The Worst Hard TimeThe Worst Hard Time
Score Modern
What it's about
In the 1930s, after farmers plowed up the grasslands of the southern plains, drought and wind turned the land to dust. Timothy Egan tells the story of the Dust Bowl through the families who stayed: the black blizzards that blotted out the sun, children dying of dust pneumonia, the ruin of towns, and the day in 1935 called Black Sunday.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Award. It's a gripping, devastating story of an environmental disaster and the people who lived through it.
You'll love it if you liked
The Grapes of Wrath
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration
1776Good to know
It's built from survivors' stories, so it jumps between families.
By the numbers
- Readers58 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics61 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller32 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #120 of the 198 history books we rank
- #433 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #835 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Between the World and Me
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
Educated: A Memoir
All the Light We Cannot See
The Book Thief
AmericanahExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Worst Hard Time worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Award. It ranks #835 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 74.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Worst Hard Time about?
In the 1930s, after farmers plowed up the grasslands of the southern plains, drought and wind turned the land to dust. Timothy Egan tells the story of the Dust Bowl through the families who stayed: the black blizzards that blotted out the sun, children dying of dust pneumonia, the ruin of towns, and the day in 1935 called Black Sunday.
How long does it take to read The Worst Hard Time?
About 9 hours (360 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Worst Hard Time won?
National Book Award (Nonfiction) winner (2006).
What should I read after The Worst Hard Time?
If you liked it, try The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson or 1776 by David McCullough.