Set against the rich but often troubled history of Blacklands, Texas, during an era of pandemic, scientific discovery, and social upheaval, the novel offers a unique-yet eerily familiar-backdrop to a universal tale of triumphing over loss.
Even as dementia clouds other memories, eighty-three-year-old Leola can't forget her father's disappearance when she was sixteen. Now, as Papa appears in haunting visions, Leola relives the circumstances of that loss: the terrible accident that steals Papa's livelihood, sending the family deeper into poverty; a scandal from Mama's past that still wounds; and Leola's growing unease with her brutally bigoted society.
When Papa vanishes while seeking work in Houston and Mama dies in the "boomerang" Influenza outbreak of 1919, Leola and her young sisters are sent to an orphanage, where her exposure of a dark injustice means sacrificing a vital clue to Papa's whereabouts. That decision echoes into the future, as new details about his disappearance suggest betrayal too painful to contemplate. Only in old age, as her visions of Papa grow more realistic, does Leola confront her long-buried grief, leading to a remarkable family discovery that could offer peace, at last.
Set against the rich but often troubled history of Blacklands, Texas, during an era of pandemic, scientific discovery, and social upheaval, the novel offers a unique-yet eerily familiar-backdrop to a universal tale of triumphing over loss.
Even as dementia clouds other memories, eighty-three-year-old Leola can't forget her father's disappearance when she was sixteen. Now, as Papa appears in haunting visions, Leola relives the circumstances of that loss: the terrible accident that steals Papa's livelihood, sending the family deeper into poverty; a scandal from Mama's past that still wounds; and Leola's growing unease with her brutally bigoted society.
When Papa vanishes while seeking work in Houston and Mama dies in the "boomerang" Influenza outbreak of 1919, Leola and her young sisters are sent to an orphanage, where her exposure of a dark injustice means sacrificing a vital clue to Papa's whereabouts. That decision echoes into the future, as new details about his disappearance suggest betrayal too painful to contemplate. Only in old age, as her visions of Papa grow more realistic, does Leola confront her long-buried grief, leading to a remarkable family discovery that could offer peace, at last.
Suzanne Moyers, a former teacher, has spent much of her career as an editor and writer for educational publishers. An avid volunteer archeologist, mudlarker, and metal detectorist, she’s also the proud mom of two amazing young adults, Jassi and Sara.’Til All These Things Be Done is based on a still-unraveling family mystery, and the real-life twist of fate that inspired the novel’s fictional resolution. Suzanne lives with her husband, Edward, and their spoiled fur baby, Tuxi, in Montclair, NJ.
“A deftly crafted and inherently fascinating read from cover to
cover, ’Til All These Things Be Done is a compelling and memorable
read—and one of those stories that will linger in the mind and
memory long after the book is finished . . . which is all the more
impressive considering it is author Suzanne Moyer’s debut as a
novelist.”
—Midwest Book Review
“Moyers makes the world of the poor in Texas both rich and
specific, giving her readers a wealth of details that only add to
the novel’s strength. I highly recommend this book to any fan of
historical fiction. It deserves to be one of the most remembered
books of the year!”
—Seattle Book Review, 5/5 stars
“A captivating tale of forgiveness and sacrifice, 'Til All These
Things Be Done is rich in emotional resonance and captures the
complexity of human behavior perfectly. . . . Leola is a
protagonist to whom readers will be attached from the outset. . . .
To readers who love character-driven dramas, this is a gem of a
book.”
—Readers’ Favorite, 5-star review
“A rich and beautifully written story of family, tragedy, and love.
. . . The author renders her characters in vivid detail, capturing
their strengths and foibles with heart and a brilliant ear for
dialogue. Moyers also provides a clear-eyed portrait of the
prejudices of the time that unfortunately feels too familiar in the
21st century. ’Til All These Things Be
Done is exactly the book any lover of historical
fiction—or of stories about the power of families to hurt and
heal—would want to have.”
—Mally Becker, Agatha Award–nominated author of The Turncoat’s
Widow and The Counterfeit Wife
“With deft prose and a compelling realism, Suzanne Moyers’s
richly imagined novel presents an insightful portrait of courage in
the face of devastating betrayal. In ’Til All These Things Be Done,
Moyers shows how the character of her remarkable protagonist, Leola
Rideout, is shaped by her orphan experience and gives a timely and
unflinching exposition of prejudice, pandemic, and power in the
early twentieth century.”
—Dianne Ebertt Beeaff, author of Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal
winner On Tràigh Lar Beach and Power's Garden
“A serious and intensely gratifying page-turner that places the
reader squarely in an era of political, social, and emotional
turmoil in Texas. It’s also a poignant love story, as Moyers
presides over the lives of her characters with tenderness and a
sure hand. Love, longing, and the hard persistence of hope shine in
this debut novel.”
—Elizabeth Crook, author of The Which Way Tree and Monday,
Monday
“An excellently written book that paints a powerful portrait of the
dire conditions endured by a poor family in Texas in the early
1900s. Sixteen-year-old Leola Rideout, a young woman with a social
conscience, makes heroic efforts to ensure her and her siblings’
survival, overcome harrowing circumstances, and maintain her
dreams.”
—Linda Stewart Henley, author of Estelle
“Through her irresistible language and characters, Suzanne Moyers
pulls us into a braided story that is quintessentially Texan and
yet universal. Time and again I paused over passages for their
sheer richness, and was sorry to reach the end. In ’Til All
These Things Be Done, many readers will find a resonance with
their own family histories and yearning for connection.”
—Peter C. Brown, author of The Fugitive Wife
“This riveting tale set in East Texas in the early 1920s, when the
Ku Klux Klan held sway and only ‘100% Americans’ were treated with
dignity, is the story of Leola, a character inspired by the
author’s grandmother. From an early age, Leola resolves to stand up
against the cruel treatment of Blacks and other
minorities. Sent with her young sisters to a home for orphans
when her mother dies in the Spanish flu epidemic and her father
disappears, Leola confronts sexual abuse, along with other
indignities. Told in lively and authentic colloquial speech,
Leola’s story will reverberate with readers in today’s world.”
—Sara Jane Loyster, author of The Daughters of Edward Darley
Boit
“A brilliantly delineated coming-of-age story; Suzanne Moyers
recreates the early 1900s of rural Texas as a young girl struggles
with tragedy, poverty, prejudice, and a searing betrayal that
refuses to let her go. Impeccable research and a deft ear for local
dialogue enrich this fully immersive debut novel.”
—Michelle Cameron, award-winning author of Beyond the Ghetto
Gates
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