Out of the Dust

"Named him Franklin after the president..."

Out of the Dust

By: Karen Hesse

Copyright 1997

Scholastic Press

Middle School

Historical Fiction

227 Pages

Billy-Jo is an 11 year old girl who plays the piano amazingly and it is one of the things that she lives for.  She lives durring the time of the Dust Bowl.  Her family's farm is not doing to well and some horrible things happen thoughout time.  One night when he mom was cooking there was a bucket of karosine by the stove that she mistook for water.  She used that and caught on fire and Billy-Jo went to throw that bucket out and her mother was coming back twords her and her mother burst into flames.  Billy-Jo tried to pat her mother out and burnt her hands terribly.  Her mother died giving birth to the baby and the baby died too.  Everyone would blaim Billy-Jo for what happened.  The piano became a distant thing to her, she stoped playing it and just didnt know what to do anymore.  There was one point when she just tried to run away from home.  She returned to her father and their relationship started to grow better.  There was even another woman in her fathers life.  It took her a while to get used to her but soon excepted her.  As time went on, things started to get better, the dust started to stop, crops started to grow, and life started to become.  This book is her jurnal through this time. 

I would recomend this book to anyone.  It is such a good insight to what life was like durrning this time period, it was hard and just through Billy-Jo's words you can feel for her and the people.

I dont think that there is anything wrong with this book, what was said is life.

Back in 7th grade when I read this book for the first time I didn't like it.  Reading it now I dont know why I didnt like it, I really enjoyed it and think it is a very good story.