Out of the Dust
Written by Karen Hesse
Bibliography Hesse, K. (1997). Out of the Dust: A novel. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0590360809
Summary
The reader gets a glimpse into the life of Billy Jo and her family through her journal that spans January 1934 through December 1935. We follow Billy Jo as she watches her father struggle to grow wheat; her pregnant mother grow bitter and suffer a horrible accident; and the rest of the community endure during the Dust Bowl years of the Depression. This is a story of growth: Grow along with Billy Jo as getting out of the dust changes meaning over the period of these grueling years.
Critical Analysis
Karen Hesse uses free verse to write in the first person, as Billy Jo. Because the book is set up as a journal or diary, each section having dated poems, the reader is able to see the passage of time. The straightforward, frugal style of the poetry exactly fits the austere nature of the times, yet still allows Hesse to develop Billy Jo as a dynamic character.
Many of the poems can stand alone, but together they form an indescribably beautiful, yet indescribably sad story. Even though the story is heart-rending, it never feels hopeless; we see Billy Jo mature and learn to be at peace with her life. At first Billy Jo thinks getting out of the dust means that she must leave her home, but as she lives the years chronicled in her diary she realizes getting out of the dust can be a mental change, and that she is where she belongs, home.
Critical Analysis
Karen Hesse uses free verse to write in the first person, as Billy Jo. Because the book is set up as a journal or diary, each section having dated poems, the reader is able to see the passage of time. The straightforward, frugal style of the poetry exactly fits the austere nature of the times, yet still allows Hesse to develop Billy Jo as a dynamic character.
Many of the poems can stand alone, but together they form an indescribably beautiful, yet indescribably sad story. Even though the story is heart-rending, it never feels hopeless; we see Billy Jo mature and learn to be at peace with her life. At first Billy Jo thinks getting out of the dust means that she must leave her home, but as she lives the years chronicled in her diary she realizes getting out of the dust can be a mental change, and that she is where she belongs, home.
Review Excerpts
* Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices: “Richly detailed and raw with emotion...”
* The ALAN Review: “Out of the Dust will wrench your gut...”
* The ALAN Review: “Out of the Dust will wrench your gut...”
* Kirkus Reviews: "…a glimpse of beauty wrought from brutal reality."
Connections
* This is a fabulous site on farming during the 1920s through the 1960s. It has more information on The Dust Bowl with video clips of people who lived through it. There are also pictures. Here is a link directly to the information on The Dust Bowl. Here is a link to more pictures on a different site.
* Here is a link for Apple Pandowdy, mentioned in the book.
* History and Social Studies teachers have a wonderful opportunity to bridge the curriculum by bringing poetry and historical fiction into their classrooms with this book. I recommend it as a read aloud in the classroom. Bring tissue.
*Also available on audio. ISBN 0307284034
* This is a fabulous site on farming during the 1920s through the 1960s. It has more information on The Dust Bowl with video clips of people who lived through it. There are also pictures. Here is a link directly to the information on The Dust Bowl. Here is a link to more pictures on a different site.
* Here is a link for Apple Pandowdy, mentioned in the book.
* History and Social Studies teachers have a wonderful opportunity to bridge the curriculum by bringing poetry and historical fiction into their classrooms with this book. I recommend it as a read aloud in the classroom. Bring tissue.
*Also available on audio. ISBN 0307284034
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