Gloria in Excelsis

Gloria in Excelsis is a sweeping family saga that steps back in time to the latter years of the nineteenth century and the early decades of the twentieth century, and while the lead characters in this saga are women, interestingly, it is often the actions of the male characters in the book that cause the upheavals driving the sudden plot twists as the story evolves. The first section is Gloria's story, but it doesn't end with Gloria's marriage to the rakish man who wooed and won her. That is only part of the story. Gloria does marry, and she has five children. The middle portion of the book is mostly about her sixth child, Thelma, who wasn't born to her but was a foundling who was embraced by the family. And so while we continue to see Gloria in her mature years, we are also witness to Thelma (as well as the other children) as she grows and matures against the historical backdrop of World War I, the Spanish influenza epidemic, and the Great Depression. The third and final section of this novel isn't a continuation of the second portion of the book but runs parallel to it. In Mary Ellen's story, we find answers to the questions of what was happening over there while this was happening here. In this third section, characters from the first two sections are met once again and seen from new and different perspectives. This richly written novel resonates, as most good stories do, with universal themes. It explores the power of love and the strength of family ties, even if the family is not one you were born into.

-- Priscilla Audette