What a heart-wrenching story that needs to be told. I had never heard of the Tulsa Massacre before picking up Vanessa Miller's book. Having read some of her books before, I knew that it would be hard to read, but necessary. Starting each chapter with a direct quote from the court case that was just decided (shocking fact), the Red Cross, or survivors sets the tone for the novel.

Miller does a great job with the various view-points by having characters that go off the hinges (Evelyn), struggle with faith (Margaret), and see how God is still faithful (Elijah). She treats PTSD delicately. Her characters' journeys are realistic, which makes it all the more moving and heartbreaking.

I think this novel should be read by everyone because it is part of past racial tensions that needs to be known.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

"The Filling Station" is a Christian historical set in 1921 in Oklahoma and continued for several years after the Tulsa Race Massacre. While well-written, it's not an easy story to read. The point-of-view characters, Margaret and Evelyn, go through the massacre and struggled through the aftermath of rebuilding, when it seemed like no one wanted to help or give them justice. For most of the story, Margaret was full of anger and bitterness while Evelyn just wanted to forget the trauma they'd experienced and seemed determined to self-destruct. Margaret was determined to make things right herself because she didn't believe that God cared or would do so. It's not really until the last 10 percent of the story that things started to turn around for them.

The main characters were complex and likable, and I cared about what happened to them. They felt like real people. The vivid historical details brought the time and place alive in my imagination without slowing the pacing. Margaret and Evelyn questioned why a good God would allow such injustice and evil to happen. There were no sex scenes. There was no written bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this well-written historical novel.

I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.