A sparkling search for answers, family, and a place to call home. Pennsylvania, 1940s. The only life Brighton Friedrich has ever known is the one she has endured within the dreary walls of Riverside Home–the rural asylum where she was born. A nurse, Joann, has educated and raised Brighton, whose mother is a patient at the hospital. But Joann has also kept vital information from Brighton–secrets … Brighton–secrets that if ever revealed would illuminate Brighton’s troubling past and the circumstances that confine her to Riverside. Brighton’s best friend is a boy she calls Angel, and as they grow up together and face the bleak future that awaits them, they determine to make a daring escape.
Nothing can prepare Brighton and Angel for life beyond Riverside’s walls. They have no legal identities, very little money, and only a few leads toward a safe place to land. As they struggle to survive in a world they’ve never seen before, they must rely on each other and the kindness of strangers–some of whom may prove more dangerous than the asylum they’ve fled.
Narrated in Elizabeth Byler Younts’s gorgeous style, this poignant and heartbreaking novel explores the power of resilience, the gift of friendship, and the divine beauty to be found in the big, bright world–if only we’re willing to look.
Praise for The Bright Unknown:
“A beautifully woven story of a young woman’s journey to understanding that the past shapes us but does not define us, and that it is love that gives us the courage to live like we believe it. With prose that is luminous and lyrical, The Bright Unknown is a compelling read from the first page to the last.” –Susan Meissner
“With evocative prose and rich detail, Younts draws us into the humanity and hurt of a little examined chapter in American history. Her poignant details will break open your heart, but, with skillful beauty, she makes Brighton–and us–whole again in this wonderful story of hope, grace, and love.” –Katherine Reay
“Elizabeth Byler Younts writes with heart, a poet’s pen, and courage. This is I knew when I read The Solace of Water. This was reinforced with my reading of her newest offering. Younts has given us a story which is at once powerful and compassionate, revealing and dignified, heartrending and lyric. Compelling and infused with hope of redemption, The Bright Unknown ushers readers on a journey of empathy. I, for one, am grateful to have read it.” –Susie Finkbeiner
“As bold as it is beautiful, as haunting as it is full of hope, The Bright Unknown is a story that will latch onto the minds and hearts of readers, and not easily let go. With luscious language that gives birth to unforgettable characters, Younts is not afraid to explore the dark places for the sake of finding light. I could not put this novel down!” –Heidi Chiavaroli
- Stand-alone historical novel set in the twentieth century
- Book length: approximately 110K words
- Includes discussion questions for book clubs
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I read this book start to finish yesterday. I am going to honor my book hangover and wait before starting the next one, because this story is not meant to be dismissed or discarded. #TheBrightUnknown is brave and bold and heartbreaking, but so beautiful, too. The ending was what I was hoping for (Thank you, Elizabeth Byler Younts!!). Every page, every line is so carefully crafted, it just sings. If you want historical fiction that will stick with you, this is it.
I was born on April 25, 1981, at 4:16 p.m. in a traditional hospital setting. The name on my birth certificate reads Nicole Patricia Durso. I was always told that I was named after my father — Nicholas Patrick Durso — because I was firstborn and every firstborn on my dad’s side of the family is named Nicholas Patrick. I accepted this story but thought it sounded kind of fishy. I appreciated the connection to my father and grandfather and great grandfather, but I’ve always believed this tradition should have been kept through the male line. When I got a little bit older, I had to do a family tree project for school and discovered that this name thing was grossly incorrect. Most all of the men on my dad’s side of the family are NOT named Nicholas or Nicholas Patrick.
So, I confronted my mother: “What gives, mom? Why was I named Nicole Patricia?” She confessed that I was actually supposed to be named Elise Marie. My dad was really struggling with impending fatherhood while my mom was pregnant with me, and she was worried. So much so that when the recording nurse took down my vitals after I was born my mom loudly informed her that I was to be named Nicole Patricia. Why did my mom pull this switcheroo? Because she believed sharing a name with my father would make him less scared to be a dad, and it would bond us better. My mom was afraid my dad wouldn’t love me if I was called Elise Marie.
In The Bright Unknown names are important. Names are our identities. They become a vessel upon which our personalities are shaped. In a very real way, names are who we are. I am Nicole Patricia. I am not Elise Marie. That’s someone else or no one at all. Names are so important that if they’re stripped from us we become lost. Brighton and Angel, the heroine and hero of The Bright Unknown, go through many “Who am I?” moments, and at certain points become unnamed and lost. It’s actually quite painful to watch these two characters go through these periods.
This topic really weighed heavy on me for a couple of days, so much so I had to turn to my Bible. What does God say about names, about knowing us, and about our identities? In Jeremiah 1:5, God tells us that He knew us BEFORE He formed us in our mother’s wombs, and in Isaiah 49:16, God tells us that He has engraved His kids on the palms of His hands. Can you imagine that?! On God’s hands — His beautiful, perfect hands — are our names, and my name is Nicole Patricia. And, if Brighton and Angel were real, their names would be on God’s hands too. The point is no matter what humans do here on earth to make us invisible, worthless, or unimportant God knew us, knows us now, and forever sees our names on His palms. Can I get an AMEN?!
The Bright Unknown by Elizabeth Byler Younts is a masterpiece. This novel is beyond excellent. It is poignant, heartbreaking, refreshing, and so filled with hope. I thoroughly loved every second spent with Brighton and Angel and will miss them now that I have turned the final page. It goes without saying that I highly (times infinity) recommend this must-read story.
I received a review copy of this novel in paperback form from the author via Celebrate Lit. I also purchased an eBook copy and an audio copy of this novel to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
When one of my favorite authors releases a new book, I have to read it ASAP. The same beautiful prose Younts displayed in The Solace of Water is served up again in The Bright Unknown. From its clever title to the historical detail that shines a light on the dark way America dealt with the mentally ill, this story checks all the boxes. Haunting and unique, the heartbreaking story of a child’s endurance and survival in the worst possible conditions is a lesson to us all. No matter the hand we were dealt in our childhood, hope can be found.
This is a first time author for me, and it will not be the last time I read anything by her. I enjoyed this story, but for me, it was a haunting setting. This was a tough book to get through, as it is a haunting story of pain and despair, that pulled me in, nonetheless broke my heart. I would recommend this book to anyone who may possibly be able to relate to Brighton and Angel’s past and present.
I received a copy from Thomas Nelson Publishing in exchange for my honest opinion.
This is a beautifully written book about a horrific subject with characters that you won’t soon forget. The story grabbed me from the first page and kept me interested until the last page. Even though some of it was difficult to read, there was always a feeling of hope, no matter how difficult the circumstances.
The story begins in 1937 and Brighton is 14 years old. She has lived in the Riverside Home for the Insane for her entire life. Her mom was a resident when Brighton was born and since there was no one else to take care of her, she grew up sharing a room with her mother. One of the nurses took care of her, taught her to read and read books to her when she was growing up. Her mother was extremely depressed and non-verbal but Brighton loved her dearly and helped to take care of her. When she was younger, she met a boy at the asylum who was a little bit older than her but like her was not insane. He was put into the hospital because he was an albino and an embarrassment to his upper class parents. He didn’t even have a name so Brighton named him Angel. A new girl shows up one day. Grace is a little older than Brighton but she was admitted to the hospital because her parents didn’t approve of the boy she wanted to marry. She tells Brighton and Angel about the outside world – things that they’d never seen or heard about and they all realize that they don’t belong where they are and need to escape. They have no money and very little understanding of how to handle being out in the world but they are determined not to remain where they are. Will they be able to find peace and happiness in the world or will they miss their families and the other patients that they have learned to love and care about? Will they find happiness?
The Bright Unknown will definitely be one of my top 10 books for 2019.
Beautifully, lyrically written, Younts shares little known horrors found behind the closed doors of mental institutions in days not so long past. It is a tale of revelation, compassion, human dignity and the human dignity stolen from inmates sometimes wrongfully institutionalized. It is a story of courage and fortitude and determination to escape and grow and thrive, despite making that journey with every disadvantage. It was an honor to read this book.
Elizabeth Byler Younts is one of my favorite authors. The Bright Unknown is an intense novel — well-written, engrossing, and unforgettable. It’s not an easy read — but it’s heartbreakingly honest and Younts weaves hope through the story.
One of the most engrossing books I’ve read in a long time!
Heart-wrenching. That is the best way I can think to describe this incredible tale. I am so glad that I decided to read this story. It’s plot line is so engrossed in the asylum world, you’ll feel you’re watching it take place. Brighton and Angel are such fantastic lead characters, their stories will drag you into their reality. This haunting story will open your eyes to the harshness of insane asylum’s of the past, but also fill you with the joy that there is hope even in the darkest of situations!
I received of complimentary copy of this story through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.
“Words are veils and masks, and there’s always something more on the other side of them than we want to believe.”
This is my first book by Elizabeth Byler Younts and I am totally captivated. The author writes with such haunting, powerful, heart-wrenching innocence through the eyes of Brighton, a child born in an asylum during the 1920s. The story chronicles her life in the asylum as she befriends an albino boy she names Angel, as she watches and then lives the horrors administered to the hospitalized under the guise of “therapy”, as she craves love and touch and receives what she can’t process until much later in life. The despair and hopelessness of her teen years in the asylum are balanced out by her present-day 1990 voice in which we are aware that she’s lived a good life after escaping the asylum and infuses the whole story with hope. The author addresses the atrocities that so many went through from the late 1920s through early 1940s, those who were considered “not normal”, in the physical and/or emotional sense.
Elizabeth Byler Younts has found another fan in this reader who is still reeling from the beautiful complexity of this book. I received a copy of the book from Thomas Nelson via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
Wow! Another interesting book by Elizabeth Byler Younts. Brighton Friedrich was born in Riverside Home, an asylum for the mentally ill because her mom was there at the time. She made many friends there, after all she was there until she was an adult. One was Angel, an albino that wasn’t mentally ill, but his wealthy family didn’t want him. I’ve always heard that asylums in the early to mid 1900’s treated their patients horrible, and that’s what happens in this book. But for one nurse that grew to love Brighton.
The title of this book didn’t prepare me for what was coming between the pages. This was definitely not an easy book to read. Sometimes it was hard to keep reading, yet I did, because I wanted to find out how the story ended. Ms. Younts goes into so much detail about the treatment of the patients, which really angered me, they used anything to control them. I’m glad much more has been found out about mentally ill patients today and there is help.
The characters in this story grew on me. I fell in love with Brighton and Angel, and ‘Nursey’ as Brighten called her, was the only reason they survived. I did have a difficult time with how the nurse treated Brighten at one time though. And the escape from the home could have been handled differently but maybe during that era in time it was the only way.
Over all, this is a fantastic read. A very different read, for sure. This is why I wanted to review this book, because I know it would be unique. So I encourage you to check out The Bright Unknown if this is an issue that interest you.
A copy of this book was given to me by the author or publisher. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions here in this review are totally mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
The Bright Unknown by Elizabeth Byler Younts is a powerful, moving and heart breaking Christian historical tale. I am not ashamed to say that the tears fell as I read some of the truly horrifying scenes of great cruelty from those who were supposed to care for the most vulnerable.
The novel has two timelines – 1990 and 1937 moving forwards to 1941. It is told through the eyes of one woman born into the state asylum. The reader becomes completely entwined into the story as we witness the appalling and barbaric treatment. State asylums were places of great cruelty. People were incarcerated into them and left, abandoned by the world and their families in the misguided belief that it was ‘best’ for them. The world was a cruel place – people were placed into these institutions for terrible reasons as disability was not understood but feared and seen as a stigma. Women and children had few rights and these could be overridden by domineering males in society. “See the person behind the frightened eyes. Not just the diagnosis.” The inmates were all people in need of love, care and attention. They did not deserve to be treated so abominably.
The reader is horrified by the conditions, conditions that were seen as acceptable by those in charge at the time. There was no compassion or love.
Surprisingly there were friendships that flourished. Love, care and compassion were found among the patients. Bonds and promises were made that would last a lifetime.
We need to be aware of the words that we speak and the actions that we use. Both can have the effect of life or death for others. “When you’re treated like a worthless piece of flesh, eventually you believe it.” We sadly, live up or down to the opinion of others of us.
Hope can bloom in the darkest of places. “Darkness vanished when light touched it.” We need just a crumb of hope to cling to. Even on the darkest night, we can still see the stars.
Sometimes we feel abandoned by everyone and even wonder if God exists for us. “I prayed to a God I was sure was out there somewhere.” God never leaves us. He sees our pain.
The asylum was a prison with walls. Sometimes we erect our own walls and stay within them to be safe but we are our own jailer. We need to demolish these walls and begin to live in the freedom that God desires for us. We may cling to what we know but there is a big wide world beyond our walls just waiting for us.
The Bright Unknown broke my heart. The fact that people were treated so barbarically and cruelly in the twentieth century in a civilised country is just horrific. To counter this, there was a love that ran throughout the novel that warmed my heart.
I want to leave you with my favourite and most powerful quote. It comes from a character who steps into a church for the first time and sees a statue of Jesus on the cross:
“I couldn’t help him from his captivity, but I wondered if he could help me from mine.”
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
The Bright unknown
The Bright unknown was a book that kept my interest. Parts of it was hard to read. Brighton grew up in a asylum because that where her mother is . She doesn’t belong there but is stuck staying there until one day finally escapes. Once she gets out she finds things are so much different.
The book goes from past to present time. Her life changed so much during the years. I loved how Brighton was able to survive and help others too.
I received a advanced copy of the book from the publisher through Celebrate Lit. This book review is my own opinion.
When I read the back cover copy I knew I was in for a moving novel, I was just not prepared for how it would affect me emotionally.
I was hooked from the first line. “I’m not sure whom I should thank – or blame – for the chance to become an old woman. Though as a young girl, sixty-seven seemed much older than it actually is.” And I couldn’t stop reading until I finished the last one.
This isn’t a fluffy read, it is a beautifully written novel about mental health and how it was dealt with in the late 30’s and 40’s. It will break your heart, and I don’t say that to discourage you from reading it, I say that because Ms. Younts has written a beautiful novel that will transport you back to a time, with subject matter and character’s that you will hurt for and have hope for.
The time-slip element made reading this book easier because the present portion gives glimpses of hope from the dark element of Brighton’s past. The story is told in first person through Brighton’s eyes.
This is my first read of Ms. Younts and it will not be my last. In fact I was just getting ready to read The Solace of Water that was published last year when I received this book.
I highly recommend this novel!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel via the publisher in association with Just Reads Publicity. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
WOW. This book is … wow. Stunning. Captivating. Beautifully written, full of raw emotion and pain and hope.
Having read Younts’ “The Solace of Water,” I knew “The Bright Unknown” would be special and, frankly, deep. If I had to compare it to anything, it’s like Katie Ganshert’s “No One Ever Asked” meets, well, anything by Jaime Jo Wright, but especially “The Curse of Misty Wayfair.”
“Bright Unknown” is a perfect read in fall and around Halloween, but not before bedtime—between subject matter and the desperation of needing to know what will happen next. By no means a short or quick read, the book delves fully into its characters, and storylines of a world nearly forgotten now. It challenges the reader to see mental illness separately from people suffering with it: “When you meet someone who might struggle with mental illness, see the person behind the frightened eyes. Not just the diagnosis” (eARC loc. 3969).
Truly a stunning read, and one I enjoyed even more than “Solace of Water” (which says something!). Plenty of twists and turns, with a climax and denouement I did not see coming.
I received a copy of the book via JustRead Publicity Tours. All opinions are my own.
Some books you hold close to your chest as you sit in the resolution of the last pages. This was that book.
With “The Bright Unknown”, Elizabeth Byler Younts positions herself alongside Lisa Wingate and Kristin Hannah. And if you know me as a reader, you know that Kristin Hannah is my favorite. So that is saying a lot.
The haunting story of Brighton Friedrich and the Riverside Home Shows the most difficult parts of humanity and past decision made but brings us the hope of humanity as well. The young girl, Brighton, was born in an insane asylum and raised among the patients, including her mother. But Brighton doesn’t belong there. Neither do many of the asylum’s inhabitants—having been locked away by their parents or family members for things that were far short of insanity. Brighton finds the bright places where she lives but also witnesses the darkest moments. And Younts takes us along the heart breaking journey as Brighton watches her world torn apart and her own heart torn as to whether to escape or to stay with her mother.
What a powerful story of love, forgiveness, hope, and not forgetting the past but learning from it and allowing it to make us stronger.
4.5 stars.
More often than note, it’s the emotionally draining books that stick with me the most. The Bright Unknown by Elizabeth Byler Younts is not a light-hearted, happy, feel-good story, but it is one that, days after I’ve finished reading, I find myself thinking about.
The majority of the first half of this book chronicles Brighton’s girlhood in an asylum for the mentally ill. Set in the late 1930s and early 40s, Younts’s examination of the treatment and misuse of the system is poignant, haunting, and, at times, reviling.
Yet, in the midst of a broken system, there are moments of goodness and light. Whether it’s the nurse who cares for Brighton like a mother or Brighton’s acceptance and friendship with Angel, the moments of good amidst the more prevalent discouragement, readers are giving glimpses of the hope for Brighton.
With the present juxtaposed with the past, I wanted the truth to be revealed, and Brighton to find a life of joy and light. And I was not disappointed.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
What a fascinating novel! The Bright Unknown by Elizabeth Byler Younts was a wonderful read. I honestly couldn’t put it down. The story read like a time-slip novel. I believe there are three different time periods the readers will travel to, but Younts has labeled each section, so it was easy to follow along. On the other hand, the characters were unique. I really enjoyed seeing the world through Brighton’s eyes as she lived and explored the only world she ever knew. The asylum. I couldn’t imagine living somewhere and thinking it was normal to see all that, but if that is all you knew, then I guess you had no choice. The entire time I couldn’t wait to see how Brighton escaped. It took a while to get there, but I think that worked in Younts’ favor; it kept me flipping through the story. I enjoyed how Younts showed us that there is more to people with disabilities than what people see at first glance. Some of these people are the sweetest people you ever met. I have worked with a number of them over the years and have enjoyed talking with them. Some kept me laughing; while some made me think. The Bright Unknown made me think. This was a unique story, and I enjoyed spending time with it. Younts is a talented writer, and now I need to seek out her first story. If you like the honesty of this story, you might enjoy The Curse Of Misty Wayfair by Jaime Jo Wright, it also takes place at an asylum.
I received a complimentary copy of The Bright Unknown by Elizabeth Byler Younts from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.
A book that will make you shutter, and I found myself with tears, those poor people. There is a lot of truth in this read, and knowing that made it so much harder for me to make myself believe this is a fictional book.
The author does a wonderful job throughout the story, and once you pick the book up, it becomes very hard to put down. Although there is not an epilogue, the book does bring everything to a conclusion and we are up dated, and I was surprised!
Hard to read what happens here, but superbly done, and you don’t want to miss it!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.
Forgive me because I don’t believe I even have the words to do this novel justice. I finished a day ago and I’m still sitting in a book fog. There’s so much that I loved but can’t share to avoid spoilers, but this novel had me hook, line, and sinker from the very first chapter.
Although The Bright Unknown is marketed as historical romance, there is also an element of time-slip involved. The majority of the story is a look back on Brighton’s upbringing in the asylum. The mystery surrounding her presence there certainly had my mind racing considering all types of conspiracies. I was amazed how I was able to still be shocked and surprised as each piece of the puzzle was strategically revealed with impeccable timing. The other piece is Nell being forced to look back at her childhood in ways she never expected yet she seems to find a sense of healing through her own painful past.
I appreciated the attention that this book brought to mental health and how it was handled in the past. One quote that really stuck out to me was:
“Don’t forget that thousand of souls lived and died there and were ostracized by society. Many are buried in the back corner because no one claimed their bodies. Don’t forget the history of what has happened at Riverside and other facilities like it, and don’t let history repeat itself. And when you meet someone who might struggle with mental illness, see the person behind the frightened eyes. Not just the diagnosis.”
I think this quote exquisitely sums up the motivation for this piece. Through Brighton’s eyes you get a unique perspective on the many types of people who found themselves trapped in asylums. In many cases it was obvious they didn’t belong, but after barbaric procedures and drugs their very souls were irreparably crushed. I don’t remember the exact quote, but at one point Brighton mentioned that their souls died first and their physical bodies some time after. This novel was so masterfully written that you couldn’t help but see the heart of the people behind the eyes and the injustice they were powerless to fight.
This was not a fluffy story in any way, shape, or form. It will break your heart as you desperately cling to the threads of hope. I read this book while on a road trip with my husband and found myself trying to hide my face at the gas station so no one could see I was crying. I say all the time that a good book is one that makes me feel something, and this book had me sucked in so deeply that it seemed to blur the lines between reality and fiction.
Have your box of tissues handy but this is a read I highly, highly recommend. Elizabeth Byler Younts has quickly become a must-read author and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!
*I received a copy of this book through CelebrateLit. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.