Terri E. (stocktonmalonefan) - reviewed on 8/23/2011 + 58 more book reviews

Wow. What an incredible book. It is well written. Once you start it, it will not let you go. I knew about the Dust Bowl, even heard snippets of it from my husband's grandmother--but this book makes it very personal. You get to view it through those who lived in it. These are the people who stayed--who held out hope when there was no hope that the land could be saved. The people who knew nothing else but how to live off the plains. For them, there was no place to run to. What a tragedy! And man-made at that. All that misery caused by human error and ecological ignorance of the time. It breaks your heart. It also makes me think of how ignorant we still are about the land, our water and air. What about Global Warming? Fifty years from now will another generation be reading about OUR stupidity and indifference to nature? It makes you think...

This book covers the Dust Bowl from before it began (1929-1930) 'til the bitter end. The author presents it as it happened. The Dust Storms speak for themselves. If you are wanting a light read, DO NOT pick up this book. If you are interested in the Dust Bowl, that time period, man vs. nature or conservationism, this book is for you.

After reading this book, I'm looking at all the land around me differently. Hopefully mankind can learn from our past mistakes.

I think this book should be mandatory reading in our high schools!

Now I want to go read more books about Hugh Bennett (a key player who tried to "rescue" the dusty plains) and FDR who tried to save the land and its people. That man had his hands full. The first book I'm going to read though is "The Grapes of Wrath," written about the mass exodus of people from the Dust Bowl, heading west and hoping to be able to work. Hoping to be able to feed and clothe their children and give them fresh air to breath.

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