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The Filling Station

A USA TODAY Bestselling Historical Fiction Novel about the Tulsa Race Massacre

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The Filling Station

Written by: Vanessa Miller
Narrated by: Angel Pean
Free with 30-day trial

₹199 per month after 30-day trial. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for ₹2,162.00

Buy Now for ₹2,162.00

About this listen

A USA TODAY BESTSELLER! · A LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOKS OF 2025 PICK · A BOOKLIST EDITORS' CHOICE PICK FOR 2025 · A heart wrenching and hopeful novel from the bestselling author of The American Queen

"Absolutely worthy." --Booklist, starred review

"Should be required reading." --Library Journal, starred review

"Resilience, faith, and grit." --Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Two sisters. One unassuming haven. Endless opportunities for grace.

Sisters Margaret and Evelyn Justice have grown up in the prosperous Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma--also known as Black Wall Street. In Greenwood, the Justice sisters had it all--movie theaters and entertainment venues, beauty shops and clothing stores, high-profile businesses like law offices, medical clinics, and banks. While Evelyn aspires to head off to the East Coast to study fashion design, recent college grad Margaret plans to settle in Greenwood, teaching at the local high school and eventually raising a family.

Then the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre upends everything they know and brings them unspeakable loss. Left with nothing but each other, the sisters flee along what would eventually become iconic Route 66 and stumble upon the Threatt Filling Station, a safe haven and the only place where they can find a shred of hope in oppressive Jim Crow America. At the filling station, they are able to process their pain, fill up their souls, and find strength as they wrestle with a faith in God that has left them feeling abandoned.

But they eventually realize that they can't hide out at the filling station when Greenwood needs to be rebuilt. The search for their father and their former life may not give them easy answers, but it can propel them--and their community--to a place where their voices are stronger . . . strong enough to build a future that honors the legacy of those who were lost.

The Filling Station weaves together themes of love, hate, hope, trust, and resilience in the face of great turmoil. With every turn of the page, you will be transported into a story about strong Black women in a pivotal moment of history.

Discussion questions are included, so it's perfect for book clubs! Keep your tissues nearby because this one is practically guaranteed to make you feel all the feelings.

Audio read by Angel Pean, narrator of Junie: A GMA Book Club Pick.

 20th Century African American Christian Fiction Genre Fiction Historical

Critic Reviews

'In a novel that should be required reading, Miller (THE AMERICAN QUEEN) movingly explores the aftermath of racial trauma and how resilient people can open their hearts again. Read-alikes exploring Black historical experiences include WHEN STARS RAIN DOWN by Angela Jackson Browne and UNDER THE TULIP TREE by Michelle Shocklee.'
'Miller (THE AMERICAN QUEEN, 2024) doesn't shy away from the hardships the Justices face--racism, unscrupulous developers, sickness-inducing conditions in the rebuilding Greenwood--and Margaret's faith journey is hard-won and convincing. The Tulsa Race Massacre is rarely covered in historical fiction, and this story is an absolutely worthy addition to the genre.'
'The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre is, shockingly, little more than a footnote in history--because history has always been written by white men. Miller's book, thankfully, reverses that egregious oversight. By making us live through the eyes of two sisters who that suffered catastrophic loss, we viscerally learn how this vibrant Black community fought devastation with resilience, faith, and grit.'
'THE FILLING STATION is a compelling contribution to the understanding of Black Wall Street and the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The depth of research, coupled with Vanessa Miller's ability to bring these historical events to life, ensures that these stories are not only remembered but resonate with readers. So many of the names and places come to life in a way that makes me have to stop reading and process the fact that this event actually happened, and it happened in my community to people I have known.'
'Through Miller's skillful writing, we see the filling station not only as a notable landmark, one deserving of all Americans' attention, but as a superb metaphor for the people and places that replenish the spirit, if we have the courage to let them in. Definitely recommended.'
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