The Filling Station

I loved Jennifer Latham's 2017 book Dreamland Burning, and was drawn to this newer release (just out in March 2025) because it also focuses on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, a violent two-day event that destroyed thirty-five square city blocks in Tulsa's Greenwood neighborhood, a prosperous and thriving Black community often referred to as "Black Wall Street." Miller's novel centers sisters Margaret and Evelyn Justice, who lose their community and many loved ones in the Race Massacre and flee down the road we'll come to know as Route 66 to seek refuge at the (historically real) Threatt Filling Station, a known safe haven for Black travelers. They're so grateful to discover places like Threatt and its proprietors exist, but ultimately their time there gives them the strength to head back to Greenwood to rebuild their lives and their community. I enjoyed sinking into this story on audio, as narrated by Angel Pean.