David Dacosta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complete with horse drawn buggies and an Uncle system reminiscent of the one practiced within organized crime circles, author Kerry Young rewinds the hands of time and places the reader squarely in the middle of a pre-independent Jamaica. Early on, Gloria and her younger sister, Marcia, are left with no choice but to flee their rural Westmoreland roots and relocate to Kingston, after Gloria accidentally kills a man in the act of protecting her sister. Life in late-1930s Kingston is a trying experience for Gloria, as she pounds the pavement daily in search of work after landing on the doorstep of an acquaintance of her mother’s, she and her sister respectfully regard as Auntie.

Young highlights the prominent role the Chinese played in the island’s wholesale and food retail enterprises. The patois laced First-person narration roots the story deeply inside Gloria’s head and heart, granting an intimate world view of the Jamaica she inhabits. Status is clearly drawn down colour lines, with the Chinese enjoying the spoils of business ownership. African descendants, thankful to be free from enslavement, desperately take whatever employment is offered. Gloria’s first job is as a shopkeeper in a Chinese owned supermarket.

Spanning some 30 plus years, Gloria sees its protagonist grow from a naive twenty year old fresh the country to a seasoned city woman with acquired wisdom. Sadly, some of the social ills portrayed in this story still plague present day Jamaica. While the inclusion of Martin Luther King Jr.`s 1965 visit to the island, and the lethal results of 1963’s hurricane Flora, provide some real historical context. Young must be congratulated on writing a heartfelt love letter to Jamaica’s past and for continuing in the rich tradition of author Margaret Cezair-Thompson’s debut novel The True History of Paradise.

[Laurie Larson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gloria's story covers nearly thirty years, from the horrifying murder at the novel's beginning to her discovery of a brother she never knew at its end. And in between is a series of hills and valleys,

losses and gains. A runaway at sixteen, Gloria raises her younger sister Marcia on the outskirts of Kingston, Jamaica. They are shop girls and domestics--until the house across the street beckons with its lively Calypso blaring from the radio on the porch, the friendly women, Beryl and Sylvia, the mouthwatering smells of home-cooked food, and the many visitors coming and going. Gradually the girls come to realize that Beryl and Sylvia are prostitutes, and even more gradually begin their working lives in the home.

The life of a woman on her own was not an easy one--but the wife of a married woman was often no better. Sybil explains that for a woman being a prostitute is a means to gain control of her life and claim her power: "...every woman is a whore ... she is a thing. A thing for [men's] comfort and pleasure, their pride or amusement. She there to mek them feel good. People think being a whore got to do with what gwaan in the bedroom but it not. Being a whore is about who is in charge. And who can mek who do exactly what they want ..." She then goes on to explain that in many ways women are still enslaved. "The woman is still living her life under the control a the man, under his law and regulation and goodwill. And her body is occupied ... it belong to him." For these women, prostitution means freedom and self-determination--a spin on prostitution seldom posited.

But two men do play a role in determining Gloria's destiny: Yang Pao, her Chinese customer-turned-lover; and Henry Wong, a wealthy wine merchant and grocer. In their own way, both men love her and Gloria's life would have turned out much different, one suspects, if it hadn't been for their protection and influence. In her twenties, Gloria gives birth to Pao's daughter, Esther, and the two leave the house in Franklyn Town. Gloria goes into the money lending business with Henry and life for the family of two settles into a slow, Caribbean rhythm. In her thirties, Gloria becomes involved in the People's National Party, even traveling to Cuba to help the Socialist movement there. She is introduced to Simone de Beauvoir and Betty Friedan and realizes, "how the struggles of women different if you also poor, or black, or homosexual. And that it just as important as anything the white woman got to face."

Cuban communism? Women's liberation? Gay rights? Those plot strands were a weakness in the novel, in my opinion, and the character's dialog sometimes turned didactic. Although I liked Gloria well enough, I would have loved the novel even more had it turned its eye more intently on the slice of life that is Jamaica. I'm interested to measure Julia against another Jamaican woman; Clara's Heart, by Joseph Olshan, will be released as an e-book in early July and I've just started my NetGalley download. Stay tuned ...
[Read more at thisismysymphony.blogspot.com]

[Shanae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I managed to finish Gloria in less than a week and that is due to Kerry Young's magnificent writing style and interesting story line. I have read quite a bit of Caribbean literature and I know that some of the most popular contemporary fiction works have to deal with Haitian literature and literature pertaining to the Latinos. But Kerry Young really revitalized my interest in Jamaican literature and I am now on the hunt for more :)

Though Kerry Young's Gloria is about Gloria, a Jamaican woman, she also tells the story of life for Chinese Jamaicans, introduces us to an Indian Jamaican (also known as Coolies), Cubans, women, and even life for homosexuals in Jamaica. Young's socio-political commentary on the state of Jamaica (economically, socially, etc), the Cuban revolution, and love is brilliant. Young also has Pao (who also appears in Gloria) and I'd like to see her tackle some of the issues currently affecting Jamaica and its people, possibly with other characters from the novel(s).

Gloria is well written and includes a well developed cast of characters that you grow to love and can even relate to in some way or another. Additionally, the plot is engaging and motivational.

I have to admit that Gloria is one of the best books I have read this year and it is also one of the best I have read this year. I do not know how to top this :D I think I'm going to start by reading Pao. I am not ready to leave Young's writing style and I am anxious to find out more about these wonderful characters.

I look forward to future works from Kerry Young and encourage you all to read not only Gloria, but also Pao.

[James F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gloria is the story of Gloria Campbell, who was introduced in Young's first novel, Pao, as Pao's mistress. The book begins with a bit of her history from when she was fourteen (although we don't learn all the details until the end of the book) and then describes her life in Kingston, her working as a prostitute, and her meeting with Pao. From that point on, the novel basically presents the same story as the first novel, but from the perspective of Gloria, and we realize how much Pao never knew (just as there are things in the first book Gloria doesn't know). It was an interesting idea, to present the same story from different sides in two novels (and apparently she plans a third book in the trilogy from another perspective; I presume Fay's, though there are other possibilities.) I've read some fantasy series that do this, but I don't remember another realistic novel series that does it. This novel is as one would expect more concerned with feminism than Pao, but both books share a concern with the political situation in Jamaica. There is also an interesting episode where the author volunteers in Cuba with the literacy campaign. As a whole, this is a somewhat better novel, but it shares the same fault, perhaps to a lesser degree, that the political statements sometimes seem more like the author preaching than what the characters would actually say in the circumstances. There are also "surprise" twists that were obvious well in advance, but I find that to be the case with most novels that try to have "surprises". Basically, a good, interesting novel with better than average politics (which I know isn't saying much ...)

[Sherree Gaskell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book put me right back into the middle of my childhood on the island of Jamaica. Young captures what it is to be a Jamaican woman, as only one who has lived it can. An incredible piece of work, not to mention, a fine piece of literature from a Jamaican born author. I only hope that Kerry Young continues to write for our enjoyment.

[Paula David · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Gloria first meets Fay, the wife of her lover Pao, she thinks the smile Fay greets her with reveals Fay thinking of her, “You poor thing”. In “Gloria”, I believe the author inadvertently reveals that thought as her own assessment of the novel’s protagonist.

Yes, Gloria rises above daunting challenges to become a self made success. But she is one dimensional. Her mistakes are always the result of her victimhood. The author treats Gloria with kid gloves which she never uses when handling Fay in “Show Me A Mountain”. I believe Kerry Young thought she could not trust her readers to be sympathetic towards a sex worker who is not without sin. In “Show Me A Mountain”, Ms. Young trusts us to determine that Fay can be spoiled, selfish and narcissistic, and still be capable of kindness, love and loyalty. The problem is that in shielding Gloria, the author makes her less complex. And less complex, to my mind, means less human. Paternalism in fiction is as misguided and condescending as it is in real life. It suggests that the author does not know the character well.

“Gloria” suffers from some of the shortcomings I perceived in “Show Me A Mountain”. While Ms. Young is clearly familiar with Jamaican language structure, she is (equally clearly) not a fluent speaker. And it's annoying. There were too many times when I wrote in my notes, "This is not Jamaican", or "bad construction", or "This should be 'is', not 'it'". There were characters who did not advance the story, chief among them in “Gloria” was “Fingernail”. Gloria's trip to Cuba and all that sprang from it was as incongruous as Fay's "Show Me A Mountain" interactions with Delton and her dealings with the British authorities. Political messaging appears to have been more important to the author than the story itself. My complaint is not about the author’s politics. I am similarly leftward inclined. But the novel is not the best vehicle for political exposition; the essay is. The last conversation Clifton Brown had with Gloria would have been an effective essay. It is not effective fictional dialogue. The author substituted her voice for the character's in that portion of the novel. It is an error she makes often; both in "Gloria" and in "Show Me A Mountain".

I do not regret having read “Gloria”. There is one small, and one large reason I am happy I did. The small reason is that having read “Show Me a Mountain” and "Gloria" in inverse order, I initially griped about not being able to see Junior’s significance. I now recognise that Junior was a clever tool to set us up for Fay’s story. The large reason is that as a great admirer of “Pao”, the first novel in the trilogy, had I not read Gloria, I would have been haunted by the gap in my knowledge. What I do regret is that I did not get a higher return for the time I invested in reading this novel.

[Chana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, an interesting historical novel, although I was left feeling a little dissatisfied. We skimmed the surface of Jamaican history, child sexual abuse, prostitution, poverty, plantation farming, rural life in Jamaica, life in Kingston, inequality between the sexes, education, religion, homosexuality, love, gambling, money lending, politics, Independence ...but we never settled and got into the nitty gritty of anything. At least it felt that way to me. It was well-written, quick to read....we just never stopped and really dug deep, there wasn't time as we were covering most of a woman's lifetime. It lacked emotional intensity, even the most emotionally wrenching scenes didn't come off the page and make me feel them, I'm not sure why as the writing was confident, mature, and competent.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Gloria’s story but what made this a 5 star read was the Audible performance of Robin Miles. The story was told in first person and with Robin’s beautiful Jamaican accent, Gloria’s story really came alive for me. Loved it!

[Passion Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gloria finds out the truth about who her parents are and has to gain an understanding of why life as she knows it isn’t everything she thought it to be.
.
Gloria really did the best she could during her time, with her limited resources and struggled keeping sight of who she truly is. The craziest thing is that they ended up moving into a house where prostitution was the name of the game.

Umongst that, they were able to still make a mark in their community. Gloria and her sister, later in life, led separate lives. Though they still found time for each other. Identity played a big part in this story because who you came from was important to know - though the biggest lesson was that your parents identity doesn’t always have to shape who you are.

Even in the whorehouse, Gloria still found a way to figure o out what she wanted out of life.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pros:
1. Unique time period & country - Jamaica from 1940s-1960s
2. Populated with many relatable characters - readers can connect with at least one element of the story

Cons:
1. Dialect hard to follow at times - had to work harder to read than follow the story, so it made it less memorable
2. Bumpy plotting

I would recommended this book, though I think it would be best as an audiobook if the right narrator was found.

ARC supplied by publisher via NetGalley

[lauraღ · Rating 4 out of 5]

SAY IT IN DIALOGUE! STOP LEAVING IT FOR PROSE!

That's my main criticism of this book and I figured I'd get it out of the way quickly. I generally dislike passive narration a lot, and while I think it has its uses, and while I definitely agree that it's useful and works in a book like this, that uses slang in the narration and has a very easy, flowing style... it was just done too much! To exhaustion! And for passages where it didn't make sense. Sometime maybe quarter way through the book, Pao says something to Gloria and it makes her pause and come to this big revelation, and it's relegated to a passive prose telling that just sucks all the meaning out of it. I can't even remember what Pao told her! And no wonder!

Halfway through the book I realised that the author's first book, Pao, is literally just Pao's version of most of the events of this book and it's probably why the author sped past some bits, and why some parts sounded like a summary rather than passages from a book. And I don't know what to think of it. I really liked this book, and I'm glad I read it, but it seems so... redundant. In any case, I'm glad I read Gloria first rather than Pao, because it's definitely the one I'd enjoy more.

Anyway, on to the things I liked. There's a lot! I love love love books about the Caribbean written in the slang of the native island. Every single bit of it. A statement and a rebellion from the start. And it wasn't, IDK, overdone or forced or exaggerated. Every bit of this book felt and read like it came from Gloria, the character. And Gloria is great. Strong and flawed and so vivid.

This book says things about sexism and misogyny that I felt very very deeply. I suppose all women can relate to it in some part, but it got to me especially as a woman from the Caribbean. (Not that all of our experiences are mirrored.) The descriptions of her time in the yard, and the way the men looked at her, and the way it made her feel... god, I felt it so hard.

I actually started off the book hoping to god that she was gay lol. But I came to really like the descriptions of all her relationships with the men in her life, and how she navigated them. None of them are perfect and there's no fairytale ending, but that's part of why I liked it. Also, the fact that there WERE gay characters later on meant a lot to me, okay. THE LESBIANS LIVED AND WERE HAPPY, YAY.

Gloria shares a lot of similarities with other 'young woman comes of age' type books, but it's unique and wonderful and VERY Jamaican. Well written, entertaining books that paint an authentic picture of the Caribbean past are rare, and so precious to me. We learn so much of ourselves like this! Really good read.

3.5 stars.

[Nasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is set in Jamaica, starting late thirties all the way up to the seventies, and it follows Gloria. Gloria (16 years) grew up in the countryside, but she was forced to flee after a traumatic experience. Together with her sister Marcia (14 years) she figures that Kingston can offer the opportunities she so much craves. She quickly finds out that opportunities for an uneducated black girl are sparse, especially in a time of political upheaval. This leads her to Sybil and Beryl, and their house of ill repute. It is there that Gloria meets Yang Pao, a Chinese man who’s life will forever be linked to hers. As Jamaica grows, changes and finds its own identity, Gloria too has to come to terms with her past, present and future.

To my surprise, I absolutely loved this novel! Never read it because I really dislike the cover. Clearly, I should not have judged the book by it. Admittedly, this book is not ground-breaking by any means, it won’t get a Nobel prize. But personally, I connected to it like I’ve never done before. Gloria is by far my favourite book character of the year. I felt all the emotions reading this: I cried, I was angry, I was happy and giggling in love. This book gave me everything: social commentary, thoughts on the aftermath of slavery, the effect of sexual assault on a life, female emancipation, society’s response to homosexuality. And all of this through the lens of a sympathetic character you can’t help but root for. It was amazing, I will be rereading.

Gloria is a perfectly written character, I have so much love for her. On paper, she is made to live in poverty: she is a black woman in a country that suffers from misogyny and racism/colourism. Yet she defies all odds, and carves out a piece of agency for herself – a freedom that is still formed by her identity as a black woman. As a character, Gloria is fully fleshed out, she has flaws, strengths, she grows and adjusts, and she has interesting responses to the society around her, that also reveals a lot about the history of Jamaica. To be honest, all characters are so perfectly contextualized, even when I wholeheartedly disagreed with Pao’s actions, it was clear that he did what he did because of his context. Everything is so intricately connected to everything like identity, time, and place, it makes everything feel so real.

Other than Gloria and all other characters being so beautifully complex, the transportive language is what makes this book a masterpiece. I’ve never been to Jamaica, but I feel like I have. The way people speak and the descriptions of the city, clothes, colours and even smells sucked me in. On top of that, Kerry clearly has extensive knowledge of Jamaican history and politics. The subtle references to real life occurrences, like MLK visiting Jamaica give it such a grounded feeling. Additionally, Kerry has a great grasp of how identities and politics/social change intersect. Yes this is fiction, but it obviously does say loads about Jamaica. Most importantly, the love for Jamaica is felt throughout the novel, I have no choice but to love Jamaica too.

[Collina Wicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kerry imagined a complex story with an almost overwhelming amount of subplots. This made the story sort of wild in places, especially towards the end of the novel where it felt as if she was attempting top tie up all loose ends.
The female characters were always acutely aware of their own social and political limitations and the effect this had on their lifestyle. This exploration of women and sexuality really helped me as a female reader empathise with the character and feel her emotions alongside her.
The detour to Cuba felt a little laboured and not as well integrated as other subplots but did give the reader a sense of the different views of the political situation at the time.
The scope of the plot was impressive, especially the use of Jamaican and Chinese dialect, which was used in a way that never made the reader feel that it was inaccessible.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gloria evolves from a scared 16 year old girl fleeing small-town Jamaica to a strong independent woman with her own power. With her younger sister, Gloria flees a murder charge and arrives in Kingston. It is 1938. Kingston doesn't offer many employment options for young, uneducated, poor, country black women. Gloria is drawn into a house of prostitution operated by 2 women who have taken ownership of their bodies and their lives.

At the house, Gloria meets Pao - a Chinatown racketeer. Their relationship is set against the country's early years of moving from colonialism to independence. Gloria - after trips to Cuba and an affair with Ernesto - a Che follower- becomes a proponent in Jamaica for women's rights and social injustice.

[Gloria E Meunier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate that I was able to enjoy this read; that said and done I have to throw in my two cents:

As Joni E. Tada has stated "lust is the opposite of love" and so I disagree as far as 'all kinds of love 'in the
Context of not listening to Love Who Is God and Who is also Holy Fire.

I John 4v19+v2
We love because He first loved us!

2. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.

Romans 8vOne

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after The Spirit.


Praise Jesus!

[Doris Raines · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS STORY THIS BOOK REMINDS ME OF A CLASS MATE WHO WAS DEEPLY DEPRESSED. ALL SHE WOULD DO WAS CRY .I ALWAYS TRY TO COMFORT HER. UNTIL SHE WENT MISSING. THIS BOOK FOR SOME REASON REMINDS ME OF HER, SHE WAS MY FRIEND, THE MAN STOLD HER. SHE NEVER BEEN FOUNDED SOME HOW THIS BOOK REMINDS ME OF HER HER NAME ALSO WAS GLORIA EVEN THIS PICTURE REMINDS ME OF HER. WE WILL MEET AGAIN ONE DAY MY DEAR FRIEND GLORIA . HOPE AUTHOR YOU DONT MIND I WROTE THIS, I LOVE THIS BOOK IT SOUNDS SO SARREAL—- THIS BOOK IS A MUST GO IN MY LIBRARY. TO YOU GLORIA TO yOU. SHE WAS NEVER FOUND HER PARENTS DIE OF A BROKEN HEART. 🙏🏼😇

[Rachel Brewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The author does a great job of making you root for the characters. I didn’t realize this was part of a series until I finished. I didn’t read the first book and it didn’t matter for outdoes of this novel. I think they can be stand alone novels even if they are related. This book was fantastic at making me feel various emotions at different parts of the story and I think the character development really added to that. It’s also deals with serious issues of gender, race, class, and politics. It’s very well done and I really enjoyed reading it.

[Tricia Sanders · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a hard time with the dialect of this one being used 100% of the time, it started to give me a bit of a headache and i just couldn't get into it or the characters. I gave up about 1/3 of the way through.

[Abbey (The Open Bookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an accompaniment to her debut novel 'Pao', 'Gloria' is a must-read. Beautifully written, vivid character development and an introduction to an area of Caribbean history that is seriously under-emphasised.

[David Jackson Ambrose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Young is one of my favorite writers.

[SB · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried. It seems like an interesting story, but I just found the dialect too distracting to concentrate on the plot. I don’t think it’s a bad book, it just really wasn’t for me.

[Chantal Waldropt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book telling the story of women from all walks of life

[Katina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ííí

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complex, layered revealing. Highly recommend.

[Sue Gates · Rating 1 out of 5]

Found this book very hard to read, didn't finish it as I thought it would be too brutal and language was hard to read

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of a girl growing up in such hard times, trying to survive no matter what. Forming friendship in unexpected places. Love, politics and a past that continues to haunt her.

[Christina Adebiyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book and the plot suspensions. The hints that were dropped and connections between the characters. After reading about the author, I wonder if she is the real Mui.

[Adrina Ebanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book was better than the first, and better than the last in the trilogy

[Nancy R]

Great read