I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Glow by Jessica Maria Tuccelli Published: 2012 by Penguin Books
Genres: Historical Fiction
Pages: 336
Format: Paperback
Source: the publisher
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Jessica Maria Tuccelli’s debut novel “Glow” is a joy to read. I’d highly recommend it, and invite you all to participate in a giveaway sponsored by the publisher. Just leave a comment to enter. I’ll draw the winner out of a hat on May 31. Please include your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win.
And now, for my review…
“Glow” is a historical novel set in the American South. The story centers around a little girl named Ella McGee. Her father is black and her mother, a civil rights activist, is Cherokee. When Ella’s mother is threatened before a protest, she puts Ella on a bus back to her own hometown in Georgia, hoping to keep her safe.
While Ella’s story forms the basic framework of the novel, Ella herself doesn’t appear very much. Instead, Tuccelli tells the story of several generations of Ella’s family, ranging in setting from mountain cabins to plantations. Through each story, Tuccelli weaves a compelling commentary on race relations and sacrifices made to protect one’s family.
Having so many protagonists in a book of this length should have turned out very badly, but Tuccelli pulled it off masterfully. Each character’s story is well developed, and watching the relationships between them intertwine gave this book a layer of depth and complexity that I hadn’t expected. Each character is memorable and unique. There is the story of Riddle Young, a Cherokee man who had a son, Alger, with a neighbor’s slave, whom he loved, only to realize that the child would be born into slavery. Riddle spends years indentured as an overseer in order to convince the plantation owner to let him buy his son’s freedom. Meanwhile Alger falls in love with Willie Mae, who can see ghosts and spirits. Then there’s Mia, Ella’s mother, as she realizes for the first time as a child that people hate her because of her race. Mia is such a strong character, and yet we see her desperate worry as she realizes that fighting for her rights places both her own life and that of her daughter in danger.
Each generation in Tuccelli’s story struggles with its own crises, and her characters do everything they can to overcome the obstacles that they face in life. There is violence, and bad things happen to good people, but at the same time the overall tone is one of hope.
Oh, and did I mention that there’s a ghost story?
The spiritual and paranormal elements in “Glow” enhance the story, but don’t take anything away from the central message. Tuccelli’s style reminds me of Isabelle Allende’s magical realism. There are ghosts, but their presence in the story is subtle, and the overall focus is on creating snapshots of race relations throughout a family’s history over the course of several generations.
If you enjoyed “The Secret Life of Bees,” “The Help,” or anything by Isabel Allende, then you’ll probably love “Glow” as well. I’m so glad to have had the opportunity to share it with you.
Does the giveaway include people living outside of the US? If so, count me in! It sounds like great fun. Who doesn’t love ghosts?
50yearproject@gmail.com
Unfortunately, it is U.S. only. 🙁
How have you been, by the way? I’ve fallen off the face of the planet for the past few months.
I’ve been good. Busy, but in a good way. Glad to see you back. How’s work? are you done with school?
Close to done with school. I’ve got one last class which I’m taking this summer, then I’ll officially be graduated. I can’t wait! Even better–my last class is on genre fiction, so it’s right up my alley.
Work is going pretty well. I love my job, and am hoping they decide to keep me past October, which is when my contract is up for renewal. When I first started grad school, I was worried that I’d made the wrong career choice and wouldn’t like being a librarian, or that it would somehow make me tired of seeing books all the time. Luckily, the opposite is true. 🙂
Looks like a great story!
sumsum085@aol.com
sounds like a great story
karmapolice99@aol.com
sounds beautifully done. I am intrigued by the Allende comparison. omphaloskepsis[at]stonhaus.com
I’ve been a huge fan of Allende for years now, so it’s awesome to see something that has a bit of the same feel to it–a complex historical backdrop with just a hint of magic that seems to be an organic part of a character’s story. Not a lot of authors manage to pull it off without veering right into the fantasy genre (which I love, but this is something quite different).
Sounds like a beautiful book and I will definitely add it to my TBR pile (not entering the giveaway because I’m not in the US)
That book sounds like an intriguing look at family dynamics and race. Plus ghosts! 🙂
absurdlynerdly(at)gmail.com
When I started reading it, I didn’t expect the ghosts at all. They work really well!
This book has been on my “to-read” list forever. I love stories based in the South and ghosts make everything better.
They do! Good ghost stories are lovely.
This sounds so interesting! Cherokees + ghosts? a book for me!
londonbridget47@aim.com
I can’t wait to read this!
sounds great, want to read this
Pick me!
I’d love a copy of this book!
Glow has been on my to-read list for a while. After reading your review, the book moved to the top. I look for good debut books. Many protagonists, a tone of hope, a subtle approach to the paranormal, are all reasons I would enjoy Glow.
I’d love to win a copy of this book! It’s on my summer to-read list.
I love the premise of this story, and enjoyed “The Secret Life of Bees” and anything by Isabel Allende. It would be wonderful to win a copy of “Glow”! Thanks for the opportunity!
This sounds like a wonderfully interesting book…I can’t wait to read it. Thank-you for the opportunity to win it.
This sounds like a wonderfully interesting book…I can’t wait to read it. Thank-you for the opportunity to win this.
I have GLOW on my nightstand right now (from the library) but how I would love to win a copy to keep! Southern Lit is my very favorite genre. Please enter me to win!
Have just started reading it, and, I am so enjoying it! Would love to win a copy to pass on to my sister!
Glad to hear you’re enjoying it thus far! I couldn’t put it down. 🙂
Would love a copy! I have only heard good things about this book!
I’ve had this book on my want list for awhile, I would love to win a copy.
nmc69 (at) sbcglobal (dot) net
I was just going to ask the same TBM asked…
Yeah, too bad, this sounds very good.
Well, if you ever see a copy at the library, you should try it. It seems like something that you’d like. 🙂
Hope I win, looks good.
Historical novels and historical non-fiction is the way that I learn and one of the ways I expand my awareness. Books have kept me in this world and for this I am forever thank-full! Peace, smiles and many belly laughs to us all!
I agree, historical novels and non-fiction are a great way to learn and expand one’s awareness. “Glow” is one of those books that I am dying to read in print, rather than on my kindle — I go back and forth between ebooks and print. They both have their advantages!
I’m also very happy to have read it in paperback version and not on the e-reader. Glow has a wonderfully detailed family tree at the beginning of the book, and with all its characters and family history, being able to flip quickly back and forth between the page you were at and over to the family tree(s) was wonderfully helpful. Without being able to flip back to see where the characters connected would surely mean you lost out on so much of the bonds across many generations, and their three, intertwined races. Glow is, in the very least, a fantastic tale of connection and how each of these characters – white, black, native Indian – are intertwined with one another.
I agree. I also found myself flipping back to the family tree on a regular basis. 🙂
This looks great. I loved the Help, Saving CeeCee Honecut and the secret life of bees. I would love to win!
I would LOVE to read this novel of the South esp. since my family has lived in the region since colonial times!! Thanks for the #armchairbea giveaway. I can be reached @ mosthappyreader at gmail dot com.
this looks like a really good one ..
glhince@gmail.com
I’ve heard this one is really good! Thanks for the chance to win a copy!
candc320@gmail.com
Thanks for the awesome giveaway!! justonemorechapter@hotmail.com
I;m biracial so when i meet historical novels that discuss these issues i am immediately intrigued. i really want to read this!
Well, of course, I need to put myself on the list since I am a ghost novel aficionado! My email is: debatwood@hotmail.com
Thanks for offering this book.
I love historical fiction, and ghost stories – this sounds great! Also, I love that cover – so striking!
booksandbosox@yahoo.com
I LOVE ghost stories!
videoclimber(at)yahoo(dot)com
This looks like a wonderful book!
westmetromommy@gmail.com
I loved The Help – so I’m definitely interested in this one too! :o) My e-mail is ChristinaRT511@gmail.com.
Thanks for the chance to win a copy of the book! It sounds worthy of my limited time… (krstrpp at hotmail dot com)
OOOHH This sounds like something that both me and my daughter would enjoy!! Thanks for the giveaway and the review!!!!
OPS I forgot my email
landavazo1 at gmail.com
Sounds like a great book!
I signed up to follow you via email – Just wanted to agree with you that books with some historical interest are so much fun to read, besides ghosts and Cherokee Indian time in here in Oklahoma and when we lived in Georgia we have alot of friends who have Cherokee, Choctaw and creek Indian blood lines, plus two of my daughters in law do also. . I hope you had an excellent time at the blog conference.
This sounds good. Nice review 😉
Sweet cover!