Gloryland

Mr. Johnson has written an inspiring and informative fictional memoir which gently, but surely pulls one into the reality of life for a young African- American must walk out of the South and find a means to survival. The text is lyrical, almost soothing and yet unflinching in its story-telling about life in South Carolina during reconstruction and life in the quintessentially different area, Nebraska, and further west.

If you like history you will know that the story of the Buffalo soldiers(African-American cavalry) needed to be told. You have an interest in the Cherokee, the Calvary or went to war in Korea; especially, if you love the national parks and believe in being close to the earth, this book is for you.

Mr. Johnson has written an inspiring and informative fictional memoir which gently, but surely pulls one into the reality of life for a young African- American must walk out of the South and find a means to survival. The text is lyrical, almost soothing and yet unflinching in its story-telling about life in South Carolina during reconstruction and life in the quintessentially different area, Nebraska, and further west.

If you like history you will know that the story of the Buffalo soldiers(African-American cavalry) needed to be told. You have an interest in the Cherokee, the Calvary or went to war in Korea; especially, if you love the national parks and believe in being close to the earth, this book is for you.

Shelton Johnson's book, "Gloryland" is a fascinating account of one man's life from abject poverty in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to a member of the American troops caring for Yosemite National Park, California. The story is yet again a tale of man's inhumanity toward man and the struggle to climb out of the cesspool of the underclass in the last half of the 19th century.

This story takes us to the time of vile treatment of African Americans(in this case doubly deviled by African-American Indian heritage), including a KKK lynching and rigid class differences of rank in the federal military service. In a way that is not conventional for a novel, the narrative is broken down into a string of memoir-like episodes, each preceded by a snippet quoted from military or national park documents. Author Johnson has captured sincerity in the "voice" of narrator/protagonist, Elijah Yancy that lends an intimacy to the character and allows the reader to suffer along with him as he makes his life journey. As we follow this young man's life, we also learn a great deal about such things as African American troops in the military, cavalry and foot soldier, as well as President Roosevelt's beginning forays toward developing the national park service. Author Johnson also takes us inside the characters to reveal the strength behind the black man's ability to survive in a hostile world.

"Gloryland" is a thoughtful book, full of down home philosophy and lifetime advice about finding one's way and self-discovery. I was particularly interested in the portraits of the way African American military men were treated even while serving their country. A special pleasure for me was to learn more about the early days of Yosemite and the role of African American Park rangers in that effort. I highly recommend "Gloryland" to all readers of American Historcal novels.

I discovered this very special book in the gift shop at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite. It wasn't possible to stop reading once I had started. Though the protagonist experiences the gamut of life from the ugliest racism to the most exalted moments of beauty and self-awareness, his tone--and Johnson's--is never didactic. An image of water early in the book keeps recurring and metamorphosing, as in a theme developing during a piece of music. This attention to deeper structural matters--along with lovely surface imagery, Johnson's storytelling skills, and the sense that this is the actual "soundtrack" of the best history books one has read on postbellum America--makes this book a delight on all levels.

The author presents a stunning portrait of a man's struggle against racism and poverty to claim his dignity. As Yancy travels across the world, we listen to his dreams and his heart. The poetic prose sounds much like Walt Whitman's verse. The real "gloryland" is inside Yancy.

Juneteenth

The celebration of Juneteenth reminds me of the best book I have read in the last couple of years. The novel Gloryland by Shelton Johnson tells the story of Elijah Yancy who was born on Emancipation day 1863. The reader meets a compelling character who must walk from South Carolina to Fort Robinson, Nebraska, to join the U.S. Cavalry.

His unit goes West to subdue American Indian tribes and later to the Philippines to quell rebellion. Remembering his Seminole grandmother who helped raise him, he wrestles with his duties versus his conscience. “Weeds are just plants folks don’t got a use for. Out on the Great Plains, those weeds were called Indians,” Elijah tells himself.

Such wisdom written in the vernacular of the uneducated Elijah punctuates his adventures. Ultimately his troop is posted to protect the newly created Yosemite National Park in 1903.

His life represents a metaphor for the promise of emancipation versus the reality of Black Americans’ lives in the United States. Nevertheless, Gloryland is an uplifting book about a resilient man who finds redemption in, of all places, Yosemite.

The author, Shelton Johnson, is himself a ranger in Yosemite. Ken Burns’s documentary film on the national parks features him prominently.

Beautifully written history of post Civil War history - one of best books I have read. It has been read in 4 different book groups I am acquainted with. I have lost count of how many"Gloryland" books for gifts to family and friends. Where did the slaves go for jobs after the war? The stories of Buffalo Soldiers - establishing National Parks - Teddy Roosevelt -The author still works in Yosemite.

What a fantastic book......
Fantastic book!

Powerful and poetic expressions and metaphors. Made me feel I was there with him. Especially when he was riding on the mountain trail with his mule to one valley and looked straight down on one side. I could see what he was looking at. The immensity is hard to describe, but he did it.

One of the passages about Freedom was memorable. It was about learning to write and sing your own freedom song. "The words must be about living with yourself after you let go of everything that meant something to you. How do you do that and keeping singing?"

This reminds me of the 'detachment" that Buddha teaches. It's only by going within ourselves and detaching from the distractions of the world we've created that we discover our Self. Peace is in silence.

I learned or re-learned a lot from this book.

This is a well written historical view of a segment of American life that has been largely ignored by the history books. Gloryland should be savored like fine wine. I am truly proud of Shelton and what he has accomplished at Yosemite.