“In account after account there runs the same thread, often the same words: There had never been anything like it.”
A blizzard almost like no other hit the U.S. prairie on Jan. 12, 1888, and by the next morning, hundreds perished. David Laskin weaves the true tale through the eyes of those who lived on the prairie and those tasked to forecast the weather. Even the atmospheric conditions had to work in just a certain way to produce a storm that was upon people in mere minutes – they went from enjoy a day where a light jacket would do to not being able to see a few yards away. One of the worst tragedies of the storm was that it hit when many children had just been released from school. Many never made it home.
Two friends of mine read The Children’s Blizzard and highly recommended it to me. I was able to check it out from my library as an ebook through Libby right away. I spent more than a week reading it because I wanted to make sure I caught every detail. I would often stop and share sections of the book with my husband, too.
Due to thorough research, Laskin is able to tell an in-depth tale of the blizzard from several individual’s and families’ perspectives. There were several teachers who had to make vital decisions about whether to keep students in a school without any more fuel for the fire or try for the nearest farmhouse. Spouses had to decide to stay with children or go out and find the other spouse or child who was doing chores. Haystacks were used as shelter and those who survived the night had to face the affects of frostbite. There were heroes and there was a lot of tragedy.
The Children’s Blizzard is a book I won’t forget. It’s heartbreaking and fascinating. Weather can be so unpredictable, even today, and hearing how people survived the blizzard of all blizzards is just amazing. History lovers and people fascinated by survival stories and weather will enjoy this book.
What is the worst weather event you’ve been through? Share on the blog!
