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    Gloria
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    Gloria
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    Gloria
    Ebook386 pages6 hours

    Gloria

    By Kerry Young

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    _______________

    'Kerry Young is a standalone talent in the new emerging generation of writers from the Caribbean region. Read her if you want to know about the Caribbean' - Monique Roffey, winner of the OCM BOCAS Prize for Caribbean Literature

    'A vivid portrayal ... Kerry Young's heartfelt, sparky and affecting debut novel is a chronicle of multicultural Jamaica, both in its cultural richness and in its strife and tensions' - Guardian

    'A pacy but absorbing saga of domestic struggle and gangland manoeuvring set against the violent backdrop of postwar Jamaican politics' - Independent on Sunday
    _______________

    From the author of the Costa and Commonwealth Prize-shortlisted Pao

    Jamaica, 1938. Gloria Campbell is sixteen years old when a single violent act changes her life forever. She and her younger sister flee their hometown to forge a new life in Kingston. As all around them the city convulses with political change, Gloria's desperation and striking beauty lead her to Sybil and Beryl, and a house of ill-repute where she meets Yang Pao, a Kingston racketeer whose destiny becomes irresistibly bound with her own.

    Sybil kindles in Gloria a fire of social justice which will propel her to Cuba and a personal and political awakening that she must reconcile with the realities of her life, her love of Jamaica and a past that is never far behind her.

    Set against the turbulent backdrop of a country on the cusp of a new era, Gloria is an enthralling and illuminating story of love and redemption.
    _______________

    'Gloria is a brilliant, observant, sometimes complex read, but with clear and simple messages, it speaks to the feminist and equal rights campaigner in all of us *****' - Western Mail

    'A very authentic portrayal of a woman's lot in 1950s, 1960s Jamaica. I fell in love with Gloria and was turning over the pages rapidly, willing her to conquer her situation. A triumph' - Alex Wheatle, author of Brenton Brown

    'A highly evocative portrait of a country in transition, and of one woman's search for self-awareness and self-respect' - Mail on Sunday
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
    Release dateApr 11, 2013
    ISBN9781408822890
    Unavailable
    Gloria
    Author

    Kerry Young

    Kerry Young was born in Kingston, Jamaica, to a Chinese father and a mother of mixed Chinese-African heritage. She moved to England in 1965 and lives in Leicestershire. Kerry is a Reader for The Literary Consultancy and a tutor for the Arvon Foundation. She is also Honorary Assistant Professor in the School of English at The University of Nottingham and Honorary Creative Writing Fellow at the University of Leicester. She was writer-in-residence at The University of Sheffield (2014-2016) as a part of the Royal Literary Fund Fellowship Programme. Kerryyoung.co.uk

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    • 4/5
      As young teenagers in 1938, Gloria Campbell and her sister Marcia flee Jamaica's countryside for Kingston following a violent incident in their home. With few connections or skills, alone in an unfamiliar city, the sisters end up in a brothel run by a pair of strong women willing to take them in. Here Gloria meets Pao, a racketeer and enforcer in Chinatown, who soon becomes more than a customer. The changing political tides make it difficult for Gloria and Pao to be together, but encourage Gloria to become part of a larger social upheaval, allowing her to recognize her own value and strength.

      Within the early pages of Gloria, Kerry Young easily transports readers to streets Kingston. Instantly noticeable is the strong Jamaican dialect, which is used throughout the novel, fairly easy to adjust to and does wonders for setting the overall tone. Without ever having traveled the region, it is possible to fully visualize Gloria's world through Young's vivid imagery.

      That world is filled with more than a simple coming of age tale. Over the course of several decades, Gloria examines forgiveness, social justice and, ultimately, acceptance. Gloria herself is a beautifully developed, strong female character - a perfect companion for Young's vibrant setting.

      While some readers may avoid reading novels written in dialect, in this case they would be missing out. Kerry Young's Gloria is a unique piece of historical fiction, rich with culture and full of transformation.

      Blog: River City Reading