Reader Response to Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
Inside cover reads:
"At 14, Billie Jo has a great deal to forgive. Her father, for causing the accident that killed her mother. Her mother, for leaving when Billie Jo needed her most. And she must forgive her self, for being the cause of her own sorrow. Daddy's too wrung out to help Billie Jo much, and there's no one else to care. So Billie Jo must heal herself--even if it means tearing up her roots, and leaving behind everything she's ever known. Set in the Oklahoma dust bowl during the Great Depression, Karen Hesse's spare and moving novel explores both tthe ecology of the land and the topography of the heart."
kind of corny, huh?
My Rxn:
wow. this is out of the dust: a novel. it's 227 pages long, and it took me about 2 hours to read. the interesting thing? it's written in poetry! I love poetry. It says so much in an optimum amount of words.... it reminds me of my 11th grade chemistry teacher who once said: "Say what you mean, kids. use an optimum amount of words." the words are stirring and moving, and they get the job done. they paint a mental picture in your head without going on and on for pages at a time. i really like it. My grandfather was born during the great depression, so the setting piqued my attention.
there was one section with which i could certainly identify. Billie Jo is attending her mother's funeral, and has this to say about the man giving the eulogy.
"Reverend Bingham led the service.
He talked about Ma,
but what he said made no sense
and I could tell
he didn't truly know her,
he'd never even heard her play piano."
I reacted that way when I heard the priest speak at my grampa's funeral. it was like he didn't even know my grampa. I hate that. anyways. this one wins the Word Nerd Seal of Approval. It's aimed at anyone between grades 8-10, i think... or anyone who is interested in music. i think fans of the little house series could really get into it.
I'm still trying to finish rule of the bone... it's pretty slow going.... should have it done in a few days.
Inside cover reads:
"At 14, Billie Jo has a great deal to forgive. Her father, for causing the accident that killed her mother. Her mother, for leaving when Billie Jo needed her most. And she must forgive her self, for being the cause of her own sorrow. Daddy's too wrung out to help Billie Jo much, and there's no one else to care. So Billie Jo must heal herself--even if it means tearing up her roots, and leaving behind everything she's ever known. Set in the Oklahoma dust bowl during the Great Depression, Karen Hesse's spare and moving novel explores both tthe ecology of the land and the topography of the heart."
kind of corny, huh?
My Rxn:
wow. this is out of the dust: a novel. it's 227 pages long, and it took me about 2 hours to read. the interesting thing? it's written in poetry! I love poetry. It says so much in an optimum amount of words.... it reminds me of my 11th grade chemistry teacher who once said: "Say what you mean, kids. use an optimum amount of words." the words are stirring and moving, and they get the job done. they paint a mental picture in your head without going on and on for pages at a time. i really like it. My grandfather was born during the great depression, so the setting piqued my attention.
there was one section with which i could certainly identify. Billie Jo is attending her mother's funeral, and has this to say about the man giving the eulogy.
"Reverend Bingham led the service.
He talked about Ma,
but what he said made no sense
and I could tell
he didn't truly know her,
he'd never even heard her play piano."
I reacted that way when I heard the priest speak at my grampa's funeral. it was like he didn't even know my grampa. I hate that. anyways. this one wins the Word Nerd Seal of Approval. It's aimed at anyone between grades 8-10, i think... or anyone who is interested in music. i think fans of the little house series could really get into it.
I'm still trying to finish rule of the bone... it's pretty slow going.... should have it done in a few days.
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