Didn't really know what t o expect from this book but I enjoyed it!
I'm not usually a fan of magical realism but the author managed to pull it off in a way that worked for me.
I also learned something new with this, I'm not from the USA so I din't know about the Dust Bowl.
The author managed to made me feel really immersed in the vibes and in the situation the characters were in, I deeply felt their despair. I was fond of all the characters but Jeremiah and Peter were my favorite ones. This is a book about the power of kindness , love and hope in times of desperation, when nothing seems to go the right way and there's seemingly no light in the darkness.
I'll read more from the author!

'Kindness breeds kindness'. Thanks to a gigantic dust storm, Jeremiah Goodbye can escape the electric chair and flee to his hometown Nowhere, where his twin Josiah and his father Wilmington still live. But Nowhere, once a flourishing farmland, is now a bleak and infertile spot visited by regular dust storms. And people have not forgotten that Jeremiah was convicted for the murder of four men. However, with the help of a young boy, and his own actions while helping people after an especially strong duster, Jeremiah earns back respect, maybe even trust.
There is a lot going on in Nowhere, but the main force definitely is the kind of supernatural dust storm, which changes people. First they become mean, then lethargic, and only Jeremiah and the boy Peter seem to be immune to the dust storm's magic and able to stand up against it. The story combines historical crime with supernatural elements into a very special story full of wonder.

James Markert’s What Blooms From Dust is an unusual story. Combining historical elements with mystery and magic, it’s a compelling, intriguing, well-written read.

Jeremiah Goodbye narrowly escapes the electric chair and receives an unexpected second chance. When he decides to return to his hometown, he realizes that the Dust Bowl has reshaped everything he once knew. His journey then fills with unique characters, interesting encounters, and ultimately, uplifting moments of hope, forgiveness, and kindness.

What Blooms From Dust is a story I very much enjoyed. I highly recommend checking it out.

This was an interesting book. It took me a very long time to finish this one - not because I wasn't interested in the story, but because I wanted to ensure I didn't miss any important pieces. The writing was fantastic and I could not imagine being in Jeremiah's shoes, having to piece together what happened to land him on death row. Unique Characters. Unique plot.

Jeremiah gets a second chance at life when he is freed from the fate of the electric chair. Where will his life go from here.

What Blooms from Dust is an unlikely combination historical/supernatural mix that the author actually manages to pull off very well. In fact, it was one of my favorite reads of 2018 for a variety of reasons.
Jeremiah Goodbye is set to be executed but is given a "reprieve" by an act of God; a tornado tears down the prison walls giving Jeremiah the chance to escape and start again. Along the way to settling a score with his twin brother, Jeremiah encounters a young boy and together they set off to Jeremiah's hometown. When they arrive, they find the townspeople cowed and afraid; weighed down by the dust storms that constantly test their strength and resolve. Jeremiah decides to uncover the truth behind the murders he was accused and found guilty of committing, and also help the townspeople in their time of need (mainly through the actions of his sweet sidekick).
There are so many elements to this novel that make it stand out for me. One key is the theme of deciding actions based on the flip of a coin, and another is Jeremiah's seemingly supernatural gift.
This story takes place during the dustbowl of the 1930s and is described so well that you can almost feel the dust settling in your lungs and clothes. There is a beautiful balance between historical fact and subtle supernatural people and happenings that mesh very well. To be honest, the book has a bit of the flavor of Stephen King's earlier works to me. In essence, it is a story of strength in the face of adversity and the small miracles that help us to cope and survive.

I found this book to have an original storyline, but the way that it was written wasn't particularly for me. The whole novel just kind of dragged along and it was hard to wait for the excitement. I will recommend this book to people I know that would enjoy it. It just wasn’t for me.

Original concepts and fascinating ideas, but the execution wasn't particularly for me. The whole novel felt like a slow burn and I found myself getting impatient. I can think of several people I know who would enjoy this book, I just don't think I was the right audience for it.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.
This book, set in Oklahoma was an enjoyable read. I look forward to seeing more from this author.

Thank you to netgalley I received this as an ARC. I enjoyed it very much was good solid read. Solid 4 Stars for me!

When a tornado knocks down the wall of a prison, Jeremiah Goodbye (also known as the Coin-Flip Killer) gets a startling reprieve from the electric chair. Setting out for his hometown of Nowhere, Oklahoma, he’s determined to put a bullet in the twin brother who turned him in to the authorities. But when “Black Sunday,” the worst dust storm in three years of dust storms, overtakes the town, Jeremiah starts to soften toward the people who’ve given up on life. With the help of an orphan boy named Peter, he tries to stop his home from disappearing off the map, digging out houses after each dust storm, eradicating the tarantulas that keep invading the buildings, and hoping against hope that some kindness can bloom in a harsh and barren land that’s been forgotten by its Maker.

This book was a complete and utter surprise. The gorgeous cover outside is matched by the gorgeous prose within. The oppressively suffocating setting of the Dust Bowl is poignantly rendered, as are each of the characters that connect to Jeremiah Goodbye in some way. Jeremiah’s strained relationship with his brother and convuluted relationship with his brother’s wife Ellen set the stage for a complex story about family, hardship, hope, and little deeds of love and mercy. The simplicity of Peter, a child who seems mentally handicapped and yet acts as the catalyst to revive the town, shows how the purest, most unadulterated kindness can come from the least of these.

There were a few parts towards the end of the book where the story dragged, but over all, I found this book a novel and fantastic read. Recommended.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Can you imagine what it must have been like to live through the Dust Bowl years? Author James Markert's book, What Blooms From Dust, is both historical fiction and magical/mysterious, and it's a great read. You could call it an allegory about the struggle between good and evil, with beautiful images, like a red rose blooming from the dust, that make you think about what it means to have hope. The characters are well drawn; even the setting, in Oklahoma, feels like a character.

I recommend this book; although i received an e-copy from Netgalley, my opinions are honest and my own.

After escaping the electric chair, Jeremiah Goodbye makes a coin-flip decision to return to his hometown, Nowhere, Oklahoma. The dust bowls of the Depression have hit Nowhere hard, and it's residents are losing hope. Home in Nowhere Jeremiah must face his father, twin brother, and the girl he left behind as secrets are revealed and he fights for his family in a town that's given up hope.



Set during the Dust Bowl of The Great Depression in Oklahoma, What Blooms From Dust is a story of forgiveness, hope, and family, told in a off-beat, but straightforward, matter-of-fact manner, with larger than life characters.



This was a different kind of read for me, full of quirky characters and intriguing plot twists. As the story unfolded things only got stranger. Jeremiah Goodbye is a man who has always been different, flipping coins for almost every decision, and battling terrible nightmares he'd always had his brother, Josiah by his side, until they both fell in love with the same girl. It was interesting to get to know all the characters in Nowhere, unpacking their stories, and going back to Jeremiah and Josiah's childhood. I especially liked Peter, he was a dear boy with a big heart, and observant eyes.



Overall, it was an interesting read, with lots of mysteries, secrets, and striking characters. It is a vivid story about kindness, community, truth, rekindling hope, and the human spirit, but I did find myself skimming here and there especially during dialog heavy exchanges that in my mind could have been more concise. I love the cover of this book, it has a whimsical vintage vibe, and has an excellent use of color and font, as well as key parts of the book's plot. The storytelling really fits with the this kind of story, with apt descriptions that are quirky and unique, but nail the verbal illustration to a T. Whimsical and straightforward, What Blooms From Dust is a drama packed adventure set in the bleakest day of The Great Depression.



I will note that I would not classify this book as Christian Fiction, which is what Thomas Nelson is known for publishing. While spiritual elements such as angels and demons are mentioned, as well as members of the clergy, this book did not promote a faith firmly rooted in Jesus Christ the real source of all of our hope. Instead it seemed to be about the power of human kindness to triumph over evil.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

A death row convict escapes his electric chair fate when prison walls are hit with an enormous tornado. Sensibly or not, he sets out on a journey back to his hometown to settle old scores because a coin flip (save that bit for later for coin flipping is crucial here!) says he should.

James Markert’s ‘What Blooms From Dust’ is almost fable-like. At least it bears all the characteristics of one as it is borderline fantastical. There are elements of the story that obviously couldn’t have occurred in real life but it doesn’t mean the message this book wants to convey has any less of an impact. That’s magical realism for you, at its best might I add, that has an uncanny ability to highlight certain aspects of an otherwise realistic tale to showcase important truths.

Jeremiah Goodbye, the main character, the provocateur, inspired heart-warming empathy in me. It was welcome but unexpected. Much as I love my anti-hero types, I don’t set out planning on loving a convict. He was intriguing as his darkness was alluring, all the more so since I wasn’t privy to the reasons behind it. Surely a man can’t be born evil so what was it that drove him to heavily drinking, brawling and ultimately – those killings he got convicted of?

Readers have to read almost the entirety of the story to find out and I, for one, didn’t mind the wait one bit. The pace was excellent, the slow reveal was satisfying and urging me on to continue for I would be gifted with more and more answers. Seldom there’s a story that so deeply makes sense even if it’s rooted in the inexplicable and (only) magically realistic. It was perfect the way it was constructed and if you have patience for it, if you want to dig even deeper and unveil the stones that, in my opinion, are better left unturned, then all the dust storms (a real thing occurring in nature though, right?), the randomly blooming roses, the sickness of numbness – they could make sense past the metaphoric meaning.

The story itself is best read if you know as little about it as possible. I recall reading the synopsis and feeling confused but that’s the way of magical realism so I was eager to get my hands on this ARC despite the initial confusion. It’s best devoured just is, page after page, even if some of it sounds strange. I promise, in the end it will all fall into place, a gem of creative writing to marvel at.

Seemingly it had all the tropes: brotherly resentment that was unfixable, hot tempered versus mild, anchor-like characters, forbidden love that cast so long a shadow on too many actions, a miracle in disguise, an outsider with a fresh perspective. We all know these from all over. Somehow they weren’t as you would expect, they weren’t obvious in their roles in the story, they evolved into them and bloomed within the story as it progressed. I really appreciated the way it was done.

Although I didn’t find this book to be particularly quotable (I tried) in a sense that sometimes some books are: just dropping lines, these perfect lines that encompass it all. With this book the entire story just works as an entity and thus it should be taken: as a whole.

I would recommend this to everyone who enjoys magical realism and historical fiction. The latter matters but not in a grave way, it’s the former that’s the selling point here. If you, by any chance, have seen the masterpiece of cinematography that was ‘The Fall’ with Lee Pace from 2006 and loved it (as I did, oh gosh SO much), don’t procrastinate and get to reading!

**massive thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

The blurb perfectly sums up this book – “What Blooms from Dust is the story of finding hope in the midst of darkness and discovering the beauty of unexpected kindness“. I can’t say it any better than that.


Jeremiah Goodbye, nicknamed the ‘Coin-Flip Killer’, was sent to prison because he admitted to burying several bodies. However, there is no evidence that he was the one to have caused their deaths, though Jeremiah certainly believes so… With every one of the men that died, Jeremiah flipped a coin and called their deaths with heads. With the same flip of a coin, he decides to return to his hometown Nowhere and settle the score with his twin brother Josiah. It was Josiah who called the cops on Jeremiah, and it was Josiah who turned out to marry his former lover Ellen.

What Blooms From Dust is set in the 1930s, during the Great Depression, in the middle of the catastrophic Dust Bowl. Dust Bowl was a period of natural disaster in the form of intense dust storms that hit several states. It claimed lives through suffocation and starvation since farming (crops and livestock) has become impossible due to low rainfall and unsuitable lands. Every episode of dust storm piled dirt and dust onto people’s houses. As readers can expect, a great part of the book is quite depressing. The whole set came alive through James Markert’s effective writing. The author couldn’t have picked a better historical setting for his message.

That’s where the theme of this book is important. The author delivers the message that there is hope even when the Earth itself seems adamant in burying you alive. This hope can come from the unlikeliest sources, too.

There are aspects of magical realism in this book and it was well used. I don’t know the first thing about it but I expect literary scholars are able to teach me a thing or two on how this aspect brings subtle or hidden messages. I could tell there is glaring symbolism too. This book would be fun to analyse and dissect in a literature class.

Absolutely adored this book, quite unexpectedly. What Blooms from Dust is a story of good and evil, love and kindness. It starts out as your typical historical fiction does, discussing small time life, and the despair that follows. This book, while definitely in the realm of magical realism, doesn't start off that way, but rather wanders down that path. What started as your typical historical fiction, morphed into a beautiful exploration of love, redemption and community.

3.5/5 stars for me. The cover is definitely what drew me in and I found the story rather interesting. Unfortunately, some of it fell a bit flat for me.

A really brilliant and atmospheric piece of historical fiction writing. Markert created a wonderful world with intrigue. A lovely read.

Reading about Oklahoma and the Dust Bowl has always felt like coming home. These are stories I know well, my own family split in two during the dust bowl, with half staying in OK and the other half leaving for California.

What Blooms from Dust is the story of Nowhere, Oklahoma. From the first settlers to the Dust Bowl, we visit the town and it's residents. Jeremiah Goodbye returns to Nowhere to settle a score with his twin brother, but upon his return he doesn't recognize his hometown, now ravaged by the Dust Bowl.

What follows is the story of one town and one man who has to learn to forgive himself.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Absolutely adored this - devoured it in just a few hours! A tale of hope and despair, of good and evil, and of the changing power of kindness. Absolutely beautiful.
My heart raced when the big duster hit Nowhere - some truly excellent writing at play there!