Where you come from isn’t who you are.
Ten-year-old Pearl Spence is a daydreamer, playing make-believe to escape life in Oklahoma’s Dust Bowl in 1935. The Spences have their share of misfortune, but as the sheriff’s family, they’ve got more than most in this dry, desolate place. They’re who the town turns to when there’s a crisis or a need–and during these desperate times, there are plenty of … are plenty of both, even if half the town stands empty as people have packed up and moved on.
Pearl is proud of her loving, strong family, though she often wearies of tracking down her mentally impaired older sister or wrestling with her grandmother’s unshakable belief in a God who Pearl just isn’t sure she likes.
Then a mysterious man bent on revenge tramps into her town of Red River. Eddie is dangerous and he seems fixated on Pearl. When he reveals why he’s really there and shares a shocking secret involving the whole town, dust won’t be the only thing darkening Pearl’s world.
While the tone is suspenseful and often poignant, the subtle humor of Pearl’s voice keeps A Cup of Dust from becoming heavy-handed. Finkbeiner deftly paints a story of a family unit coming together despite fractures of distress threatening to pull them apart.
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This novel blew me away on so many levels. I would go so far as to call it a modern classic. Finkbeiner perfectly captures her ten-year-old narrator’s voice–so much so, it was very reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird. Pearl Spence has that perfect blend of naivety mixed with flashes of deep insight, as evidenced by this quote: “That was when I learned that kindness could break a heart just as sure as meanness. The difference was the kindness made that broken heart softer. Meanness just made the heart want to be hard.”
The Dust Bowl, a nearly forgotten period in American history, was brought to vivid life in this novel. Yet the details were woven effortlessly into the story and it never felt even vaguely didactic (as is often the case with historicals).
And the characters. Mercy me. I won’t forget them. I loved the grandma/mom/daughter dynamic, watching these strong women enduring more than they ever dreamed. As usual, Finkbeiner handles desperate situations with a light touch, bringing a refreshing hopefulness to the reader. And yet she doesn’t turn a blind eye to the harsh realities these people had to face.
Highly recommended!
Susie Finkbeiner has written an amazing novel with grace and power. Pearl’s story is moving, heartwrenching, emotionally terrifying, and poignant. What an amazing girl living in an inauspicious time. You will be drawn into the story from the first word and will ride an emotional roller coaster until you close the book.
Pearl is tenacious, courageous, gracious, innocent, full of spit and fire, and one of the most precious girls you will ever read about. The author does an amazing job of holding you captive as you experience life in the 30s in Oklahoma during the dust bowl. You will feel the grit of the dust swirling around you and in your mouth as you navigate the grim days of that time period.
You literally want to step into the pages and hug Pearl, letting her know that you believe her and you will do your best to make things right. The manner in which the author gives clues to the “mystery” but leaves you not 100% positive of every piece of the puzzle is the sign of an excellent writer.
I look forward to more awesome stories from Susie Finkbeiner.
Riveting. An achingly beautiful tale told with a singularly fresh and original voice. This sepia-toned story swept me into the Dust Bowl and brought me face to face with both haunting trials and the resilient people who overcame them. Absolutely mesmerizing. Susie Finkbeiner is an author to watch!
Author Susie Finkbeiner is a master story teller. You can tell the Dust Bowl era was deeply researched and the facts are real. Her book, while not easy and pleasant, portrays a difficult time in history very realistically. It was hard. People died. But throughout A Cup of Dust, we see young Pearl searching for a God who is there, and cares. Love and hope are a constant thread. I highly recommend this book!