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Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Priscilla Speaks by Kirk Ward Robinson is a powerful and poetic coming-of-age novel set against the backdrop of rural hardship, familial abandonment, and the search for meaning in the margins. The central character is born into a world marked by her mother’s addiction and societal neglect. Priscilla grows up in a small southern town, determined to defy the expectations set before her. Cast out at sixteen, she embarks on a journey up the Appalachian Trail that becomes both physical and existential. Each person she meets—and each challenge she faces—shapes her evolving sense of identity, sexuality, and spiritual understanding. Through introspection and resilience, Priscilla becomes her own storyteller, speaking her truth in a voice that demands to be heard.
Author Kirk Ward Robinson has a gift for character and voice, and this novel offers readers a rare and resonant literary energy in Priscilla. She's intelligent, observant, and aching with vulnerability, and I was particularly moved by how seamlessly the natural landscape mirrored Priscilla’s inner world, with every mile on the trail echoing her emotional terrain and how she feels in the well-penned dialogue and action narration. The writing is lyrical and meditative, yet it never loses the grit and immediacy of her experience, and we're always in the moment with her. Themes of class, queerness, and survival are handled with sensitivity and depth, allowing readers to walk beside Priscilla and see the world through her eyes even if they don't experience those issues themselves. Overall, Priscilla Speaks is a luminous, unforgettable novel of defiance, discovery, and the healing power of voice, and I'd recommend it as a must-read for anyone drawn to stories of hard-won transformation.
