Dust-Covered Lies

by Catherine O'Connor

Set in Texas during the 1870s and in the 1930s at the height of the Dust Bowl, Dust Covered Lies tells the story of Frances Abbott, or Frannie, an orphaned immigrant who faces a terrible choice that will haunt her the rest of her life. Frannie is a teenage champion markswoman when she and her autistic and artistically gifted brother, Juan Esteban, set off on a scientific hunting expedition on the Colorado River led by a dangerous con man who claims to be a French zoologist. 

When a murder is committed and Juan Esteban’s life is in danger, Frannie lies to protect him. Determined to take her secret to the grave, Frannie and her brother flee to the dust-covered Texas panhandle to escape the one person who could reveal the truth about their past. 

Genres: Historical Fiction

222 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2024

About the author

Catherine O’Connor is a writer and landscape architect. Her novel Dust Cover Lies won two 2025 Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America-- Best Traditional Novel and Best First Novel.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Duke University and a Master’s in Landscape Architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. A native Texan and Austinite, she is the founding principal of Co’design, LLC and has served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Texas School of Architecture.

Reviews

[Annie Tate Cockrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful debut from Catherine O’Connor! We follow Frannie in dual timelines of her adolescence in the 1870s and later in her life in the 1930s. The story follows her and her brother Juan Esteban and the powerful connection they share. It’s set up as equal parts mystery and adventure novel which makes the book highly readable. O’Connor writes with empathy and compassion. By the end of the book I was fully in it with Frannie and Juan Esteban and was left crying.

[Robb R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some books have characters and settings that you will never forget. This is one of those books. A story that you don't want to end - and when it does it is absolutely satisfying.

The fierce and courageous young woman, the brilliant artist whose mind simply works differently, the enthusiastic young man, the evil individuals who haunt the story -- they all come to life in this excellent book.

I was able to order directly from the publisher at https://tcupress.tcu.edu/9780875658834/

[Tim Goettel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping plot and compelling characters!

[Great Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her debut novel, Dust-Covered Lies, Catherine M. O’Connor weaves a striking tapestry across two disparate yet equally unforgiving epochs: the fractured post-Civil War era of the 1870s and the suffocating, atmospheric desolation of the 1930s Dust Bowl. It is a bold, structurally ambitious premise that explores the evolution of the Texas spirit—and the land that forged it—across a century and a half.

The narrative centers on Frannie Abbott, an immigrant whose proficiency with a rifle earns her a place in a hunting expedition that soon reveals itself to be a house of mirrors. Trapped in a web of deceit spun by a charismatic con artist, Frannie is forced into a life-altering lie to shield her autistic younger brother. It is a profound study of the lengths to which one will go to preserve kin, set against a backdrop where survival is the only true currency.

O’Connor’s commitment to historical realism is palpable. Much like the titans of the genre—McCarthy and McMurtry—she treats the natural world not merely as a setting, but as a primary character. The landscape reflects the internal topography of her protagonists; the rugged, indifferent terrain serves as a mirror for Frannie’s own resilience and grit.

However, the prose reflects the author’s professional background as a landscape architect. While her eye for environmental detail is surgical, the writing frequently leans toward the ornate. For a reader who prizes the Spartan, Hemingway-esque economy of classic Westerns, the narrative momentum can occasionally become snagged on the density of the descriptions. At times, the meticulousness edges into over-explanation, slowing the pulse of an otherwise gripping story.

Ultimately, the sheer originality of the dual-timeline structure and the emotional core of the Abbott siblings carry the work. Dust-Covered Lies is an immersive, evocative debut that announces a serious new voice in historical fiction. It is a brief but haunting read, and despite its stylistic flourishes, I found myself fully surrendered to its atmosphere.

Rating: 4.25 / 5 Stars

[Betty Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. I loved the characters and the story. I live in the Texas panhandle and appreciated her descriptions and knowledge of the area.