Review: OUT OF THE DUST, Genre 3, Poetry

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hesse, Karen. 1997. OUT OF THE DUST. New York, NY: Scholastic. ISBN 0590360809

2. PLOT SUMMARY
This is a historical fiction novel which is written in verse form. The story line centers on Billy Jo who lives in the Oklahoma Dust Bowl during the depression. The book tells of her extreme struggle to survive as she grows up in this difficult time.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Organization
The reading of this novel is very fast paced. The verse form is rhythmic and very easy to read. The novel is written in first person in the format of a diary. Each entry is titled and dated. The content is very moving and makes the reader want to push on. This verse book is a fairly recent publication (1997) but the subject material is relevant to the 1920’s. This does not affect the feeling of the novel in that the topics are about the will to survive and flourish in ones life. Information about the author is included on the inside of the back book jacket.

Literary Merit
This is a very moving story which evokes strong feelings from the reader. The most extreme being when a bucket of kerosene is left by Billy Jo’s father by the inside stove. The kerosene ends up catching fire and burning Billy Jo and her mother. Mother’s injuries end up being fatal for her and her yet unborn child. The story is told in a very strong and visual way.

Daddy
has made a tent out of the sheet over Ma
so nothing will touch her skin,
what skin she has left.
I can’t look at her.
she smells like scorched meat.
Her body groaning there,
it looks nothing like my ma.
It doesn’t even have a face.

The remaining characters struggle to continue living with their grief and guilt for their parts in the accident. The story ends with the characters making peace with themselves and each and having some hope for the future. This story of perseverance and triumph will bring hope to anyone who reads it.
Poetic Elements
The novel is written in verse form. The lines on each page are short and flow nicely when read. The reading is easy and fast. The author commonly uses sensory words and the reader can really see, feel, and smell what life was like in the dust bowl during the great depression.

I was sulking in the truck beside my father
when
heaven’s shadow crept across the plains,
a black cloud,
big and silent as Montana,
boiling on the horizon and
barreling toward us.
More birds tumbled from the sky
frantically keeping ahead of the dust.

We watched as the storm swallowed the light.
The sky turned from blue
to black,
night descended in an instant
and the dust was on us.

The wind screamed.
The blowing dirt ran
so thick
I couldn’t see the brim of my hat
as we plunged from the truck,
fleeing.

The dust swarmed
like it had never swarmed before.

Sensory words and imagery are also frequently used. Some examples include “as foul as maggoty stew” and “the night sky kept flashing, lightning danced down on its spindly legs.” The text in this novel truly lets the reader use his senses to get into the Oklahoma dust bowl.

Appeal to Readers
This story is very appealing to young people. The reading is meaningful and dramatic. Children will enjoy learning about life in the past through this extremely moving, powerful, and interesting look into Billy Jo’s life. This story will make most students reflect upon their own lives and compare their situations to that of Billy Jo. Most will feel very fortunate.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
1998 Newbery Medal Winner
School Library Journal – “Powerful and Moving, this 1998 Newbery Medal winner is a recommended purchase for all school and public libraries.”
Publishers Weekly – “This intimate novel, written in stanza form, poetically conveys the heat, dust and wind of Oklahoma. With each meticulously arranged entry Hesse paints a vivid picture of her heroine’s emotions.”
Horn Book rating: Superior, well above average
School Library Journal – A triumphant story, eloquently told through prose-poetry.
Booklist – The story is bleak, but Hesse’s writing transcends the gloom and transforms it into a powerfully compelling tale of a girl with enormous strength, courage, and love.
Kirkus Reviews – In Billie Jo, the only character who comes to life, presents a hale and determined heroine who confronts unrelenting misery and begins to transcend it. The poem/novel ends with only a trace of hope; there are no pat endings, but a glimpse of beauty wrought from brutal reality.

5. CONNECTIONS
* This novel can be used to supplement history lessons.
* This novel can be used to model journal writing.
* This novel is an excellent model for language, sensory words, imagery, and voice.
* This novel is a powerful model for personal narratives which evoke feeling.