Search - Out Of The Dust

Written as a free style poem, this book is heart wrenching and compelling. Vivid imagery effectively forces the reader to go through the same sorrows and joys that Billy Joe experiences. I could not put it down until I was finished.

Excellent book about the dust bowl. Hesse is a great writer and this story is very captivating.

Younger readers may enjoy most, junior high and below. "A terrible accident has transformed Billie Jo's life, scarring her inside and out. Her mother is gone. Her father can't talk about it. And the one thing that might make her feel better - playing the piano - is impossible with her wounded hands. To make matters worse, dust storms are devastating the family farm and all the farms nearby. While others flee from the dust bowl, Billie Jo is left to find peace in the bleak landscape of Oklahoma - and in the surprising landscape of her own heart." The book told in free form poems.

Great book for kids to get an idea of the Dust Bowl! Well done!

I've never been the fondest of novels-in-verse or historical fiction. I suppose OUT OF THE DUST was alright. It has all the qualities of a book that make it appeal to the awards committees: grievous troubles, a protagonist mired by obstacles, family troubles, yadda yadda. But I never really felt a connection to...what's her name? I can't even remember. Oy.

Also, the novel-in-verse format has to contribute something to the story; it cannot be an arbitrary. And I didn't really see why Hesse chose to write this book in this way.

Very compelling book; one that stays with you long after you read it. Believable as a young person's emotional experience through tough life experiences.