The Filling Station

by Vanessa Miller

Publisher:

Thomas Nelson

, 2025

"The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre is, shockingly, little more than a footnote in history . . . Miller's book, thankfully, reverses that egregious oversight . . . we viscerally learn how this vibrant Black community fought devastation with 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.

Praise for The Filling Station

'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.'

Product Details

• Title: The Filling Station
• Author: Vanessa Miller
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Print Publication Date: 2025
• Logos Release Date: 2024
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Ebook
• ISBNs: 9781400344130, 9781400350179, 1400350174, 9781400344147, 140034414X, 9781400344123, 1400344123, 1400344131
• Resource ID: LLS:9781400344130
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-08-09T05:34:25Z

About Vanessa Miller

Vanessa Miller of Dayton, Ohio, is a best-selling author, playwright, and motivational speaker. Her stage productions include Get You Some Business, Don’t Turn Your Back on God, and Can’t You Hear Them Crying. Vanessa is currently in the process of turning the novels in her Rain Series into stage productions.
Vanessa has been writing since she was a young child. When she wasn’t writing poetry, short stories, stage plays, and novels, reading great books consumed her free time. However, it wasn’t until she committed her life to the Lord in 1994 that she realized all gifts and anointing come from God. She then set out to write redemption stories that glorified God.
Her books have received positive reviews, won Best Christian Fiction Awards, and topped best-sellers lists.
Vanessa is a dedicated Christian and devoted mother. She graduated from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, with a degree in organizational communication. In 2007, Vanessa was ordained by her church as an exhorter. Vanessa believes this was the right position for her because God has called her to exhort readers and to help them rediscover their places with the Lord.