THE WORST HARD TIME

The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl
Finished reading this book by Timothy Egan.  I did not know at the time I started reading it but in 2006 this book won the Washington State Book Award and the National Book Award.  It was referred to me by my brother who read it and like it.  It turned out to be a really good book, one I will remember.  I learned more about the 1930's depression, politics of the times, agriculture and of course the dust storms which I had seen and heard about on TV but did not know the real reason for the dust storms and that there was actually a "Dust Bowl" area.  The story is non fiction and is told from the points of view of people who, instead of leaving the area when the drought began, stuck it out (which, by the way, I would not have done-I'd have been out of there.)  But the author interviewed several different people who stayed and lived through these 'hard times' and had first hand knowledge of surviving these extreme conditions.  The stories are told from a personal point of view so you come to feel their hardships and while I was reading I could actually feel the heat and dust and cold,  the hunger and discouragement.  It did get mildly redundant about half way through but that does not last long and I feel like I have learned a great deal because of reading it.  Would recommend it.