Crowning Glory River's Journey , a story about passion and dreams in the dark and dangerous world of child abuse, bigotry, and lust introduces the reader to River Smith. Her personal metaphorical journey must become a physical one from the 1950's racism in Hopewell, Texas if she is to successfully navigate her way through the maze of sexual, racial, gender, and work identities. Only then can she discover and embrace her worth as a black woman. Along the way there is much she must escape: Greg, her faithful but bland older husband; Adam, who awakens her sexually; Manders, the white police chief who is determined to drive her away from a hard won and successful business. Thompson has written a compelling story. River's odyssey of pain and ressurection is a story for our time, raising powerful challenges to our complacency regarding violence against the human spirit.