My girls and I are soaking up the slower pace of the winter school holidays right now, which has meant I’ve finally curled up with Sara Brunsvold’s latest release, The Atlas of Untold Stories, a powerful Christian women’s fiction novel exploring family, faith and forgiveness.
The story focuses on two generations of Vance women—Edie and her two adult daughters, Lauren and Chloe. They’re bonded by blood, but emotionally? That’s another story altogether.
When Chloe proposes a nine-day literary road trip across the American Midwest, it’s not just an excuse to visit the former homes of beloved, long-dead authors. It’s also her way of finding a sliver of connection with her family and softening the blow of announcing her upcoming move… overseas.
The opening chapter offers a glimpse into Edie’s painful relationship with her own mother, laying the groundwork for the complex emotional landscape ahead. The generational thread helped me understand—though not always excuse—some of the tension and distance between Edie, Lauren, and Chloe.
Of the three Vance women, Chloe captured my heart. Her quiet strength, deep faith, and genuine kindness were a steady light, even when met with criticism or coldness. She didn’t always get it right (who does?), but her courage to dream—and pursue those dreams despite resistance—inspired me.
I’ll admit, I often found Edie and Lauren difficult to like. Their cutting words and defensive attitudes made it hard to empathise… until I was reminded of their deeper wounds. Ms Brunsvold never shies away from the truth that hurt people often hurt people. Yet even in the messiest relationships, she threads hope and redemption.
This story doesn’t offer simple answers or fairytale endings, but gently points to the One who knows our untold stories and secret hurts, and still invites us to wholeness.
If you enjoy emotionally rich fiction that digs beneath the surface and stories where faith is gently woven through life’s hardest conversations, The Atlas of Untold Stories is worth adding to your TBR list. It’s not always comfortable, but it is meaningful.
Until next time,
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