If we do not know our history, we are doomed to repeat it. I continue to ponder this idea as I finish reading, "The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl" by Timothy Egan. The author profiles survivors that lived in the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles during the 1930's. He also provides a look at the years before the drought took hold in the 1930s.
I enjoyed this book for the history presented, but I also enjoyed it for a more personal reason. My grandmother lived through the great American dust bowl. Now, I can understand the hardships she experienced during this time. She mentioned several times how she doesn't know how they survived. She was a widow with a young son living with her mom who was also a recent widow. They survived together through perseverance and a belief in God that better days will come.
I wish that I had talked to her more about her experiences.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt helped tremendously to save the midwest states. His 2 ideas of shelter belts and soil conserveration districts are still in use today. However, many shelter belts were removed to make room for more crops during more prosperous years. I will look at the shelter belts in a new way after reading this book. And I hope this country has learned from the mistakes of the past and will never have to relive "The Great American Dust Bowl".