The Worst Hard Time
The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl
Readers rate it 4.0 (63 on Hardcover)
353 pages · Released Sep 1, 2006 · HarperCollins
Content report card
The Worst Hard Time parent’s guide: what’s inside
Sexual content
LGBTQ+ themes
What it offers
Educational value
A note for parents
This Pulitzer Prize–contender nonfiction account of the Dust Bowl is historically significant but emotionally and thematically challenging for younger readers. The book contains descriptions of death, suffering, and environmental devastation alongside stories of human resilience and courage. While not graphically violent, the pervasive themes of loss, desperation, and natural disaster make it better suited for teenagers who can contextualize the historical period and handle mature subject matter.
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From the publisher
In a tour de force of historical reportage, Timothy Egan’s National Book Award–winning story rescues an iconic chapter of American history from the shadows. The dust storms that terrorized the High Plains in the darkest years of the Depression were like nothing ever seen before or since. Following a dozen families and... In a tour de force of historical reportage, Timothy Egan’s National Book Award–winning story rescues an iconic chapter of American history from the shadows. The dust storms that terrorized the High Plains in the darkest years of the Depression were like nothing ever seen before or since. Following a dozen families and their communities through the rise and fall of the region, Timothy Egan tells of their desperate attempts to carry on through blinding black dust blizzards, crop failure, and the death of loved ones. Brilliantly capturing the terrifying drama of catastrophe, he does equal justice to the human characters who become his heroes, “the stoic, long-suffering men and women whose lives he opens up with urgency and respect” (New York Times). In an era that promises ever-greater natural disasters, The Worst Hard Time is “arguably the best nonfiction book yet” (Austin Statesman Journal) on the greatest environmental disaster ever to be visited upon our land and a powerful reminder about the dangers of trifling with nature. This e-book includes a sample chapter of THE IMMORTAL IRISHMAN.
Shelved under
- History
- Audible
- Calibre Import
- informative
- sad
- dark
- challenging
- emotional
- inspiring
- tense
- Adventurous
- Nonfiction
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ISBN 9780547347776 · HarperCollins