Priscilla Speaks: A Novel (The Speaks Saga)

By: Kirk Ward Robinson
Publisher: Highland Home Publishing
Publication Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 979-8988681533
Reviewed by: Lily Andrews
Review Date: March 31, 2025

Kirk Ward Robinson’s moving tale Priscilla Speaks: A Novel (The Speaks Saga) tells the story of a girl who struggles to fit in as she feels different from others, forcing her to flee and try to navigate life’s uncertainties by herself.

Priscilla understood she was different from others early on, but she could not explain why. Nonetheless, the sense persisted, like an invisible friend who stubbornly refused to emerge. She had never considered her mother Blaize to be a mother since, instead of protecting and loving her, she wandered around and occasionally scolded her. Priscilla had an aggressive attitude and buried wrath that made it hard for anybody to relate to her at school. She would later come to realize that not even her mother could do so. Her failure to relate to her family members fueled her fury, which she carried with her to school, frequently sending shivers down the spines of others.

Because she thought friends were erratic and needy, Priscilla never thought it was necessary to have any. Her lessons and teachers bored her, and her intolerance appeared to increase with each day. Following a violent altercation with a boy one day, a counselor discovered that she had a condition that could account for her attitude and behavior. Her mother would not hear any of it, however. Priscilla was later expelled after assaulting a student who possessed a video of her nude in the washroom. As it looked, life was unpredictable and full of secrets that she could not fully fathom. Eager to break free from the routine and tedium of her gloomy, destitute existence, she would make a decision that would lead her down an enchanted path in quest of an unknown future, all while battling with her sexuality and increasingly confusing feelings.

In addition to offering a glimpse into the protagonist’s upbringing, choices, and personality, this story—a must-read explanation of mental health-related, self-discovery, trauma, and healing themes—richly details the relationship, character, and attitude of Priscilla’s mother. The novel, set in a sun-drenched Southern town, pushes the reader to imagine an alternative destiny for the family. It compels the reader to confront uncertainties alongside the protagonist through her perplexing emotional journey, chock-full of heartaches, which eventually take an unexpected twist and lead to a firm awareness.

The story hints at an examination of the autism spectrum as a serious and pervasive phenomenon. Its premise is supported by thorough research that provides helpful facts while letting the reader decide what is true or false. The protagonist’s mother’s past, in which she is portrayed to have learned to harden herself so fully against grief and weakness that nothing can even faintly enter, will be appreciated. She is a mother who fervently felt she owed her children security, happiness, and the opportunity to be innocent—things she never had—and she adds intrigue to the narrative as one considers how her actions could have shaped the protagonist’s distinctiveness.

Quill says: Kirk Ward Robinson’s Priscilla Speaks is impressive due to its comprehensive coverage of crucial subjects that parents will find interesting. In addition to having a witty and captivating protagonist who goes above and above to make the reading experience charming and emotionally engaging, the story’s tone remains consistent throughout. With language that keeps the reading fascinating and flowing, this is a thought-provoking work that can be read as a stand-alone novel, but will undoubtedly pique the reader’s curiosity of the series’ predecessors.

For more information about Priscilla Speaks, please visit the author's website at: kirkwardrobinson.com