Hardscrabble

by Sandra Dallas

In 1910, after losing their farm in Iowa, the Martin family moves to Mingo, Colorado, to start anew. The US government offers 320 acres of land free to homesteaders. All they have to do is live on the land for five years and farm it. So twelve-year-old Belle Martin, along with her mother and six siblings, moves west to join her father. But while the land is free, farming is difficult and it's a hardscrabble life. Natural disasters such as storms and locusts threaten their success. And heartbreaking losses challenge their faith. Do the Martins have what it takes to not only survive but thrive in their new prairie life? Told through the eyes of a twelve-year-old girl, this new middle-grade novel from New York Times-bestselling author Sandra Dallas explores one family's homesteading efforts in 1900s Colorado.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Fiction, Family, Historical, Juvenile

264 pages, Hardcover

First published March 15, 2018

About the author

Award-winning author SANDRA DALLAS 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.

A journalism graduate of the University of Denver, Sandra began her writing career as a reporter with Business Week. A staff member for twenty-five years (and the magazine’s first female bureau chief,) she covered the Rocky Mountain region, writing about everything from penny-stock scandals to hard-rock mining, western energy development to contemporary polygamy. Many of her experiences have been incorporated into her novels.

While a reporter, she began writing the first of ten nonfiction books. They include Sacred Paint, which won the National Cowboy Hall of Fame Western Heritage Wrangler Award, and The Quilt That Walked to Golden, recipient of the Independent Publishers Assn. Benjamin Franklin Award.

Turning to fiction in 1990, Sandra has published eight novels, including Prayers For Sale. Sandra is the recipient of the Women Writing the West Willa Award for New Mercies, and two-time winner of the Western Writers of America Spur Award, for The Chili Queen and Tallgrass. In addition, she was a finalist for the Colorado Book Award, the Mountain and Plains Booksellers Assn. Award, and a four-time finalist for the Women Writing the West Willa Award.

The mother of two daughters—Dana is an attorney in New Orleans and Povy is a photographer in Golden, Colorado—Sandra lives in Denver with her husband, Bob.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/sandra...

Reviews

[QNPoohBear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bluebelle "Belle" Martin can't wait to join her father on his new homestead in Colorado. Everything will be better there than it was in Iowa. Mama will feel better, the new baby will have a name and her older sister can graduate high school and go to college. When the Martins arrive in Colorado it becomes apparently that dryland farming isn't easy. With the help of some generous neighbors hopefully they can make it work.

This book is in the tradition of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books. The only thing new and fresh about this book is the setting. Dryland farming in Colorado bears a strong resemblance to the Ingalls family's struggles in Minnesota and South Dakota. I was able to predict every single thing that would happen in this novel. I grew up reading the Little House books, Sarah, Plain and Tall, Prairie Songs and every other pioneer book I could get my hands on! I would have LOVED this book at the time. Now I've also read and loved Hattie Big Sky. Hattie has a little more depth to the plot than this novel which is basically Little House with more realistic drama. Yes homesteading was a tough life but surely not ALL those things happened in one year? That is extraordinary bad luck if it's true. The only clue this book is set in 1910 and not 1880 is the presence of cars and girls going to college (teacher college but still... Laura Ingalls didn't go to teacher college). Everything else could be 1850s to WWI for all the clues in the story tell anyone. I did enjoy the story and had a hard time putting it down. It was rather predictable but I was curious how things would end up for the family.

The characters are hardly unique but I liked them just the same. Belle is a Laura Ingalls girl. She loves the fresh air and working on the farm. She hates sewing. I could relate to Belle's desire to become a writer and perhaps she'll become a homesteader on her own and write letters like Elinore Pruitt Stewart -Letters of a Woman Homesteader. Carrie is more like Mary Ingalls-proper and preferring a more genteel lifestyle. I liked the loving family aspect of this novel. The boys don't tease the girls endlessly and they all take part in helping without complain. I found Carrie a bit too saintly for my taste. I liked Belle and Frank the best of the children. Mama is kind of a tough character to like. I do feel very sorry for her. I'm sure 8 kids in 15 years is a lot and then they lost the farm on top of that. She was a single mother for a time and finally when things are looking up, her life gets tougher. Her story is a stark reminder of what SOME women went through and what people did before antibiotics and health insurance. I liked how the story portrayed other women as well. Lizzie is a bachelor girl homesteader like Hattie in Hattie Big Sky. Lizzie is fearless and strong. She seems to cheerful accept whatever life throws at her. I did not like how lonely she kept saying she was. I also loved the generous Spensers. They are so amazing, especially Mrs. Spenser. I am eager to read her story. I loved how the Spensers knew how to get their neighbors to accept their generosity without feeling like they were accepting charity. Mrs. Spenser strikes me as a leader of the women's rights movement in Colorado as well, being an independent spirit and seemingly well educated. She's also a loving wife and doting grandmother. She was easily my favorite character in the novel. Mrs. Hanson annoyed me, as she did everyone, but she did have her moments and I appreciated the depth of her character.

Read this if you haven't read any of the other books mentioned above!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an especially good book to read during COVID-19, when it's easy to feel a little put upon. As I read the Martin family story. I was reminded of just how hard life was on a daily basis for the early settlers, which tends to make a reader very grateful. Are we inconvenienced now? Yes. But most of us haven't had to live a hardscrabble life. As I was reading this, I remembered my beloved grandfather telling me about an especially good Christmas he had when he was a boy. That year he got an orange AND a handful of walnuts. His eyes still lit up when he thought of just how loved and blessed he felt that year. I'm going to do a better job of counting my blessings. Sandra's books are certainly among my blessings. Although this is listed as YA Fiction, this old lady really enjoyed it.

[Mary Vanderkooy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminded me of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and life on the prairie -- although this was based in Colorado. I had not realized that Sandra Dallas has written children's books. I am planning on reading more of them.

[Carla Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superb!

This book was sweet and the author did a fabulous job of creating some wonderful characters. It is well written and made me want to make a raisin pie!

[Anne Slater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sandra Dallas being Sandra Dallas, there are quilts in this book. Some new, some old, some filthy, some pristine. It is the families that use them, the people who make them (one a surprise), who are the focus of this story.

From the point of view of Carrie and Belle, daughters of the focal family, the Martins, we see the grinding hard work, the distressingly hard knocks, and the up-lifting relief of human kindness that are the stuff of homesteading in Colorado in 1910.

The several stories are quite believable, the plot only as convoluted as human life is. This great-grandmother was completely engrossed, but I thought of my 12-year-old self taking in the family tale as well. Sandra Dallas does not write down to anyone, so it is hard for me to know if this book was intended for a YYA audience or for an adult audience. Doesn't matter. Fortunately, Dallas gives us some of the background and source material for Hardscrabble, which only enhance the satisfaction of the story.

Sleeping Bear Press publishes WONDERFUL story books for the youngest among us, as well as lots of important non-fiction (Michigan geology, for instance).

Put this author and this publisher together, and you have a winner every time.>

[Elliott Winter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hardscrabble isn't at all what I thought it would be when I read the summary of what it was about. At the beginning of the book it doesn't stand out as a good read, or one that I would want to delve further into it. The characters sometimes don't seem exciting, and I couldn't feel any connection to them or escaping into their world in 1910s Colorado. Some of the shortcomings of "Hardscrabble" were the repeating of things from a chapter or two before, and that a lot of the scenes were rushed without full character development and having the author hit on the right moment to reveal a detail about a character or the location of the book. I also didn't garner anything new experience-wise or something that felt different from other Children's Literature from around this time and before, because it felt like the author borrowed heavily from a lot of sequences from the "Little House" books. I also felt there was quite a lot of instances of telling instead of showing. We never got the full just of characters through their actions but by being told how they were by other characters. The flow of writing and narrative could've been better executed and the characters more fleshed out, and not having to remind us of how they are almost every chapter. More interactive with characters around Carrie and Belle's age, plus with different dramatic lead up to certain events would've made this book ever so much better. I can only give it two stars because of everything I stated above.

[Teri Parks · Rating 5 out of 5]

CONGRATULATIONS to Sandra Dallas as a 2019 Wrangler Award Winner!!!!!

Little House on the Prairie in Colorado! It's a Hardscrabble life.

I was hooked on this book by page three and couldn't put it down! I tried to imagine being a young reader while reading this book and it made me think about just how hard life was back in the beginning of last century, especially in the Western Plains-Rocky Mountain region. Could I have survived? Could I have lived without all the luxuries I take for granted today? Would I be strong and independent, or would it be too much for me to handle?

Wonderfully scripted, full of several female characters who prove that women can be just as strong as men and independent, and a storyline that constantly moves along, this story will keep a young female reader wanting to keep turning the pages.

I can honestly say I have not been this excited about a book since Nora Roberts Year One. (That's some pretty good company to be in!)

Thank you to Amy Patrick at Sleeping Bear Press for the opportunity to receive the Advanced Reader Copy of this delightful book! I am so honored!

[Ruth Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living near Denver, I am a fan of Sandra Dallas. I have read all of her novels for adults so I decided to try one of her books for middle grade readers. It reminded me of reading Little House on the Prairie when I was a kid, except there were a lot more children. My favorite part was when the family made a Christmas tree out of a tumble weed and decorated it with homemade ornaments and popcorn strings. It makes me smile just thinking about it. My second favorite part was the appearance of Mattie Spenser, a main character in an adult book by Dallas. Of course most children won't know the connection but I sure got a kick out of it.
I think this is a good book for kids to read to help them gain perspective on the challenges of living in the 1900's. The family supported one another and everyone had chores from an early age. This book is not recommended for children who have recently experienced a death in the immediate family as it might hit too close to home.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hardscrabble by Sandra Dallas, 240 pages. Sleeping Bear Press, 2018. $16.

Content: Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG.

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Belle arrives in Mingo, Colorado with her ailing mother and brood of siblings to meet up with their father who has been starting their homestead while they moved from Iowa. Even though Belle is only twelve, Belle and her older sister quickly fall into the mother roll and help around the farm. They befriend a woman homesteader, Lizzie, who is a bright spot in their bleak environment and helps them figure out life on the prairie. When Belle’s mother’s health doesn’t improve, Belle, her father and her sister feel hopeless and have to depend on each other and their kind neighbors to survive.

Sandra Dallas does this setting (Midwest) and time period (1910) so well, whether she is writing adult or middle reader. I loved the Martin family and wanted them to succeed and was totally caught up in their struggle. Two little things bugged me: first, there were times in the story that felt rushed (including the ending) and the second, the back cover of the book refers to a hardship that the family faces in the last forty pages of the book which is anti-climactic. That said, I really loved this historical fiction for middle readers.

C. Peterson
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, it was calming to me, in these scary times. It also made me think of my grandmother Ricks, who homesteaded with her husband and young daughters in South Dakota. Now I hope to find a homesteading book set in that state.

There were family tragedies, many hardships but much love in the Martin family. They moved from a four bedroom house that had running water in the kitchen and indoor bathroom! The mother and her children got off the train to join the father and live in a two room soddy. I have always wondered what living in sod house would be like and I found out. Warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer, thick walls of hard pack sod. They made impromptu wallpaper from newspapers and magazines. The ceiling tended to drop off in pieces so they had to make cover to prevent that.

Rattlesnakes were a hazard but one of the girls picked up a hoe and cut the head off and the rest of it into pieces. That reminded me of my Aunt Martha who know how to kill dangerous snakes, she let the beneficial ones live like the girls in the story.

At the time this story was set, medicine was not much help against illness, so the family suffered but they experienced many more joys and started to belong to a community.

I am eager to read another of Sandra Dallas' books1

[Checkthebook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written and virtuous. Portrays a respectful and appropriate nuclear family. Adults in the tale are worthy of emulation. I love how the neighbors help each other in large ways and small! Parents should know there is a subtle undercurrent of feminism, such as "Women don't have a lot of choices. I don't know if I want to grow up to be a woman." (p.189) and "Marriage is fine, but I believe your sister might be destined for something else." (p.197), but I feel it blends into the historical period being portrayed. Three places to precheck are "the boys will be sniffing around you soon" (p. 31), "baby Jesus in a cradle" (p. 92), and "Girlie you open that door, ain't nobody here to protect you." (107). Reading level is about 5th grade, but the main character is 12 years old. Usually, the age of the child IN the book is the age of the child meant to READ the book. We could call it a 5th-7th grade book.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sandra Dallas tells the story of a family who leaves their home in Iowa to become homesteaders in Colorado. They face many hardships along the way, and discover how to persevere.

This is a good look at the history and hardships of homesteading in an age-appropriate manner. Dallas makes the story interesting and keeps the reader turning pages. The noticeable fault in this book is that when the children want their father to remarry, the plot takes an abrupt turn and seems to focus solely on that part of the story. The epilogue, however, gives the reader a long look into the future, and leaves the reader feeling satisfied.

This middle grade book is a good purchase for libraries looking to expand their historical fiction genre in this area, and is a good suggestion for readers who enjoy the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

[Lisa Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1910, twelve-year-old Belle Martin embarks on a whole new life with her family when they move to Colorado to homestead the land, after losing their farm in Iowa. They go from a fine wood house with running water, to a sod hut in the middle of the prairie, but to Belle, it is the adventure she always dreamed of. But the adventure is not without its trials and loss for her family, but with the help of each other, and some kind neighbors, they may just figure out how to make a success of this "hardscrabble" life.

Such a great book, and I love that Sandra Dallas wrote a middle grade book, as most of her books are geared toward adults. It looked at the harshness of life for the early settlers without it being too overwhelming for kids. I also recognized the character of Mattie Spencer, and had to look through my old Goodreads reviews to remind myself about her story.

[Adrienne Hugo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read all of Sandra Dallas's novels for adults and was excited to find one that she has written
for, I would say, 6th-8th graders. Like all of her books, Hardscrabble features strong women characters, the geography of the West, and quilts! I didn't realize that there were so many women homesteaders and I really enjoyed meeting Maggie and seeing how she thrived as a single woman settling the West. I did feel strong parallels to Laura Ingalls Wilder books without the now controversial depictions of American Indians and Blacks. Hardscrabble might be a book that better appeals to modern sensibilities. I continue to believe that it is important to share history--the good, the bad, and the ugly-- with young people so that they may reflect on the corrections that are made along the way towards making a more perfect country and world. One can hope!

[Barb Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written for children, Sandra Dallas' "Hardscrabble" is a little more "Little House on the Prairie" than I typically would want in a novel. However, I enjoy Dallas generally, so this book about a family trying to survive as Colorado homesteaders was fine.

We get a dose of deja vu in characters such as Mattie Spenser who has been featured in previous Dallas books. Quilts, again, get more than just a passing mention. "Hardscrabble" has all of the elements we look for in a Dallas book, just written on a simpler level. The ending, of course, was telegraphed early.

"Hardscrabble" is a perfectly adequate book for fans of Dallas or the Little House books.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

YA novel about a homesteading family who moves from Iowa to Colorado in the early 1900s. The story is told mostly from the perspective of 12-year-old Belle, who embraces life in a sod house with her parents and six siblings, while her older sister and mother are plucky but less enthusiastic. The book does a good job of showing the hardships and joys, with real tragedies taking place. There are some girl-power aspects to the story, but ultimately it returns to very traditional roles. 4 star rating is based on what it is – an engaging YA novel.

[LeeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. If like me, you are a fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books, then this is a book you should check out. The time frame is a little later (1910) and the setting is Colorado, but many of the same themes of homesteading play out here. This life is indeed "hardscrabble," but Belle Martin and her family, friends, and neighbors possess the same resiliency, grit, and capacity for joy that endeared us to Wilder's characters. As for Belle herself, she might be cut from the same cloth as Laura, but her own personality and voice shine through. I liked Belle and I hope you will, too.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was totally with Belle and her family as they struggled on their homestead claim in the west, meeting life-threatening conditions as well as unexpected joys. A satisfying portrait of a loving family in sometimes dire circumstances. The hunger and worry were a bit glossed over as well as no acknowledgment of this being the former home of Native Americans. But as a pioneer/settler family story it was a very good read. I'd read "The Diary of Mattie Spenser" by the same author and it was fun having her appear as a character in this book.

[Martha Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this Middle Grade novel about a girl whose family is homesteading in 1910 Colorado. Belle Martin is 12 years old and excited about the adventure of trying to farm the Colorado prairie. But when she and her large family arrive, the whole area has no trees and looks brown and unpromising. The Martins are hit by many disasters: grasshoppers, hail, blizzards, and disease away from any real doctors. However, times are changing; some of the settlers have cars and women are beginning to want more for their lives. A wonderful story of the West.

[Mary Louise Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 1910 homesteading story set in Colorado told by twelve-year-old Belle Martin. There are joys and hardships for the family but we are left with a hope that they stay on the land for the entire five years.

It was interesting to see homesteading alongside the first cars and even airplanes. I think I would have liked the story more had it been told in first person so that I was more emotionally involved.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Middle school Battle of the Books selection. This is the first juvenile fiction I've read by Sandra Dallas. I've always been a sucker for Little House on the Prairie-type stories, and this one was a good story that fit the bill. A little sentimental. The thing that bothered me a bit is that Dallas seems to "talk down" to her audience. I prefer the way she writes for adults.

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Sandra Dallas. Rare is the book written by her that I don’t love. This was my first YS book I’ve read from her and I LOVED it! So sweet. Loved that Mattie Spenser was apart of the story. The Diary of Mattie Spenser is my favorite of all Sandra Dallas books so it was so fun to see what became of her in her later years. Highly recommend

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me absolutely ages to get through the first third of this book, but once it picked up a little, it was better. I wasn't really a fan of this book. I'm not sure if it was the narrative style that I disliked, or rather that the characters didn't seem very fleshed out. It wasn't the worst prairie book I've ever read, but it wasn't anything to write home about either.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Martin family has a hardscrabble life when they first start out their new homesteading life in Colorado. I liked the aspect of Lizzie being a single woman homesteading. Reminded me a lot of the Little House books.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

SD shares a CO plains story of a homesteading family. She plainly describes the trials of this hard life as well as the simple blessings. This is an excellent historical fiction for the young or old reader.

[Teresa Crancer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great YA book

This is a great story of a family settling in the plains of Colorado. Told mostly about Belle, the middle daughter, the family experiences birth, death, raising children and building a farm. Heart warming!

[Jack Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book, it was an easy way to break back into reading again. Short read, only took 2 days.

Enjoyed the story and the hardship but it didn’t feel very realistic as it was supposedly over 1 year but it was an emotional story and I felt like I could really relate to it.

[Heather M L · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a sweet story about the Martin family and their hard time of living in their sod home in Mingo, Colorado. Equal parts pioneer story and love story, the family and the siblings are such sweet little characters.

[Mickalene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t realize this was a juvenile fiction book - so a short, pioneer/settler type book. Older girls would enjoy, although there are some deaths and sadness to it too. Some of the dialogue was a bit forced or rough for me.

[Abigail Krom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sweet middle grade novel of the homesteader's life in Colorado during 1910. This book was so sweet. The perfect mixture of sad and feel good. Also, many lessons to learn within it. Definitely a good read aloud book if you're teaching about this time period.