Based on true events that occurred on the Great Plains in the winter of 1888, The Children’s Blizzard, by Melanie Benjamin, recounts one of this country’s worst weather disasters that threatened the lives of hundreds of immigrant homesteaders, mostly schoolchildren.
January 12, 1888, was an unseasonably warm day in the normally frigid Dakota Territory marked by temperatures reaching the 30’s. After weeks of sub-zero temperatures, the day felt like a holiday to the children who made their way to school that morning wearing light coats and shoes instead of their usual heavy winter gear. But without warning, just as school was letting out in the afternoon, a severe blizzard hit the area leaving everyone who had ventured out to enjoy the day vulnerable to the unbelievable conditions that changed in a matter of minutes.
The book takes us inside of school rooms with teachers as young as 16 having to make life or death decisions to protect their students—stay inside the one room schoolhouses with no heat, windows blown out, and some with no roofs, or risk sending the children out in the storm in an effort to find safety at home. With accounts based on oral histories, Benjamin’s novel follows the story of two sisters, both teachers, whose decisions have devastating outcomes; a child survivor who finds hope and a new life; and a newspaperman looking for redemption for playing a part in the wreckage of the lives of so many immigrants drawn to the wide open spaces of the American plains.
Lovers of historical fiction will appreciate the fast pace of the novel which is not bogged down with unnecessary historical data. And knowing this was a true event adds to the anticipation as you wait to discover each character’s fate.
Availability: Book; eBook & eAudiobook in cloudLibrary Rating: **** Stars (I really liked it)
Reviewer: Helen, Technical Services Librarian
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GENRE: Historical Fiction WRITING STYLE: Compelling; Richly Detailed
TONE: Dramatic LOCATION: Great Plains
TIME PERIOD: 1880s
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