The Bright Unknown

From award-winning author Elizabeth Byler Younts comes a luminous and heartbreaking historical novel about resilience, friendship, and the search for belonging--perfect for readers of Susan Meissner and Katherine Reay. "Younts's successor to The Solace of Water (2018) has an enthralling foundation for its story, along with an appealing historical setting and themes of friendship and love amidst oppression . . . the captivating plot will engage readers." --Booklist Brighton Friedrich has never known life beyond the walls of Riverside Home, the rural asylum where she was born in the 1940s. Raised by a nurse who keeps secrets about her past and bound to her best friend, a boy she calls Angel, Brighton dreams of freedom. Together they risk everything to escape, but the world outside is as perilous as it is beautiful. With no identities, little money, and only fragile hope, they must rely on each other and the unexpected kindness of strangers in their quest to find home. Told with Elizabeth Byler Younts's gorgeous, lyrical prose, The Bright Unknown is a poignant story of love, loss, and redemption that will linger long after the last page. This standalone historical novel includes discussion questions, making it a great choice for book clubs and a thoughtful gift for fans of unforgettable, hope-filled fiction. ” —Katherine Reay “Elizabeth Byler Younts writes with heart, a poet’s pen, and courage. This is I knew when I read The Solace of Water. This was reinforced with my reading of her newest offering. Younts has given us a story which is at once powerful and compassionate, revealing and dignified, heartrending and lyric. Compelling and infused with hope of redemption, The Bright Unknown ushers readers on a journey of empathy. I, for one, am grateful to have read it.” —Susie Finkbeiner “As bold as it is beautiful, as haunting as it is full of hope, The Bright Unknown is a story that will latch onto the minds and hearts of readers, and not easily let go. With luscious language that gives birth to unforgettable characters, Younts is not afraid to explore the dark places for the sake of finding light. I could not put this novel down!” —Heidi Chiavaroli Stand-alone historical novel set in the twentieth century Book length: approximately 110K words Includes discussion questions for book clubs