Book Review: The Atlas of Untold Stories

Sara Brunsvold was a new-to-me author when I happened upon her author talk at a local church. Her books are easy to devour. The pacing is great, and the characters are realistic and relatable. My favorite book is still The Divine Proverb of Streusel (because I relate to so many aspects of the story), but I enjoyed this third novel, The Atlas of Untold Stories. Each Brunsvold book is full of Midwestern charm!

What could be better than a road trip across the Midwest to explore places associated with Midwestern writers? When I was in college, I created a London-walking-tour for future Wheaton-in-England participants. It traced various sites in London associated with Charles Dickens, my then-favorite writer. I don't know if the professor I created it for ever used the materials, but it was great fun creating that guide. Sara Brunsvold peoples her Midwest road trip with a mother and two daughters, each bearing a secret kept from the others. They explore sites associated with writers like Ernest Hemingway, Langston Hughes, Frank Baum, Joan Lowery Nixon, Willa Cather, and Mark Twain (among others). With my pre-order, I secured a complimentary PDF of a "Bookish Road Trip Through America's Heartland." Although I have no desire to visit every site mentioned, I might enjoy a road trip to a few of them.

Chloe Vance has a secret she needs to share with her mother, Edie. She knows Edie will not appreciate her plans to leave for a missionary teaching stint in Prague for two years. When she cannot get the words out, she invites Edie on a 9-day road trip to visit literary sites. Edie, unsure about the trip, invites her other daughter, Lauren, to join them. As the three spend days cramped together in Chloe's yellow hot-box car, personalities present and conflict. Life is easier in books. But books also open a window of understanding for the conflicts we face.

This is a quick read. It holds equal parts character development and touring information. The reader learns about the authors, but also about the realistic conflicts that drive each woman. Family is so important. While relationships can be fraught with disappointment, they also can soothe and heal deep wounds. This is yet another Brunsvold book that dives into relational friction and the powerful healing touch of faith. 

I wish I had headed out for extensive travel (perhaps for my anniversary). Brunsvold offered a contest for people who took a small paper copy of the yellow car along on trips. Genius! Brunsvold shared on Facebook that the winner took Flat Goldie all the way to New Zealand. What a great marketing idea!