Publication Date: June 17, 2025
A literary journey beckons them . . . and may profoundly rewrite their stories.
Chloe Vance, dreamer of the family, needs to tell her pragmatic mom, Edie, that she has accepted a low-paying art instructor role at a Christian school in Prague. Her older sister, Lauren—the “responsible one”—is doing all she can to hide the fact she’s been fired for a foolish mistake and is desperately seeking her next career move. Meanwhile, Edie, estranged from her own sister following their mother’s recent death, is frankly in no mood for anything else to change.
The one thing they can all agree on? Life in books sure is easier to navigate than life in the real world. As the three women embark on a nine-day road trip to visit significant literary sites throughout America’s heartland, they hope to find inspiration through the works and lives of literary greats. As they experience firsthand the adventure and wonder of the classics, they’ll discover the value of being honest with themselves—and their family—about their losses and failures. Only then can they come to terms with their own needs and desires and find support from the most important women in their lives—each other.
Book clubs will relish this trek through America’s classic literature as award-winning author Sara Brunsvold pens an inspirational novel of mother-daughter relationships, sisterhood, literary themes, a cross-country road trip, and books about books.
As adults, the Vance women don’t share the same closeness often experienced by mothers and daughters. However, that is about to change.
Author Sara Brunsvold highlights the complexities of family relationships in The Atlas of Untold Stories. Matriarch Edie Vance loves to drop hints to her adult daughters about how they should live their lives. Meanwhile, sisters Chloe and Lauren both have secrets and dreams they aren’t ready to share with anyone, much less their mother.
The idea of taking a road trip where Edie can experience adventure while visiting book-related Midwest towns is a spur-of-the-moment suggestion from Chloe that quickly gains momentum and expands to include her sister.
While they may not be comfortable dishing about their personal fears and challenges, the women discover the beauty of classic literature and learn how to acknowledge their own emotions.
The characters themselves are richly developed. Chloe is very much a risk-taker with no sense of time or direction. Lauren is the sensible one, reeling from a mistake that has destroyed her career. Edie is a force of nature who says what she thinks while hiding layers of grief that make her seem harsh and cold.
For anyone who has ever needed an escape or an opportunity to push pause, The Atlas of Untold Stories offers an inspirational option.
Sara Brunsvold is the Christy Award-winning author of The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip and The Divine Proverb of Streusel. She creates stories that boldly engage contemporary issues through the lens of hope and unshakable faith. Her passion is to connect with readers first through books, then through meaningful conversation. She lives with her family in Kansas.
