Susie Finkbeiner

Dear Readers,

Okay I am trying to write a review for a book that I really liked, A Cup of Dust by Susie Finkbeiner, and I am having a terrible time of it.  I feel like the only way I can talk about this book in an intelligent way is to tell the whole story line and then go on from there.

Don't worry, I am not going to do that as I hate reviews with spoilers.  It is very disappointing to me when that happens and I work very hard not to do that in my reviews.  I have started this review over more than once because I keep drifting into the spoiler area.  To me that is sign of a really well written story.  You can't talk about one part of the story without talking about all of the story.  It all flows together and you can't have the beginning without the end.  

Set in the Dust Bowl of 1934, A Cup of Dust is written about Pearl who is 10 years old and doesn't always understand what the adults are talking about, why her sister is the way she is, or why God has decided to curse Red River, Pearl's home town.  But she does know that Eddie, one of the hobos that jumped off the train, gives her the creeps.  

That is about as far as I dare to go for fear of giving more away.  What I mentioned here is actually on the back of the book and I figured that was safe to at least let you know a bit more about the story.  I went into this with the thought that I never really liked books that are about the depression.  But after reading "Dust" I realize that even though this is one of the most difficult times in US history, it may also have been some of our finest times.  

People lost everything, were struggling to keep family together and feed them and yet they shared with each other what they had. They looked out for each other and helped each other when they could.  It might have been so small a thing as a piece of bread or cup of water, but it was given freely.  Susie includes this in her story. Yes there are bad guys, but she doesn't dwell on the negative, she makes sure we see the positive of what is happening during this very difficult time.  

She reminds us through a story of a little girl why we call them our greatest generation.  

Read this book and be reminded of that, but also to learn the story of Pearl, the little girl who will win your heart because somewhere in all of us is a child just like her.  Someone just wishing they understood all that is going on but secure in the love of our Daddy. 

Happy Reading,