A novel about hardship felt especially apropos given the pandemic. In many ways, the novel about a woman enduring the Dust Bowl did its job. My feelings were thoroughly manipulated, and then crushed whenever a misfortune befell our protagonist, which was often. At times, I had tears in my eyes.
But at the end, the book made a turn for the unusual. There’s a distinct break in the plot, after the plot drifted from Texas to California. The change was subtle at first, but it was gradually made clear that there was an underlying political message in the novel. Oddly enough, it was positions which I generally support but nevertheless, seeing it diluted in the novel felt out of place. Perhaps Communism is a major factor during the Dust Bowl. It certainly made sense given FDR’s then-radical policies.
In view of the whole novel, I have to commend the author for an easy read with some interesting historical perspective.