Set in Oklahoma during the years leading up to the Dust Bowl, Gladys is a story of survival. When her mother and two of her siblings die of typhoid she's left alone with her father and young brother to tend the farm. Her father resents her for reasons beyond her control, so she embarks on a journey to improve her prospects and break the cycle of abuse that has plagued her family for generations. Based on events from childhood as well as stories shared by the author's grandmother, Gladys is a fictionalized retelling of family oral history, as well as a slice of life from the 1920's and early 30's. Trudy Weiss lives in Tucson Arizona with her husband Tom and two adult children. This is her first novel.