Hardscrabble

By Sandra Dallas

Can the Martin family survive the harsh challenges of homesteading in 1910 Colorado?

4.1/5 Goodreads · 763 ratings

264 pages· 44,593 words· Est. 6 hour read

$9.99Save 4%

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Bookroo's summary

In 1910, twelve-year-old Belle Martin and her family leave Iowa for a fresh start in Mingo, Colorado. Enticed by the promise of free land, they face the daunting task of farming the unforgiving prairie. As storms and locusts threaten their crops, and personal losses test their resolve, Belle wonders if they can endure the trials of their new life. Will the Martins find a way to thrive against the odds, or will the harsh realities of homesteading prove too much? Discover their journey of resilience and hope in this captivating tale of early 20th-century frontier life.

From the publisher

2020-2021 South Carolina Book Awards2019 Wrangler Award for Outstanding Juvenile Book Winner2019 Spur Award - Western Writer’s of America Finalist In 1910, after losing their farm in Iowa, the Martin family moves to Mingo, Colorado, to start anew. The US government offers 320 acres of land free to homesteaders. All they have to do is live on the land for five years and farm it. So twelve-year-old Belle Martin, along with her mother and six siblings, moves west to join her father. But while the land is free, farming is difficult and it’s a hardscrabble life. Natural disasters such as storms and locusts threaten their success. And heartbreaking losses challenge their faith. Do the Martins have what it takes to not only survive but thrive in their new prairie life? Told through the eyes of a twelve-year-old girl, this middle-grade novel from New York Times-bestselling author Sandra Dallas explores one family’s homesteading efforts in 1900s Colorado.

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