The Hired Man by Sandra Dallas ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

1937. It’s been seven years since the dust storms started in Colorado. Folks can barely remember a time when the clouds were filled with rain instead of dirt, and when the fields were green instead of brown. High school student Martha Helen Kessler and her family are luckier than most; they still eke out a living from the land. Even so, evidence of the Dust Bowl’s grim impact on families, especially on the women who bear the brunt of their husbands’ frustration and their children’s hunger, is everywhere.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

March 2026; St. Martin's Press; 978-1250352392
audio, ebook, print (320 pages); historical fiction

Sandra Dallas takes on the Dust Bowl era with her new book, The Hired Man. She has a lot to live up to. When I think of "Great American Novel", I think of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Then, a few years ago, Kristin Hannah delved into a single mother's struggle during the Dust Bowl with the best-selling novel The Four Winds. If that isn't enough, her novel last year, Tough Luck, was spectacular.

The Hired Man started out strong. I enjoyed getting to know the characters in a small town in Colorado. Martha Helen is moving from child to adult, and as such, she learns some hard truths about life, particularly for people down on their luck and with little hope.

Somewhere in the middle of the book, I started to get a little bored as I wasn't sure where the story was going. It starts off basically as a slice-of-life story, but then there is a murder mystery twist thrown in. It almost felt like I was reading a different book. 

Overall, it was a good book. I found it to be very entertaining. I read it quickly as it is easy to lose yourself in the story. 

Buy The Hired Man at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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