Unabridged Audiobook
I can't say enough about this book. Vanessa Miller takes a deep dive into the aftermath of the 1920'sTulsa Massacre which occurred in Tulsa, Oklahoma, beginning on May 31, 1921, and lasted for two days but left open wounds of destruction and devastation. The massacre left somewhere between 30 and 300 people dead, mostly African Americans, and destroyed Tulsa’s prosperous Black neighborhood of Greenwood, known as “ Black Wall Street". The mere fact that the range of deaths is so wide speaks to how the masses concealed this atrocity. The Filling Station tells the story of survival in the aftermath. Two sisters, Margaret and Evie, with the same experience, the same tragedy, yet different perspectives on what survival looks like. The Filling Station with it's well-developed characters, gives the reader a front seat view of the struggles when the dust settles after the massacre. The battles, externally and internally, that were fought, the continued racism, the strength of wounded people, having unwavering faith in despair and perseverance. This story is a testament to a favorite quote, Still I Rise, Maya Angelou. Is this a must read? Yes, don't wait.
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