Whose Names Are Unknown: A Novel Book

1930's, Oklahoma panhandle and the horrifying Dust Bowl, dust that coated everything. The food, the crops, lung diseases, animals dead or dying and finally killing the hopes of many of these tough, hardworking people. Most left their farms of many years, heading to the migrant camps in the West. I have read non fiction books, seen the PBS documentary but for me this book made a huge impact.

I think it was because we get to know some of these families. Their pride, their hopes, just trying to get a little ahead so they could feed and clothe their families, send their children to school. It became more personal to me. It is one thing reading a book, another thing feeling that book and that is what this book does. We grieve with the mothers watching their children have next to nothing to eat, sleeping all day so they would not feel their hunger. Watching many die and yet with so little still sharing what they have with those who have none. Amazingly strong people, who never give up hope, you think it a disgrace to take a government handout. All they want it work, work that pays fairly for their labor, they are willing to do anything they need to do. So they travel, go to where there is supposed to be work. Living in tents, yet still not making enough to hang their hats on, feed their bellies.

Unions, organized sit-ins all the precursors to the modern day fairness that we expect in our workplaces. Labor laws and the rest, all because of these starving, amazing people. They came first and fought, starved, died and as with many other instances in history we owe them a debt of gratitude.