The book Out Of the Dust, by Karen Hesse, is about a girl called Billy Joe. In this book some tragedies happen. Some include sandstorms. Some include fire. And others include life itself.
Billy Joe lives with her mom and dad on a farm in. she was born at home on the kitchen table. Her father was expecting a boy, but cam a red headed girl with ling legs. Life for Billy Joe wasn’t easy. One day her father hap put a can of kerosene next to the stove at breakfast. Mama was making Pa some coffee so she pored the kerosene thinking it was water. She ended up lighting the whole stove on fire. Ma ran out side to get Pa to help. Without thinking that Ma was back Billy Joe threw the pan and cup full of kerosene at the door. At that same moment Ma was at the door. Ma got burned up and so did Billy Joes hands. Ma was pregnant at the time. She died giving birth to her son. The baby died too.
This impacted Billy Joe in her life because she had put it on herself that she had killed her mother. Every one said she threw the can. Billie Joe couldn’t play piano. She loved piano as much as her mother did. She couldn’t even look at the piano without thinking of her mom playing. Now a day her father didn’t even talk to her. They were like strangers. She couldn’t fill in her mother’s shoes. She was only a child. She couldn’t comfort her fathers like her mom did.
The sand was part of her mother’s death. It got into her cuts and hurt her. It also hurt Billy Joe’s hands and the crop. The corn didn’t grow well. Her father started making a pond but sand would blow in. the sand covered the house and caused the animals to die. Also it caused Billy Joe to want to leave. And when she left to find a better place she didn’t find it. Because she had become part of the sand. They were like one.
In this book all of the things made Billy stronger. Her mother dieing got her trying harder and working harder. The sand let her be at peace at home. She learned how to be at peace with her father after her mom died. Also she forgave her self for ma and her brother Franklin.
