Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

I have intended to read this book for several years, and have not managed to find the time. What better time than the present, right? My interest was piqued because it won the Newbury and because I had heard it was written in verse.

Immediately upon pulling it off the shelf, I noticed that the title is written so that the words appear to be emerging from the dust as you read it. I really can't explain it more clearly; I think you will need to see it to understand.

Over the course of the year chronicled in Out of the Dust, the main character, Billie Jo, deals with dust storms, poor crops, and psychological as well as physical trauma. Just as her community struggles to come "out of the dust," Billie Jo does too.

As I read about Billie Jo, I was immediately drawn to her character. She seems like a young girl trying to figure out who she is. It is obvious she loves her family but she is also trying to spread her wings and stretch beyond her immediate family. So, when tragedy struck Billie Jo's family, I was empathetic to her problems. Throughout the rest of the story, Billie Jo tries to pull herself up after the tragedies and move on with her life. It is not easy.

Her struggles are juxtaposed with the Dust Bowl. At the same time I was getting to know Billie Jo in the beginning, I was learning more about the dust bowl. Parts of the story described people moving to California hoping for work, poor crops, starving animals, storms wiping out all of the growing wheat. As Billie Jo's situation worsened, the dust storms got worse. Both aspects of the book-- Billie Jo's story and the Dust Bowl worked together cohesively, they complement one another and add to the impact of the book as a whole.

I know little about the Dust Bowl, however the historical details appear accurate. Roosevelt is mentioned, a short explanation about the causes of the Dust Bowl are included, and other details. Hesse did a superb job of including important historical details to make the story believable and give the reader the necessary frame of mind without making it feel as though you were reading facts about the Dust Bowl. The reader learns them by reading Billie Jo's perspective on events occuring around her.

I'm glad I finally had the chance to read Out of the Dust. It was worth it!