Out of the Dust

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Bibliography

 Hesse, K. (1997). Out of the Dust. New York: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN: 9780590371254, 227 pp.

Summary

Out of the Dust is written in verse from the viewpoint of fourteen-year-old, Billie Jo. She is struggling to find hope on her dust covered farm in Oklahoma. The only thing her family has to look forward to is the baby her mother will soon deliver. However, like the dusty crops, that dream tragically fades away. After an accident that leaves Billie Jo badly burned and alone with her father, things don’t seem like they can get worse. She leaves dusty Oklahoma to find a better life, but she quickly realizes she belongs at home. As she and her father work together to develop a relationship, they see hope on the horizon of a new life.

Critical Analysis

The poetic form of this Newbery Award winning novel allows readers to hear Billie Jo’s thoughts as well as paints a dreary picture of the harsh effects of the Dust Bowl on Oklahoma. A great hopelessness and pain in portrayed through Billie Jo’s stories of her mother’s death and her loss of talent for playing the piano--the one thing that gave her hope during the dust storms. However, due to the short poems, the story is not weighted down by tragedy, and it is an accurate account of the bleak times faced by farmers. The poetic elements such as line breaks and figurative language help tell a rich story with minimal text. Although the story does convey the courage and resilience of Billie Jo and her father, the novel does not have an absolute resolution, and the reader is left wondering if the farm and the beloved Billie Jo will in fact be saved. Also, the characters do not feel fully developed, and there is a sense of detachment from the story because of this. However, it is an interesting account that would be a great complement to a US history unit on the Great Depression and the effects of the Dust Bowl.