A Cup of Dust: A Novel of the Dust Bowl

Pearl Spence Novels, Book 1

By: Susie Finkbeiner

Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert

Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2019 Susie Finkbeiner (P)2019 Oasis Audio

Excellent!

This narrator is by far the best I've ever heard! So many good novels can be ruined by bismal narration. Engaging, descriptive writing that made me do some more historical reading. That's what most authors' aim is, do inspire more reading, right? Finkbeiner is excellent at this.

Great narration of a good story!

The narrator did a very good job of making each character sound unique and identifiable. She put emotion where there needed to be emotion and just did a great job overall. The story was a bit predictable but still a nice little story that seemed realistic for Dust Bowl times.

Excellent voices, very engaging!

The narrator was especially talented, I felt all the emotions. Engaging story & narration.

Loved it!

This was a great story to listen to, great performance, I Would highly recommend it

Highly recommend

The storyline from a 10-year-old girl’s point of view was fantastic. I was mesmerized by Pearl’s sometimes humorous, sometimes chilling, but always poignant and perceptive, observations. This was one of my favorite Dust Bowl stories, and I highly recommend it.

A love story

I liked how the story showed how love can prevail even during the worst of times. The narrator was simply unbelievable as she is so amazing. She brought the book to life. I also liked how even people who do very evil things have some good in them and it comes through just at the right time.

One of the best a novels I've read lately

Profoundly touching story of love, compassion, family and community struggles, dangers, and hard earned victories during the dust bowl days of the Great Depression, told from the perspective of a 10 yr. old girl.
Tavia GIlbert's narration is superb, bringing every character to vivid reality. Just bought book 2 in the series.

Fantastic Book! This is my second time through it and I’m still amazed. Best narration I’ve heard yet!

I grew up in Eastern New Mexico in the 70’s & 80’s and we had some pretty bad dust storms, but nothing like those that happened during the dust bowl years. This book took me back in time to the red gritty sand/dust and how it just infiltrates your entire being.

And then, once I was back in time as a little girl, as sweet little Pearl, I could easily imagine what was taking place. It was as if she was my little friend.

I would VERY much like to see this as a movie! It is so well written. The narration is perfect. The best I’ve ever come across.
Well done.

Solid story of time in history - great narration

Good narration. Good characters.
I love historical fiction and the dust bowl is a sad, interesting time in history. Good, not great, book with a sweet family story line included.
Will look for others of this author.

Very Good. Highly Recommend

I listened to all three books about Pearl Spene right in a row. The stories are thoughtful, covering about a year and a half of Pearl's life, yet three different periods or issues in the 1930s. The telling of the story through Pearl's eyes is creative as is the character as a whole. It's easy to fall in love with her, care for her and admire her. The first book has some dark scenes while the others deal with loss and family in a different way. The stories are engaging, so much that if she wrote the books all over again through the mother's or father's eyes, I would listen again.

I join the others in saying the narrator is amazing. I wasn't sure I would agree in the first few minutes given the southern sounds of calling in the first minutes, but she is amazing, mastering 20 different voices and flowing in and out of dialogue quickly. One of the best I ever heard and I own about 100 Audible books.

The faith angles and exploration for me were a nice touch too, as were the literature references. Highly recommend.