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Inheriting Magic: My Journey Through Grief, Joy, Celebration, and Making Every Day Magical
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Literature & Fiction, Parenting & Relationships
Book Type: Hardcover
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Literature & Fiction, Parenting & Relationships
Book Type: Hardcover
Paula G. (Paulathegreat) reviewed on + 165 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I received the book from Story Graph's giveaways.
This is a sweet little memorial book. Love-Hewitt tells how her mother made life magical for her children through family celebrations and every day activities. The main thrust of the book is not looking backwards, but looking forward to how she passes that magic on to her three children and how you can create magic for yours.
Some of the ideas are as simple as putting a filter on a light and taking the kids pictures with a rainbow reflected on their faces. Others are as complicated as the birthday parties she plans for her (Hollywood) kids. There are lots of pictures, some recipes.
I would recommend this book for someone who wanted to start thinking about entertaining or even to take your entertaining to the next level
This is a sweet little memorial book. Love-Hewitt tells how her mother made life magical for her children through family celebrations and every day activities. The main thrust of the book is not looking backwards, but looking forward to how she passes that magic on to her three children and how you can create magic for yours.
Some of the ideas are as simple as putting a filter on a light and taking the kids pictures with a rainbow reflected on their faces. Others are as complicated as the birthday parties she plans for her (Hollywood) kids. There are lots of pictures, some recipes.
I would recommend this book for someone who wanted to start thinking about entertaining or even to take your entertaining to the next level
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Author:
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Paperback
Author:
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Paperback
Julie Y. (naboo) reviewed on + 53 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I picked up a used copy at my local thrift store, thinking this would be an interesting mystery.Â
Christopher John Francis Boone, a fifteen year-old boy with Asperger Syndrome, is the protagonist and narrator of the story. He possesses a strong aptitude for mathematics and science. Unfortunately, due to his disability it is difficult for him to effectively socialize and communicate.Â
At the beginning of the novel, Christopher discovers Wellington, a standard poodle, dead from being stabbed with a garden fork. Immediately both Mrs. Shear, the owner of Wellington, and the police officer suspect Christopher of the murder. So he decides to investigate. He uncovers that his father killed the dog and finds out that his mother is still alive and living in London. Therefore, he embarks on a journey to find his mother.Â
I have to be honest, I thought the pace for the book was too slow. Furthermore, I did not like any of the main characters. For example:
Christopher - rude and selfishÂ
Ed Boone (Christopher's father) - an asshole for killing Wellington and lying to Christopher about his mother still being alive
Judy Boone (Christopher's mother) - selfish for leaving Christopher and Ed
Mrs. Shear - a bitch for quickly blaming Christopher for the death of her dogÂ
Finally, the only reason I gave this a two star rating (instead of one) because I am a math major and I enjoyed the prime numbers for the chapters and the math equations throughout the story.Â
Christopher John Francis Boone, a fifteen year-old boy with Asperger Syndrome, is the protagonist and narrator of the story. He possesses a strong aptitude for mathematics and science. Unfortunately, due to his disability it is difficult for him to effectively socialize and communicate.Â
At the beginning of the novel, Christopher discovers Wellington, a standard poodle, dead from being stabbed with a garden fork. Immediately both Mrs. Shear, the owner of Wellington, and the police officer suspect Christopher of the murder. So he decides to investigate. He uncovers that his father killed the dog and finds out that his mother is still alive and living in London. Therefore, he embarks on a journey to find his mother.Â
I have to be honest, I thought the pace for the book was too slow. Furthermore, I did not like any of the main characters. For example:
Christopher - rude and selfishÂ
Ed Boone (Christopher's father) - an asshole for killing Wellington and lying to Christopher about his mother still being alive
Judy Boone (Christopher's mother) - selfish for leaving Christopher and Ed
Mrs. Shear - a bitch for quickly blaming Christopher for the death of her dogÂ
Finally, the only reason I gave this a two star rating (instead of one) because I am a math major and I enjoyed the prime numbers for the chapters and the math equations throughout the story.Â
The River Is Waiting
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Book Type: Hardcover
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Book Type: Hardcover
Helpful Score: 1
This was the first book I have read by Wally Lamb. I don't know why I was avoiding his books, I suppose given the popularity and plots I thought they would be sentimental and tear-jerky. Well, this book was sentimental and tear-jerky, but I am here for it! I read it in 3 days despite its length. The ending was a gut punch, this was an enjoyable and engrossing read.
Marcia C. reviewed on + 704 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Ugh. Is this book really meant for adults? I found it so silly and simplistic that I couldn't finish it. Can't wait to send it off to someone else!
Helpful Score: 1
Steinbeck has always been one of my favorite authors ever since reading Grapes of Wrath back in college. I have had this Modern Library hardcover copy of Tortilla Flat in my personal collection for over 20 years but just now got around to reading it. This is one of Steinbeck's earlier novels published in 1935 and was his first commercial success. The book portrays a group of 'paisanos'âliterally, countrymenâa small band of errant friends enjoying life and wine in the days after the end of World War I living above the town of Monterey on the California coast in the shabby district of Tortilla Flat. The book explains that a 'paisano' is "a mixture of Spanish, Indian, Mexican and assorted Caucasian bloods. He speaks English with a paisano accent and Spanish with a paisano accent. . ."
The main protagonist of the novel is Danny who returned from WWI and inherited not one, but two houses when his grandfather dies. Danny decides to rent one of the houses to his friends with little hope of ever collecting rent. He and his friends are used to sleeping in the woods and getting drunk on wine whenever possible. The story really glorifies drunkenness, stealing, homelessness, and quick casual sex. His friends accidentally burn down the house he rents to them so they end up moving into the other house with Danny. As time passes more friends seem to end up moving in with him. This included a man called Pirate who works selling firewood for a quarter a day that he never spends. He is persuaded to move in by the group mainly because they want to obtain the money he has been saving. But it turns out he is saving for a good cause and so he ends up with the support of all of them. The group carries on with their existence, mainly drinking and brawling until Danny seems to go his own way because he misses the freedom he had when he was alone.
I enjoyed this one. The location of Monterey was later used by Steinbeck in Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday, two of my favorites. Of course the book contained some minor racial slurs that were common in the books of the time but overall this was an interesting look at the down-and -outs that made the most of their situation. The ending of the book was a little unexpected but life goes on. . . This was also made into a movie in 1942 with Spencer Tracy and John Garfield. I remember seeing this several years ago, probably on TCM, but I definitely would like to see it again after reading the novel and I look forward to reading more of Steinbeck that I have missed.
The main protagonist of the novel is Danny who returned from WWI and inherited not one, but two houses when his grandfather dies. Danny decides to rent one of the houses to his friends with little hope of ever collecting rent. He and his friends are used to sleeping in the woods and getting drunk on wine whenever possible. The story really glorifies drunkenness, stealing, homelessness, and quick casual sex. His friends accidentally burn down the house he rents to them so they end up moving into the other house with Danny. As time passes more friends seem to end up moving in with him. This included a man called Pirate who works selling firewood for a quarter a day that he never spends. He is persuaded to move in by the group mainly because they want to obtain the money he has been saving. But it turns out he is saving for a good cause and so he ends up with the support of all of them. The group carries on with their existence, mainly drinking and brawling until Danny seems to go his own way because he misses the freedom he had when he was alone.
I enjoyed this one. The location of Monterey was later used by Steinbeck in Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday, two of my favorites. Of course the book contained some minor racial slurs that were common in the books of the time but overall this was an interesting look at the down-and -outs that made the most of their situation. The ending of the book was a little unexpected but life goes on. . . This was also made into a movie in 1942 with Spencer Tracy and John Garfield. I remember seeing this several years ago, probably on TCM, but I definitely would like to see it again after reading the novel and I look forward to reading more of Steinbeck that I have missed.
Civil War Nurse: The Diary and Letters of Hannah Ropes
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, History
Book Type: Paperback
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, History
Book Type: Paperback
Helpful Score: 1
Interesting book of letters from a Civil War nurse for the Union whose husband had deserted her. She had four children, two of whom died young. A third ended up as a soldier in a Massachusetts Infantry regiment. Another was a daughter.
She left her home for Washington and was matron of the Union Hotel Hospital in Georgetown, D.C. from July 1862 until January 1863. One of the nurses who served under her for a while was Louisa May Alcott, whose book "Hospital Sketches" I've also read.
Mrs. Ropes' letters were discovered in California and mostly went unnoticed by historians until 1975.
She was quite a feisty lady, in that when a surgeon and a steward in charge of her hospital for a period of time were uncaring about the wounded, and were in fact stealing from them, she went directly to Secretary of War Stanton to report it. Both were eventually relieved and court-martialed.
It's a quick read of 129 pages, of which 46 were the editor's Introduction.
One comment from her letters I enjoyed was "Washington is decidedly the ugliest and dirtiest city I ever saw." She may have been right, as during the Civil War period it had that reputation.
She left her home for Washington and was matron of the Union Hotel Hospital in Georgetown, D.C. from July 1862 until January 1863. One of the nurses who served under her for a while was Louisa May Alcott, whose book "Hospital Sketches" I've also read.
Mrs. Ropes' letters were discovered in California and mostly went unnoticed by historians until 1975.
She was quite a feisty lady, in that when a surgeon and a steward in charge of her hospital for a period of time were uncaring about the wounded, and were in fact stealing from them, she went directly to Secretary of War Stanton to report it. Both were eventually relieved and court-martialed.
It's a quick read of 129 pages, of which 46 were the editor's Introduction.
One comment from her letters I enjoyed was "Washington is decidedly the ugliest and dirtiest city I ever saw." She may have been right, as during the Civil War period it had that reputation.
Helpful Score: 1
Dollycas's Thoughts
Julia, David, and Erika, ââthe Lake Gangâ, have had many happy days spending summers with their parents on Lake Timmeny in Vermont. Now they bring their own children to spend a couple of weeks together each summer.
This year, when Julia arrives, she sees that David has built a huge monstrosity where his family's cabin used to be, blocking the lake view from both her and Erika's cabins. When he arrives he is pretty cocky about his renovation and his new âlady of the momentâ. He also has a young new nanny in tow to take care of his five-year-old twins.
Erika arrives with her husband and son; she is unusually quiet about the massive multi-windowed structure blocking the lake. Julia wants to know why, but the three have accumulated many secrets over the years, so she assumes there is a lot more to the story.
Lake Timmeny has a tragic history. âThe lake takes them.â Two young women have âvanishedâ 30 years apart, and now it has been another 30 years. So when David's new girlfriend vanishes after a very public disagreement, everyone wonders if the lake has taken another. While a comprehensive search is organized and carried out, secrets start to be revealed that go back for generations. Lies. Betrayal. Deceit. Danger lurks. Will the Lake Gang survive the summer?
Three couples, two teenagers, 2 five-year-olds, and their nanny on a summer vacation. What could go wrong? Everything!
Ms. Day has written a complex story featuring complicated characters who all have secrets now in their daily lives that are compounded by what takes place and revealed over a very short timeframe. At times, I felt I needed a scorecard to keep track of everything. Her characters are very interesting, so it is easy to get caught up in everything they are going through.
The lake's history was intriguing for this mystery lover, and an elderly woman who lives on the lake year-round not only stole my heart but was the key to disclosing so much of that history. Hold on, though, there is so much more to sink our teeth into as memories are tested and secrets are divulged. Layers are peeled away, a little too slowly at times, but some epic twists ratcheted up the tension and suspense in all the right places. Being told from two points of view, I was totally pulled into this story. There is family drama to the max in ways I couldn't imagine. The ending was elaborate, intricate, and satisfying. I would have liked a little more action instead of explanations, but it still worked for me.
The Lake Escape takes readers on a wild ride as each character's journey intersects in numerous ways. This is Ms. Day's third venture of domestic suspense following her debut, The Block Party, and then One Big Happy Family, last year, each time upping her game. Words of wisdom from Julia: âBe in the moment. Relax and enjoy. Don't try to control, just let it roll.â That was from Chapter 7. Boy, did things roll from there. If you are looking for your next summer read, this one will have you feeling like you are right there at the lake, witnessing all the drama these families serve up. A strong 4.5 stars and an Enjoyable Escape.
*There is some explicit language.
Julia, David, and Erika, ââthe Lake Gangâ, have had many happy days spending summers with their parents on Lake Timmeny in Vermont. Now they bring their own children to spend a couple of weeks together each summer.
This year, when Julia arrives, she sees that David has built a huge monstrosity where his family's cabin used to be, blocking the lake view from both her and Erika's cabins. When he arrives he is pretty cocky about his renovation and his new âlady of the momentâ. He also has a young new nanny in tow to take care of his five-year-old twins.
Erika arrives with her husband and son; she is unusually quiet about the massive multi-windowed structure blocking the lake. Julia wants to know why, but the three have accumulated many secrets over the years, so she assumes there is a lot more to the story.
Lake Timmeny has a tragic history. âThe lake takes them.â Two young women have âvanishedâ 30 years apart, and now it has been another 30 years. So when David's new girlfriend vanishes after a very public disagreement, everyone wonders if the lake has taken another. While a comprehensive search is organized and carried out, secrets start to be revealed that go back for generations. Lies. Betrayal. Deceit. Danger lurks. Will the Lake Gang survive the summer?
Three couples, two teenagers, 2 five-year-olds, and their nanny on a summer vacation. What could go wrong? Everything!
Ms. Day has written a complex story featuring complicated characters who all have secrets now in their daily lives that are compounded by what takes place and revealed over a very short timeframe. At times, I felt I needed a scorecard to keep track of everything. Her characters are very interesting, so it is easy to get caught up in everything they are going through.
The lake's history was intriguing for this mystery lover, and an elderly woman who lives on the lake year-round not only stole my heart but was the key to disclosing so much of that history. Hold on, though, there is so much more to sink our teeth into as memories are tested and secrets are divulged. Layers are peeled away, a little too slowly at times, but some epic twists ratcheted up the tension and suspense in all the right places. Being told from two points of view, I was totally pulled into this story. There is family drama to the max in ways I couldn't imagine. The ending was elaborate, intricate, and satisfying. I would have liked a little more action instead of explanations, but it still worked for me.
The Lake Escape takes readers on a wild ride as each character's journey intersects in numerous ways. This is Ms. Day's third venture of domestic suspense following her debut, The Block Party, and then One Big Happy Family, last year, each time upping her game. Words of wisdom from Julia: âBe in the moment. Relax and enjoy. Don't try to control, just let it roll.â That was from Chapter 7. Boy, did things roll from there. If you are looking for your next summer read, this one will have you feeling like you are right there at the lake, witnessing all the drama these families serve up. A strong 4.5 stars and an Enjoyable Escape.
*There is some explicit language.
Helpful Score: 1
Just in case you didn't read the entire title, this is a novel. Which means the author takes literary license, a lot of literary license. I've read dozens of books about Lincoln, who is easiest my all-time favorite historical personage. So I can be very critical about how authors treat him.
At the end of the book the author admits he wrote "...an imaginative re-creation of life as a young Abe Lincoln might have lived it..." However, for the incidents in the book and some of people Lincoln interacts with, the author maintains he did a lot of research to stick close to what happened back then.
I did find the story interesting, but some scenes were a bit over done. And I was confused at the end when he lets the reader know---more than once--one event was going to happen before another, but then has the second scheduled event occurring first. And personally, I refuse to believe Lincoln lost his virginity in a fancy New Orleans bordello. But, hey! Remember the literary license?
At the end of the book the author admits he wrote "...an imaginative re-creation of life as a young Abe Lincoln might have lived it..." However, for the incidents in the book and some of people Lincoln interacts with, the author maintains he did a lot of research to stick close to what happened back then.
I did find the story interesting, but some scenes were a bit over done. And I was confused at the end when he lets the reader know---more than once--one event was going to happen before another, but then has the second scheduled event occurring first. And personally, I refuse to believe Lincoln lost his virginity in a fancy New Orleans bordello. But, hey! Remember the literary license?
Helpful Score: 1
A must-read for lovers of apocalyptic fiction.
Helpful Score: 1
Elvira Vance and the Monster Mystery by Kacy Ritter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Suspenseful and fun middle-grade adventure where young supernatural sleuths investigate the disappearance of some of their monster neighbors.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Suspenseful and fun middle-grade adventure where young supernatural sleuths investigate the disappearance of some of their monster neighbors.
Elvira Vance and the Monster Mystery by Kacy Ritter is a fun and exciting paranormal middle-school novel about a team of young investigators looking into the disappearance of a number of monsters from their community right before the annual Marfa Monster Festival, the biggest event of the year. Half-siren Elvira Vance is the daughter of the owners of Vince Vance's Vintage Trailer Park Inn for Monsters and a budding detective. When some of her monster neighbors begin to go missing, she and her two best friends, Mari, a chupacabra, and Emilio, a human and photography enthusiast, jump at the chance to investigate, especially when the official detective, a human from the local town of Marfa, Texas, shows up to take over the case.
In the years since monsters of all kinds came out into the open, there had been an uneasy truce between them and the humans. However, the local mayor, Guff McCoy, had been doing his level best to stir up fear and hate in the human community. With tensions between the species about to boil over, and finders from both camps pointing at the other, Elvira, Mari, and Emilio know they must get to the bottom of the disappearances before things explode.What a delightful children's/middle-grade story of monsters and mystery, unknowns and underdogs! Elvira is a confident character, certain that she and her team can crack the case before the adult human can, and they do uncover clues that Detective Ace Price has no way of obtaining. I enjoyed the trio's investigations and their questioning of a variety of mythical beings in the process. While Elvira, Mari, and Emilio frequently disobey their parents, they seem to generally believe they have no choice and accept their punishments, when caught, without complaining. However, they readily continue to break those same rules without ever fully explaining what they're involved in with their parents, and perhaps avoiding some of their problems. As they gather their clues and build their case, twists in the plot rule out a couple of major suspects. The eventual reveal is a surprise, and the action leading up to the resolution is shocking and exciting.
I recommend ELVIRA VANCE AND THE MONSTER MYSTERY to readers of middle-grade paranormal fiction, action, and adventure. However, not only will middle-grade readers enjoy the adventure, but the book will also work well as a read-aloud selection for younger children.I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy through Toppling Stacks Tours.
Gay Like Me: A Father Writes to His Son
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Parenting & Relationships, LGBTQ+ Books, Politics & Social Sciences
Book Type: Hardcover
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Parenting & Relationships, LGBTQ+ Books, Politics & Social Sciences
Book Type: Hardcover
Cis H. (californiadreamin) reviewed on + 289 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I read this book in hopes of getting some insight into what gay men endured in the 50's and 60's when gays were still in the closet. My dear uncle was a high school English teacher during that time and eventually was fired for his alternative lifestyle.
Unfortunately this book didn't satisfy my curiosity because author Richie Jackson is too full of himself and his rich, privileged life to have suffered like gays of the past. DNF.
Unfortunately this book didn't satisfy my curiosity because author Richie Jackson is too full of himself and his rich, privileged life to have suffered like gays of the past. DNF.
Westward Women: A Novel
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Book Type: Hardcover
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Book Type: Hardcover
Paula G. (Paulathegreat) reviewed on + 165 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Full disclosure, I got a free ARC of this book from Goodreads giveaways in exchange for an honest review.
This book is supposed to be a feminist story. Everyone ignores the women and doesn't care if they are dying in large numbers. Women are weak, vulnerable and unable to control their impulses. I miss 80s feminism which was all about girl power, careerism and being able to have it all.
That being said, the writing isn't bad. The characters were a little flat. I had trouble getting into the story. The premise is interesting, but the action is a little slow to start and with the flatness of the characters you don't necessarily care to hold on for it.
#goodreadsgiveaways, #StMartinspress
This book is supposed to be a feminist story. Everyone ignores the women and doesn't care if they are dying in large numbers. Women are weak, vulnerable and unable to control their impulses. I miss 80s feminism which was all about girl power, careerism and being able to have it all.
That being said, the writing isn't bad. The characters were a little flat. I had trouble getting into the story. The premise is interesting, but the action is a little slow to start and with the flatness of the characters you don't necessarily care to hold on for it.
#goodreadsgiveaways, #StMartinspress
Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Nonfiction, Politics & Social Sciences
Book Type: Hardcover
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Nonfiction, Politics & Social Sciences
Book Type: Hardcover
Robin V. reviewed on + 18 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
An account of the 4 years of trials to bring Donald Trump to justice for raping E. Jean Carroll in a dressing room, by the only woman with the guts and persistence to pursue Trump: E. Jean Carroll. As she is a very good writer, it is very entertaining but horrifying to hear about the death threats and ugliness she has been subjected to by the MAGA troglodytes.
Helpful Score: 1
I had passed over this title several times. I read for fun and don't want to sift through politics and activism, whether or not I agree with the cause.
When I was finally compelled to read it by others, I was immediately hooked. Great writing. Fun characters. And the cause did make me feel so indignant. But it was fun and enjoyable. I loved it, in spite of myself.
When I was finally compelled to read it by others, I was immediately hooked. Great writing. Fun characters. And the cause did make me feel so indignant. But it was fun and enjoyable. I loved it, in spite of myself.
Helpful Score: 1
Wow! I found this book fascinating! Having had tits all my life until breast cancer, mastectomy and reconstruction; I found it interesting to read about sex workers, milk bankers, plastic surgeons, bra designers and witches/spiritualists. The author also experienced breast cancer and reconstruction. Interesting to think that the Department of Agriculture is responsible for the WIC program and formula. I especially enjoyed reading about nipples and see how society's views haven't changed much since the country was started.
Frank F. reviewed on + 404 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
A strange novel. Kid goes to a small college, gets into a Greek only class with 5 students. Other students are strange. They wind up killing a farmer and then one of their own. Book drones on for 500 pages. Reviews talk and talk about a book that is hard to read like its some kind of great lit, but to me, not worth the time.
The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl
Author:
Genres: History, Science & Math
Book Type: Paperback
Author:
Genres: History, Science & Math
Book Type: Paperback
Helpful Score: 1
Timothy Egan's The Worst Hard Time is a very immersive and fascinating account of the great dust bowl that plagued the great plains during the 1930's. He tells the story of the people that stayed and survived this plague based on interviews and records of people who were in their 80s and 90s but who still remembered the awful years of the Dust Bowl. At its peak, the Dust Bowl covered one hundred million acres with its epicenter on the southern plains of Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico. Huge dust storms raged for much of the 1930s because farmers had plowed millions of acres of grassland to grow mostly wheat. Then when multi-year droughts hit, the land was left fallow with the topsoil swept up by the wind. "There'd be days, you couldn't see your hand in front a' your face," said one man who was a boy at the time. Cattle went blind and suffocated. When farmers cut them open, they found stomachs stuffed with fine sand. Children coughed and gagged, dying of something the doctors called "dust pneumonia." In desperation, some families gave away their children. Hugging a loved one or shaking hands could knock two people down because the static electricity from the dusters was so strong. The simplest thing in life, taking a breath, was a threat.
Egan provides a history of the area leading up to the Dust Bowl including the Comanche and their reliance on the buffalo. When they were driven from the land and the buffalo were all slaughtered, the cowboys used the grassland for cattle. One of the largest cattle ranches in the country, the XIT, was once located in what would become the dust bowl of the 30s. Then the homesteaders came at the urging of the government to grow crops on land that should have never been plowed.
The book goes on to tell the story of various families that lived mostly in the panhandles of Oklahoma, "No Man's Land", and Texas, and Baca County, Colorado. Some of these families refused to leave always hoping for a better year and a return to normal. But with the Depression going on at this time and no relief from drought, the dust storms kept coming and the families could barely survive. There were many people who did leave as related in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath but the farmers Steinbeck wrote about were mostly from further east in Oklahoma and were ruined by the collapse of the economy. The people who left during the dust storms were called "Exodusters" and lived further west. Egan's book focuses on the people who stayed, "for lack of money or lack of sense."
This was overall a very hard hitting look at probably the greatest eco-disaster in history. It was full of pathos and poignancy and a very compelling read that I would recommend.
Egan provides a history of the area leading up to the Dust Bowl including the Comanche and their reliance on the buffalo. When they were driven from the land and the buffalo were all slaughtered, the cowboys used the grassland for cattle. One of the largest cattle ranches in the country, the XIT, was once located in what would become the dust bowl of the 30s. Then the homesteaders came at the urging of the government to grow crops on land that should have never been plowed.
The book goes on to tell the story of various families that lived mostly in the panhandles of Oklahoma, "No Man's Land", and Texas, and Baca County, Colorado. Some of these families refused to leave always hoping for a better year and a return to normal. But with the Depression going on at this time and no relief from drought, the dust storms kept coming and the families could barely survive. There were many people who did leave as related in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath but the farmers Steinbeck wrote about were mostly from further east in Oklahoma and were ruined by the collapse of the economy. The people who left during the dust storms were called "Exodusters" and lived further west. Egan's book focuses on the people who stayed, "for lack of money or lack of sense."
This was overall a very hard hitting look at probably the greatest eco-disaster in history. It was full of pathos and poignancy and a very compelling read that I would recommend.
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