GLORY

In Dogwood, West Virginia, the residents follow their own fire-and-brimstone religion, and most, including 13-year-old Glory Mason, have never even traveled beyond this isolated community set in the Appalachian Mountains. Glory, who has her own way of thinking, secretly questions her religion, prefers wearing overalls and being outdoors to doing women’s work, and wishes that others, even her own father, would see her as worthy as her best friend Katie. After discovering the compound’s secret radio, stash of arsenals, and alcohol, she convinces Katie to join her in getting drunk on Christmas Eve. In their drunken state, tragic choices are made, for which Glory is blamed; forced to drink the Water of Judgment, which is rumored to kill its consumer in one year; and banished from Dogwood forever. Glory’s story becomes one of survival and fulfilling a promise she and Katie made—traveling to Boston. After she stumbles upon Jake, a farm boy, he eases her into the modern world and helps her get started on her journey. In her debut, Lynn effectively creates a likable character through Glory, but the predictable plot is marred by implausible situations. Glory’s story continues in sequels to follow. (Fiction. 11-14)