Unspoken - (Dust) by Jann Alexander (Paperback)

About the Book

When a Texas girl more tenacious than fire ants lands far from her Dust Bowl farm in the Dirty Thirties, she vows to get back home. But to find her scattered family and rebuild home, she'll have to confront what's long gone unspoken.

Book Synopsis

"Reminds me, in tone, of Texas classics like The Time it Never Rained and Giant. I loved it. Alexander is a great new talent in the genre of Texana." -W.F. Strong, author, Stories From Texas, and radio commentator for NPR Texas

A Farm Devastated. A Dream Destroyed. A Family Scattered. And One Texas Girl Determined to Salvage the Wreckage.

Ruby Lee Becker can't breathe. It's 1935 in the heart of the Dust Bowl, and the Becker family has clung to its Texas Panhandle farm through six years of drought, dying crops, and dust storms. On Black Sunday, the biggest blackest storm of them all threatens ten-year-old Ruby with deadly dust pneumonia and requires a drastic choice -one her mother, Willa Mae, will forever regret.

To survive, Ruby is forced to leave the only place she's ever known. Far from home in Waco, and worried her mother has abandoned her, she's determined to get back.

Even after twelve years, Willa Mae still clings to memories of her daughter. Unable to reunite with Ruby, she's broken by their separation.

Through rollicking adventures and harrowing setbacks, the tenacious Ruby Lee embarks on her perilous quest for home -and faces her one unspoken fear.

Heart-wrenching and inspiring, the tale of Ruby Lee's dogged perseverance and Willa Mae's endless love for her daughter shines a light on women driven apart by disaster who bravely lean on one another, find comfort in remade families, and redefine what home means.

Review Quotes

"Buoyed by hope and formidable female characters: Mother and daughter poignantly narrate alternating chapters in Alexander's coming-of-age Dust Bowl narrative." -Kirkus Reviews, Verdict: Get It

"Unspoken is an evocative ... historical fiction steeped in grit and emotional intensity. I recommend it for anyone ready to weather an emotional storm in exchange for a beautifully written tale of survival and hope." -Thomas Anderson, Editor In Chief, Literary Titan

"This is a riveting tale of heartbreak and loss, set against the Dust Bowl as it ravages West Texas ... You'll find yourself cheering for Ruby Lee Becker as she triumphs over hardship." -Loren Steffy, Texas Monthly, Houston Chronicle contributor, author

"Alexander's storytelling vividly captures the harsh realities of the Dust Bowl with impressive historical accuracy that spans ... the emotional depth of the impact on ... ordinary people at the time." -Reader's Favorite Five-Star Review

"Jann Alexander's blazingly alive novel Unspoken asks how do we keep a family intact? In a story told by both a mother and her daughter, two people struggle to both understand their world and each other." -Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and Days of Wonder

"Fans of Kristen Hannah's Four Winds will devour Unspoken, Jann Alexander's tale of Ruby Lee's gritty Texas Dust Bowl journey." -Cam Torrens, award-winning author of the Tyler Zahn suspense series

"Historical fiction at its best. With a depth of research and flawless writing ... nuances of the period are captured with vivid and sensory details. I look forward to more riveting adventures with Ruby Lee." -Louella Bryant, author, Willie, Rum Running Queen and Sheltering Angel

"Unspoken is a literary gem ... Unspoken captured the heart of the times [with a] hero [who] is a survivor. Her story and character will be talked about and debated in book clubs everywhere." -Paul Jantzen, award-winning author, Sour Apples

"Unspoken shines in vibrant details-riding the rails, war brides waiting for their husbands, internal battles inside Ruby Lee and her mother ... the trials and triumphs of women." -Joan Donaldson, award winner for On Viney's Mountain

"Unspoken is not only a story highlighting the importance of family but also that of resilience ... Will their tragic pasts determine their futures?" -Diane Hawley Nagatomo, author, Finding Naomi and The Butterfly Café

"A sweeping story of many truths during a time little told. Don't miss it." -Kay Smith-Blum, author, the award-winning Tangles

"It all comes down to dust. It all comes down to desperation. It all comes down to survival. This novel is a must-read." -Shirley Miller Kamada, author, No Quiet Water

"I was hooked by the first sentence and then thrown into . . . the horrific blizzards and dust storms of the Dust Bowl in 1930s America. The action and characterization are so descriptive, I could not stop reading." -Corliss Corazza, author, Cut Open the Sky and Geode

"The incredible tale of Ruby Lee Becker, filled with vivid imagery brought to life by a colorful cast of characters, everyday people ... in extraordinarily difficult times, Unspoken is a page-turner." -N.J. Mastro, author, Solitary Walker