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    A Cup of Dust: A Novel of the Dust Bowl
    A Cup of Dust: A Novel of the Dust Bowl
    A Cup of Dust: A Novel of the Dust Bowl
    Audiobook9 hours

    A Cup of Dust: A Novel of the Dust Bowl

    Written by Susie Finkbeiner

    Narrated by Tavia Gilbert

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    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 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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOasis Audio
    Release dateJan 8, 2019
    ISBN9781621888611

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    Reviews for A Cup of Dust

    4.5/5

    130 ratings13 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Really good book. The narrator was amazing! Neat insight to the time of the depression and dust bowl.
    • 5/5
      Very interesting story and amazing narration! Want to read next book in the series.
    • 2/5
      2.5 stars… with mixed feelings on this one. The pacing in this novel is off.. it’s not a particularly long book, but there are several stretches of that drag out almost indefinitely. In a way those stretches are a near perfect way of making the reader truly *feel* how brutal and hopefulness the time was.. and had the whole story focused on just that it would’ve been more poignant… instead it mixes in a town mystery with the main character, 10yr old Pearl at its heart…
      Had the pacing between history and Pearl been a bit smoother this might’ve worked better, instead the story just felt disjointed and unfocused.
      The narration is… different… she is very talented and fits the character well.. but she has a hysterical edge, which while great for a 10yr old girl, is a bit grating for the course of 9hrs+.
    • 5/5
      This book held my attention the entire time. I found myself both crying and smiling at times.
      A great story with awesome narration!
    • 4/5
      Sad but hopeful story of resilience in the dirty 30's. Beautifully narrated.
    • 4/5
      A beautifully written book that takes you right to the time and place, as you read you can taste the dust in your mouth. Great character creation, however I found it very predictable.
    • 2/5
      Interesting novel kept my attention however it’s a little much I am not sure I would read again
    • 5/5
      Absolutely loved it. Excellent narrator too. Looking forward to reading the next one.
    • 5/5
      A must-read, I could not put it down. This is the type of story to make you think and fall in love with the characters, I did not want it to end. I will be reading it again.
    • 5/5
      I couldn't stop listening, the narrator's voice is simply amazing.
    • 5/5
      Beautiful, gripping, lyrical story! I don’t give many five stars, but this one deserves it! About a family and community living through the dust bowl, and addressing some of the distress and loss of that grim time, this book brought me to tears (which only happens rarely) a number of times - and squeezed my heart in all the best ways, with the hope and beauty of sacrificially loving Christians in the midst of it all. Stories like this, that display courage, long-suffering, and unwavering trust in the Lord through hard times are so helpful to me in these troubling times. Wish all our young adults could read it!

      Please note: While dealt with well, suicide, birth out of wedlock in severe circumstances, some frightening scenes, despair, and the SEEMING hopelessness of the dust bowl take up a part of this story so I wouldn’t suggest this for young or immature teens. That said, I don’t believe there was any bad language or were any inappropriate scenes, and the main character's sweet, sometimes funny thoughts, kept the story from being too heavy. I’d consider it a very clean, while very real, story.

      I listened to the audiobook version - and will look for other books read by this talented narrator! I haven’t fallen into a story so thoroughly for a long time…and never even thought about the reader until after the fact, which is as it should be! Simply outstanding! I was right there, living in this small town, with these very human, well developed characters, whom I’ll remember for a long time!

      Did I say gripping??!? ;). This is not a good one to start If you have a lot to do!

      I’ll be buying a hardcopy of this one for my shelves and to share with friends—and am about to press the "start" button on the second book in the series! So glad there is one! :)

      Well done, all!!!
    • 5/5
      An absolutely wonderful read! For me the narrator made this book truly magical, she did an excellent job of lending a different voice, a different personality to each and every character in this detailed work. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to listen to this book instead of read it, each character became someone I knew intimately, I knew what they felt, what they thought! I believe this is the best collaborative work, written and read, that I have ever had the pleasure of listening to or reading! I shall never forget the characters, the words, the voices, within the pages of “A Cup of Dust”. Thank each and everyone involved in sharing it with me!
      K. Kiser
      Virginia, USA

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      A great story about a time period that I didn’t know a lot about. Tavia Gilbert is one of the best audio book vocal artists there is. She made the characters come alive alone with the author’s talent. The main character was an absolute delight and the bravery and patience of the people that web through that time is amazing.

      1 person found this helpful