Told in free verse in the spare and haunting voice of 14-year-old Billie Jo Kelby, "Out of the Dust" is a journey to the heart of a family caught in the Oklahoma dust-bowl. It is the story of Ma, who sees the idea of herself burn away with every parched day, until she herself is consumed by fire. It is the story of Bayard, her husband, who cannot comes to terms with his failure to produce, to provide. But most of all, it is the story of Billie Jo who must find a way to get out of the dust, even if it means leaving behind everything she has ever loved.

 

There are 240 pages in this book. This book was published 2007 by Frances Lincoln Publishers Ltd .

Karen Hesse is the author of numerous novels and picture books for children, including Out of the Dust , which won the Newbery Medal. Her recent books for Feiwel and Friends are Brooklyn Bridge and Safekeeping . She lives in Vermont.