Out of the Dust is a 1934 historical fiction novel written by Karen Hesse. The setting of the novel is on a struggling farm in Joyce City, Oklahoma. The novel is about the challenges faced by Billie Jo, a 13-year-old girl, and her family. It tells of Billie's struggles growing up in the Oklahoma Dust Bowl during the Depression. Billie's father was a farmer but his crops fail due to drought, but Billie is determined to build a better life for herself. Billie was a pianist and had the chance to travel around the city with other aspiring artists, but her mother never gave her the support she desperately needed. He decided to run away, but his escape was cut short by a terrible accident that left his mother and little brother bedridden and later dead. The accident left Billie Jo with severe burns on her hands until she could no longer play the piano like she used to. No matter how much he tried, he felt a lot of pain. She runs away from home after thinking that her father does not support her, then she returns home and mends her relationship with her father. He meets Louise who his father had known and begins to rebuild his life. The family in Out of the Dust faces sandstorms and economic disaster resulting from drought. The story of Out of the Dust gives the reader an insight into what life was like in Joyce City, where Billie lived. First of all the family was in trouble and Billie had entered a talent show competition where she could have won a cash prize of 3 dollars and this could have helped her family financially, but she never had the chance to do so. The family was in trouble and Karen Hesse tries to show the reader that they didn't need a million dollars but only one, two or three dollars to help...... middle of paper...... pianist. Karen Hasse's novel attracts attention because of the way it is written. Furthermore, it is very interesting and is divided into four different seasons: spring, summer, winter and autumn. Many young adults who read the text and face challenges in their lives can identify with the character of Billie. The story is told from the first person point of view and narrated from the point of view of the main character who is Billie. Billie faced many challenges in her life and did her best to try to overcome them. At Billie's age, many young adults will always want to run away from their lives and seek change just like she did, but they will learn after reading her story that one must face her challenges because running away makes things worse than before. It works Quoted Hesse, Karen. Out of the dust. New York: Scholastic Press, 1997. Print.