Season'e End by Eric Hendershot

At Season'e End by Eric Hendershot
Publisher:  Cedar Fort
Publication Date: May 8th 2012
ISBN: 9781599559957
Genre:

Book Synopsis:  Even the river didn't stop Paw. Clothes and all, he jumped into the whirlin', swirlin’ waters of the great Columbia.


At this Maw let out a scream. Mebby she thought Paw was goin’ to end it all. Then Tim yelled, “Oh, no, Paw!” But I was too surprised and scared to say anythin’.


I suppose it was just a second or two, but it seemed like minutes before he came up again to show us he had two heads and four arms. Then the mighty water turned him over to prove he had four legs. That was when we realized Paw was holdin’ on for dear life to a young drownin’ boy.


Hit hard by the Great Depression, Sal’s family loads up an old Buick and heads out to find work wherever they can. Driving from place to place, living off the little they can make, they soon realize they’ll never be able to afford to settle down again.


Then, when tragedy strikes, Sal and her brother must learn to fend for themselves. In a world of harsh realities, there’s no room left for romance. But that can’t stop Sal from dreaming of a life with Ben—a boy from another migrant family—even though she knows she may never see him again.


This heartwarming story about growing up in a troubled time is sure to resonate with modern readers of all ages.

My thoughts:  As I started reading this book, it was totally not what I expected.  The cover is quite deceiving of its contents.  I'm not complaining - I was happily surprised!!!  I found this book to be quite entertaining to read.


The dialogue of this book is amusing!  It so reminds me of what people would call Appalachian slang.  That is not where these characters are from, but so similar.  It was quite appealing and enabled me as a reader to make deeper connections with the characters and the story itself.


I have never personally known a migrant worker, but I know that there are some that work in the northern part of my state during apple picking time.  I knew migrant life was rough, but this story helped me to better understand how rough it really is.  It also enabled me a glimpse at the happiness they have, and an understanding of why people choose to live this way.  As an outsider, I appreciated being able to experience this.  I think this is a novel that I would like to share with students so that they could also experience this as well.  I think with the dialogue, it would be a fun read-aloud.


The story is very family oriented.  The strength of the family bonds is evident throughout the book - through the good times, the struggles, and the tragedies.  This is so refreshing in our day and age.  To read about a tight knit family is a rare find.  In addition to the family bonds, is the strong faith that is evident throughout.  At Season's End was a joy to read.  Everyone should read this one if they get a chance!

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