The Promise of Unbroken Straw

1944, Oklahoma. With their family farm on the brink of ruin, Paul’s life takes an unexpected turn—but newfound fortune comes at an unimaginable cost.

In rural Oklahoma, 13-year-old Paul wrestles with more than the typical burdens of adolescence. With a struggling farm, Allied boots marching through Europe, and whispers surrounding his mother’s death, life feels anything but simple. But when an unexpected windfall saves them from poverty, Paul discovers that wealth brings complications he never imagined.

Paul’s rags-to-riches move to Tulsa thrusts him into a world of private schools and sprawling mansions, where he and his brother face bullies, a distant father’s impossible expectations, and the weight of devastating loss. Haunted by guilt and buried secrets, Paul’s journey spans decades as he searches for forgiveness and a way to bridge the chasm between himself and the father he never truly knew.

Award-winning and praised for its unforgettable characters, The Promise of Unbroken Straw is a journey of heartbreak, secrets, and redemption.

Dive into this coming-of-age tale, perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah and William Kent Krueger.

A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Ken Steele holds degrees in Civil Engineering from Oklahoma State University and MIT. The Promise of Unbroken Straw is Ken’s debut novel, a work of historical fiction. He resides in Colorado with his wife of 41 years where his days are filled with skiing, pickleball, golf, hiking, and all that the mountains can offer. 

• Pinnacle Book Achievement AwardWinner 2024
• Eric Hoffer AwardNominated 2025
• Indie Next Generation AwardNominated 2025

“The Promise of Unbroken Straw will lure readers into an epic and unforgettable tale of three generations of a family saturated with secrets, grief, and unrealized, stubborn love. Ken Steele takes us on a sweeping journey from rags-to-riches-to-rags-to..., from rural to urban, from heartbreak to healing, from lost to found. It’s a story as deep and complicated and revealing and wonderful as life itself.”

—Mark McKinnon

Chief Media Advisor to five Presidential campaigns

Regular columnist for Vanity Fair, The London Daily Telegraph, and Daily Beast