Dust to Eat: Drought and Depression in the 1930s [Hardcover]

Michael L. Cooper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 19, 2004

The 1930s in America will always be remembered for twin disasters-the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. Michael L. Cooper takes readers through this tumultuous period, beginning with the 1929 stock market crash that ushered in the Great Depression and continuing with the severe drought in the Midwest, known as the Dust Bowl. He chronicles the everyday struggle for survival by those who lost everything, as well as the mass exodus westward to California on fabled Route 66. The crisis also served as a turning point in American domestic policy, prompting the establishment of programs, such as welfare and Social Security, that revolutionized the role of the federal government. Vivid personal anecdotes from figures such as John Steinbeck and Woody Guthrie, and an extensive selection of photographs by Dorothea Lange and others, illuminate the individuals who faced poverty, illness, and despair as they coped with this extraordinary challenge. Endnotes, bibliography, Internet resources, index.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7–Despite its descriptions of dust and drought, this book is anything but dry. While it includes background information on the Great Depression and the Roosevelt administration's response, the text's strength is the very human face it puts on the overwhelming tragedy of the Dust Bowl years. The flowing narrative draws deeply from letters by and interviews with those who lived through this disastrous period, as well as from the work of John Steinbeck and Woody Guthrie. Cooper focuses on the physical struggle to survive, describing the harsh conditions in migrant camps, especially for the children who worked alongside their parents in the fields and often died of disease and malnutrition. The author follows the exodus from the Great Plains to California along Route 66, lacing the narrative with poems and song lyrics from the era. Of particular interest is his discussion of the grassroots effort on the part of native Californians to force the migrants to return to their home states. Archival black-and-white photographs, many taken by Dorothea Lange, grace most pages and illustrate the desperation and despair of the "Okies." Well-documented source notes are provided for each chapter. A good companion work is Jerry Stanley's poignant Children of the Dust Bowl (Random, 1992).–Joyce Adams Burner, Hillcrest Library, Prairie Village, KS
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. With lots of stunning black-and-white archival photos and a clear, spacious text that draws on eloquent eyewitness reports--including comments from John Steinbeck and Woody Guthrie--this small, handsome photo-essay tells the history of the Dust Bowl and the drought that drove desperate families to California in search of work. There are already lots of books on the Depression for older readers, some of which Cooper discusses in his chatty chapter source notes at the back, but this one brings the history close to middle graders. The numerous photos are unforgettable. Many are by Dorothea Lange, who shows the despair of destitute migrant families on the road. Just as dramatic are the facts about the dust storms (on one day about 350 million tons of dirt blew 2,000 miles eastward) and about the refugees who fled, "burned out, blown out, and starved out." With the exception of a few spelling errors in the bibliography, which are scheduled for correction in the second printing, this is an excellent historical account. Give it to older readers as well. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books; First Edition edition (April 19, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618154493
• ISBN-13: 978-0618154494
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #224,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael L. Cooper is a writer living in Louisville, Kentucky. For more information about him and his books visit michaellcooper.com. Thanks. MLC

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant account of Dust Bowl era, February 18, 2006

By 

E. Gibson (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dust to Eat: Drought and Depression in the 1930s (Hardcover)

After hearing author on NPR, ordered Mr. Cooper's book and found it to be a concise and poignant account. I recommend it highly. Not a pleasant "read," but the book helped me gain new appreciation for the grit (no pun intended) of those who lived through one of the most-challenging periods of American history. Left me feeling thankful my grandparents resided outside the most affected Dust Bowl areas.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brief but excellent, June 1, 2007

By 

J. Kincade - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dust to Eat: Drought and Depression in the 1930s (Hardcover)

A very well written, gritty little slice of American history. If you even wondered why people like me don't like the term "Okie", this book will explain it. If you can read this book and not feel deeply for those folks who went through the Dust Bowl of the early 30's, you have a granite heart. Highly recommended, especially for young people who are used to having it all right now.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Three Excellent Books About the Dust Bowl, August 17, 2011

By 

Sioux City Sue (Iowa, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dust to Eat: Drought and Depression in the 1930s (Hardcover)

I had family who went through the Dust Bowl out in the Oklahoma Panhandle and Southwest Kansas, so I've always been interested in anything to do with the "Dirty Thirties." The same friend who recommended Timothy Egan's THE WORST HARD TIME (non-fiction) and Robert Boyd Delano's awesome THE HAPPY IMMORTALS (fiction), told me about Michael Cooper's DUST TO EAT. All are rooted in the "Dusters."

Kudos to each of these powerful authors who have brought the people of the Dust Bowl alive!