The Hired Man

 

The Hired Man by Sandra Dallas. St. Martin's Press, 2026. 320 pages. *****

It's 1937 in Colorado and the dirt has rolled in "it was Texas all right, because the dirt was red. Kansas sent yellow dirt. Oklahoma's dirt was brown." The clouds at this time were filled with dust instead of rain and life was hard. When a drifter blows in covered in dust carrying a heavy object, which turns out to be a missing boy from a neighboring farm, events are set in motion to expose the prejudices towards those who drift from place to place looking for work. 

Prayers for Sale is one of my favorite Sandra Dallas' books and I believe The Hired Man is her best book. The kindness and brutality of man go hand in hand and Dallas has found a way to portray that dichotomy in her likable characters. About 7,000 people died during the Dust Bowl in the Dirty Thirties from lung disease, including lung pneumonia, malnutrition  and accidents. Dallas has provided a glimpse into that historical time and life. The death of a young girl reflects deep seated beliefs as to who could possibly harm her. Her best friend, grief stricken,  is torn between the evidence before her and public opinion.  A heavy burden to carry. Excellent choice for Book Clubs and YA readers. 

From her website - New York Times best-selling author SANDRA DALLAS, the author of 18 adult novels, five middle-grade novels, and 10 nonfiction books, was dubbed “a quintessential American voice” by Jane Smiley, in Vogue Magazine. Sandra’s novels with their themes of loyalty, friendship, and human dignity have been translated into a dozen foreign languages and have been optioned for films.

Reading Group Guides of her books, Here

An additional book about the Dust Bowl:

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

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