Book Review: The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl, by Timothy Egan

Keywords

Book Review; Newspaper

Abstract

In "The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl"(Mariner Books, 2006), Timothy Egan recounts the Dust Bowl storms of the 1930s in great detail. The Dust Bowl was a period in which severe dust storms struck the prairies because of the overuse and misuse of grasslands centering in the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles. A winner of the 2006 National Book Award for Nonfiction, "The Worst Hard Time" chronicles this disaster from the early stages to the aftermath and ultimately the government purchase of 11.3 million acres of damaged grasslands in order to restore them. Weaving together historical fact and personal accounts of the farmers and families living in these areas, Egan uses the personal vignettes to highlight an important aspect of this national disaster that had previously remained in the background. The author's attention to detail and sobering portraits of his main characters make it a compelling read. For a moment, readers may even forget that this book is not fiction, but rather stark fact during a somber time in United States history. Despite the heavy content, "The Worst Hard Time" is an engaging book; the real-life characters may have gone through painful struggles, but they are nevertheless vivid and captivating.

Date Created

December 2013

https://works.bepress.com/sarah-norris/16/download/

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