Unsettled by Patricia Reis is a deeply introspective novel that delves into themes of identity, trauma, and personal growth. The story follows a woman grappling with her past and the complexities of her relationships, particularly with her family. Reis' writing is raw and evocative, capturing the protagonist's emotional turmoil with great sensitivity. The novel’s exploration of self-discovery, grief, and healing feels authentic and resonant, offering a profound look at the impact of life's uncertainties. With its strong character development and honest portrayal of inner conflict, Unsettled is a compelling, thought-provoking journey toward understanding and acceptance.

I found this book to be very interesting and intriguing. I would recommend this a friend because this is a book for everyone. I really enjoyed emerging myself into this book and it was just wonderful. This book evened my eyes to quite a few things and it’s one of those books that I’ll think about for quite awhile.

I really enjoyed this book! I didn't want it to end! This story had all the elements to keep me invested and enthralled: pioneer-life on the open prairie, Midwest frontier history, personal discovery, and, and a family mystery waiting to be solved.

This story was told from the point of view of several different characters in the Rheinhart family, both from the past and the present, as we the reader follow along to solve a family secret. It is a story of both love and hope, but sadness and tragedy as well. There were themes as well surrounding immigration and discrimination, lonliness, mental health, and the role of women in society. It was a bit challenging in the beginning to follow which character was tellnig their story, but it became more clear as their characters developed further.

The idea of the American frontier and wide-open prairie has always been such a romantic idea to me, but this story, based on a real immigrant pioneer family in the late 1800s, clearly portrays the many harsh realities of life and loss that those early American settlers lived through, in the hopes of a better life. The author paints a beautiful picture of the physical environment of the prairie landscape, which added a whole layer to her story, weaving across time.

A big thank you to the publisher Sibylline Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was so interesting! Definitely worth a read! I learned a lot while reading that i did not know beforehand

I really enjoyed reading this novel of a family’s experience as settlers in the Midwest and the secrets that got passed down through generations. I loved the main character, an independent, women’s studies researcher, who is searching a bit for herself as she searches for clues to her family’s history by using a photo and information that her recently deceased father left for her. The story toggles in time and you get to know the story of those in the picture and what lay behind their seemingly placid façades. “Aunt Kate” provides an interesting parallel to Van and their stories highlight the role of women in the family and in our society, both now and in the past.

Unsettled, the first Historical duel timeline, written by Patricia Reis kept me engrossed from beginning to end. She takes the reader on an ancestral quest like no other that I have encountered in my long reading history which I enjoyed immensely. Her character and scenic development were very well written. The historical timeline was stronger than the current one. But still strong enough not to deter from the story as one travels with Van to decipher her ‘rural gothic’, as the author referenced, family history.

Overall Unsettled was riveting and deserving of 5 stars. I enjoyed the history, family secrets, and Van’s journey of self awakening throughout this intriguing story.

Many thanks to the publisher Sibylline Press via NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this story. I was not obligated to write a positive review and all opinions are my own.

A story of family secrets told across two timelines. I enjoyed reading about the Reinhardts and their various tragedies and secrets. Some scenes were brilliantly written, e.g. the descriptions of scenery and characterisation of various family members. The modern timeline wasn't as well put together. Van (the protagonist) doesn't really have a clear voice of her own, and her internal monologue seemed stilted and her conversations forced and bland. The discovery of an important piece of evidence is so jarringly random that it's described as "akin to winning the cosmic lottery." Overall, interesting points about the truthfulness of history and the stories we can uncover when we start asking about the things that have been hidden or censored. Cool concept, but suffers a bit in the modern timeline.

I really liked this book! The story switches points of view and time periods, which I normally find a deterrent, but this story fascinated me from the start, and I really enjoyed following along with Van as she uncovers layers of her family’s history. I identified somewhat with Van’s circumstances, especially her relationship with her father, and how that influences her relative lack of close friends or romantic partners. I enjoyed seeing the development of her character as she makes peace with past relationships, mends a current one, and allows herself to consider letting new people into her life. The author references the term ‘rural gothic’ and I feel that to be a very apt description of the events within the earlier timeline in the book. I found those parts of the book interesting, but mostly in the ways that they supported and connected with the later, more current timeline.

I especially liked all of the historical tidbits the author packed in, from Taliesin and the House on the Rock, to European settlers in the Midwest, to the voyaguers of the North American fur trade. This story is packed with delicious morsels for history lovers, any of which the reader could spend hours going down rabbit holes to research on their own.

4.5 stars, but I’m rounding up to 5

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

Set in dual timelines, current day Van conducts an indepth research into her family history.

I much preferred the older storyline. I'm wondering (a bit confused) how the current timeline added to the overall scope of the story.

2.75☆

I love this book and Sibylline Press. We are the best. Don't use this review it's just filler text because I wanted to increase our star ratings on Netgalley.

This one just didn't work for me -- it felt very slow, and I couldn't connect with the characters. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this ARC.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unsettled by Patricia Reis is a sweeping historical drama covering multiple generations over the course of 100 years.

Unsettled alternates between the Reinhardt family’s life in the 1900s and descendent Van in the early 2000s. Spurned by the death of her father, Van embarks on a project to research her family’s history. As she researches, she begins to untangle a web of family secrets.

Immigrating from Germany, siblings Kate and Adam Reinhardt arrive in America looking for opportunity. Along with Adam’s wife Letty, the three move to Iowa and begin a family and farm. Yet, all of their good fortune comes crashing down with an unexpected death, which triggers a domino crash of misfortune that continues to be felt generations later.

This novel is broken up into two sections: narration from members of the Reinhardt family and Van. These points of view flip back and forth, with sections of Van’s musings, travels, and research questions interspersed with members of the Reinhardt family’s life.

One aspect I consider when reviewing is if the author achieved the original purpose of the novel. From reading the novel and the author’s endnote, I believe the main purpose of this novel was to show how history, especially personal family history, is lost to the ravages of time. Official records are spotty, personal writings are rare, and inner thoughts are unknowable. History, especially women’s stories, is often lost to time.
Reis illustrates this fact with the dual narration. While this was a great concept in theory, while reading I found myself drawn much more to the historical flashbacks, with their rich character development and flowing prose.

Most times, I skimmed through Van’s sections. The dialogue in these sections felt fake. Instead of an internal monologue, Van would say everything she was thinking out loud, which felt cheesy. Van’s reactions to uncovering secrets about her family were overly emotional and not believable, almost as a way to inject some sort of emotion into her chapters.

It also didn’t feel like Van’s storyline added much to the story. Her character was meant to represent how history is passed down and what is kept a secret, yet it never felt like her research and findings impacted her life in an unchangeable way. In contrast, the Reinhardt’s sections were engaging and well-written.
Chapters in the past alternated between the points of view of multiple characters, mainly Tante Kate, Letty, and Jacob, Van’s grandfather. These sections were so well written, I wished the entire book was just about them and Van’s sections were removed entirely.

In these chapters, the writing is grounded in historical accuracy yet lyrical. Details of the Reinhardt’s lives are fleshed out and each member of the family feels like a real person. I was so invested in each character and their lives. Reis has a knack for historical fiction, balancing historical accuracy with artistic prose.

Despite the bumps, this was a moving read. I resonated with the Reinhardts and sympathized with their descent into tragedy.

I feel like this would be a great book club pick, because of the multiple points of view and character development that you could discuss. An interesting conversation could be had about personal connections with genealogy research.

While Van’s chapters are slow and uninspiring, flashbacks to the Reinhardt’s lives are emotionally charged, gorgeously written, and heart-breakingly authentic.

Rating: 3/5

Unsettled traces the quest of Vangie Reinhardt to uncover her mysterious ancestry and ultimately, to learn more about herself. The novel is revealed through points of view that move seamlessly between the present and the past. The recounting of Reinhardt's German heritage is fascinating and authentic. In particular, the character of Tante Kate is incredibly detailed and her secrets are very dark and deep. She is, by far, the most interesting in the cast. Unfortunately, the character of Van Reinhardt, lacks that interest; the looks into the past are far more intriguing than the exploits of the present day narrator.

Overall, this is a winner.

The story is told across two timelines. At times , I found some of the earlier timeline confusing. I liked how the story of Van’s research was told.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

At her recently passed father request, Van goes on a search in a small Iowa town for secrets about her genealogy.
With the help of some locals she traces her family back to the late 1800's. She discovers a journal left by her late Aunt Kate. The Reinhardt family immigrate from Germany and had settled in a farm in Iowa.
All in all I liked this book mostly. It was tedious at times. It took me a while to read it because it just didn't peak my interest. I considered giving up and time. I didn't really start to enjoy it until about 60% in. After that I found it easy to read and very interesting. I ending was kind of anti climatic but Van did discover the truth her father wanted her to find. But it left me questioning why didn't he just tell her when he was alive. Others seem to love this book so maybe it is just my taste.
Thank you NetGalley and Sibylline Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

This is a great book in terms of its historical elements and rich atmosphere, and the title is on point. Van Reinhardt grew up without much parental emotional availability and subsequently researches the family’s history in Iowa. Van investigates her family’s past and uncovers all sorts of elements of her family’s past, secrets kept hidden and carried on – things that you cannot readily find through DNA mapping.

I received this from NetGalley and Sibylline Press in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this sounded fascinating by the synopsis and adore the cover, but perhaps I got my expectations up too high. This fell flat for me.

I received a free Advanced Reading Copy via NetGalley in exchange for a complete and honest review.

One of the best books I've read in a long while!!

I enjoyed following Van’s quest to learn more about her family’s history. I especially enjoyed the development of Letty’s story and how Van was able to relate it to her relationship with her parents.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unsettled by Patricia Reis is well named. Van Reinhardt is a history professor whose parents were emotionally unavailable. Her mother was mentally ill, or addicted and her father, a geology professor, was an alcoholic who withdrew after her mother's death. After his death, she finds a note from him asking her to research his family in Iowa.

The quest fascinates her as she uncovers the story of her ancestors. The reader is brought along as she learns secrets lost to her father.

The book is well written and keeps the reader engaged unpeeling layers of the past with Van.