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Reviewed by Emma Megan for Readers' Favorite
When the Sky Turned to Dust by Catherine Matthias is an engrossing MG novel that takes the reader into the life of a family fighting to survive the dust storms affecting their home in Kansas. It follows 12-year-old Caroline, who, along with her 9-year-old brother, tries to help their family navigate the frequent damage to their farm caused by drought, dust, and violent winds. With almost every dust storm, tragedy strikes: some people lose their crops, animals, or even their lives; thus, many families decide to move away. Unfortunately, even Caroline's parents are forced to make a hard decision. However, after surviving many violent dust storms, the worst storm ever recorded hits their farm and threatens their lives. Will the Dolan family keep fighting the dust storms? What other hardships will strike them?
When the Sky Turned to Dust by Catherine Matthias is a heart-wrenching yet extraordinary and inspiring middle-grade historical novel. Told through the eyes of a young girl determined to fight for her family, home, and life, this book is impeccably crafted and well-written, exploring themes of strength, resilience, loss, grief, family, and survival. It's a must-read about living through the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, wonderfully depicting in great detail the terror and disaster caused by drought, heat, cold, dust, and storms that affected many people and also one family's ability to ensure their survival and hold on to their hope, strength, happiness, and even their farm in a time when many families lost theirs.
