by Timothy Egan
The depression. Drought. Dust storms. Can you think of a more miserable time to be alive in Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas? I can't. The title of this book is no exaggeration of the painful 1930s in our nation's Dust Bowl.
Egan introduces us to several characters who survived the "worst hard time." Ike Osteen, Bam White, Uncle Dick Coon, and Hazel Lucas Shaw survived the worst of times. Horrifying dust storms, relatives lost to dust pneumonia, and immense financial losses peppered their lives, just like so many other people at the time.
The horrifying descriptions of "dusters" and the heartbreak and frustration of the people make for a compelling (never boring) narrative.
How did this happen? Why did they stay? Egan explains all to the reader in a clear and concise narrative.
5/17/08
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