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I thought the initial part of the book was its strength; this is, of course, the part of the book when the blizzard happens. The book does continue with the aftermath of the storm and, though it is interesting to see where things end up, it‘s not the best part of the book. As always, I appreciate the author‘s note at the end. The bulk of the characters in this book were fictional, but some were based on real people. Cont in comments...

An HF audiobook randomly selected from Libby, it‘s the story of an unexpected blizzard that arrived one afternoon in 1888. Children were being released from school just as the storm exploded & many never made it home. Benjamin did a great job explaining the circumstances in the first half & I was riveted. Second half I could have skipped. The book also explains the tragedy of luring Europeans to the area that was almost desert-like at the time.

Gatsby and I are at the vet again to check her med level and make sure she‘s getting enough to beat this fungus.

Today was -4°F but we'll know it was coming for nearly a week and had time to prepare in addition to up to the minute updates available. How anyone survived this storm is beyond me, even if they had a home they are nothing like today with insulated walls and protection. This was a very educational read wrapped in made up characters that kept varying perspectives and pace moving for a quick read on a day when nothing else needed rushing off to do.

I have had this one on my TBR for over a year now and I‘m so happy that I finally got to it! The story is broken up into 2 books: one dealing with before and during the blizzard and the 2nd dealing with the aftermath. Book one is a solid and resounding 5+ stars! It‘s full of tension and heartbreak and exceptional characters and I flew through the pages. Book 2 was much slower and took me a while to get through. There were also some aspects 👇🏻

In the winter of 1888, a surprise blizzard struck the Nebraska prairie in the middle of an unseasonably warm day. Nobody was prepared, least of all the children being sent home at the end of the school day. An excellent account of facts with some fiction tossed in. It's certainly not a bad way for me to end my 2021 reading list!!

My Christmas gifts this year, including the fuzzy blanket. Merry Christmas to all who celebrate today!

A good book about a tragic event and how one decision can shape the rest of your life!

Tbr, wintertime read (35 points total)
#wintergames2021 #teamgamesleighers @StayCurious

21 #77 An interesting take on how a single tragic event can effect people‘s lives differently.

This is a great book about a tragic event.
Mother Nature at her fiercest. It‘s interesting reading about this terrible Blizzard 🥶 in my current 100 degF 🥵
And who knew Grasshoppers were so dangerous to trains in the Summer- drawn to the heat retaining steel, clogging up their wheels. In the winter, the ice would freeze up the rail lines. Even trains 🚂 bow to Mother Nature 🌎

A nonfiction book about this disaster would have been more for me. I couldn't connect with the characters. (I won't go into any speculation as to why Benjamin would name a character Anna and another Anette...) I enjoyed the historical details about the blizzard itself, but I think it would have been a more satisfying read if we had gotten a section in the beginning featuring our characters instead of immediately slammed into the blizzard.

This is not a feel good book. It was a good read, a relatively easy one but the topic, albeit fiction is based on an actual event which will have you counting your blessings you are in the 21st century.

What better time to read about a frigid, devastating blizzard than the heat of summer?

While the story at times felt a bit too watered down, I truly enjoyed this fictionalized account of the blizzard that decimated the western frontier in 1888, leaving many school children dead in its wake.

Book 58
The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin is a historical fiction novel about a prairie blizzard in the late 1880s that hit at the time of school dismissal on an otherwise warm day. It was a well-written, engaging read. Characters could be more dimensional, but I recommend. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Historical fiction excellence. Recommend.

From book set in 1888.
Has the media really gotten worse? Or has it always been this way?

Enjoyed it. I chose to read it because it is an 1800‘s story out on the prairie and I LOVE those. Prior to reading this, I had never heard of this blizzard event. I have never experienced even regular snowfall, so an event like this one just baffles my mind. The first half of the story is the actual storm, the second is the aftermath. I enjoyed reading the storm parts the most. It felt cold and terrifying, like I was trying to walk thru it myself.

All the things that have happened in our history. All the horrible things that people endured. Even in the earliest of times there was so much prejudice and hate. This story is set in 1888 and is about a blizzard that hits so unexpected and so sudden that many did not survive.Teachers of only 16-18 years of age. Just children theirselves. So much loss. Heartbreaking and so realistically written.
Full review: https://tinyurl.com/h3z2w

They came on boats, on trains, great unceasing waves of them-the poor, the disenfranchised, the seekers, the dreamers.
#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

☆☆☆☆☆

I read two great books over spring break - the tagged is compelling historical fiction about a blizzard in the 1880s. And House of the Spirits, the family epic set in the political upheavals of 20th century Chile. #1001books #ListySpringBreak

This is the best book I have read so far this year. It is the first book I read by Melanie Benjamin, and now I want to read more of her novels. The reason I loved this book so much was the writing. Benjamin takes the reader on a journey with the characters and it is as if the reader is experiencing the Blizzard of 1888 along with the characters. With every description I felt as if I was right there in the frigid temperatures and the snow.

Melanie Benjamin always chooses interesting things to write about & The Children‘s Blizzard is no exception. Based on the blizzard of 1888 in the Midwest, we get multiple points of view during this horrible storm that hit out of nowhere. Many lives were lost, but it was predominantly children, who had just been let out of school when the storm hit. This one got me in the feels & not gonna lie, I shed a few tears. Can‘t go wrong with MB imo. 4⭐️

I‘ve long been a fan of Melanie Benjamin‘s historical fiction and while she choose to write about a very tragic true event, her overly flowered prose made this feel a little trite. I wish she had used less winded details and let the rawness of the tragedy speak for itself. Overall a good story.

#NetGalley #ARC Any #Nebraska Littens?? Is it fair to equate Nebraska with the Garden of Eden??? I‘ve always LOVED Melanie Benjamin‘s HF novels so I‘m excited for this one 🥰

Melanie Benjamin‘s descriptions of this storm was nothing short of gut-wrenching. THE CHILDREN‘s BLIZZARD is a masterfully written historical fiction story bounding with details. #netgalley Check out my review https://www.bluestockingreviews.com/post/the-children-s-blizzard

I am in the minority on this one. But this fell a little short for me. Check out my review.

https://reecaspieces.com/2021/01/23/the-childrens-blizzard-by-melanie-benjamin-r...

This was an excellent work of historical fiction. If you are a fan of Willa Cather or Little House on the Prairie you will like this book. Based on true events and epic in scope. Has a large cast of characters and shows how different groups and individuals were long effected by this natural disaster in 1888. Follows three main characters and it all comes together in the end. Well done.

Riveting! Could not put it down.

This historical fiction, that reads like a thriller, was inspired by the horrific blizzard that hit Nebraska and the Dakota plains on January 12, 1888 and killed 235 people. Because the storm hit on an unseasonably warm winter day, just as children were being let out of school, wearing clothes not suitable for a blizzard, many of the deaths were children.

Cheating on my current read to start this one. It is fittingly the book birthday for the tagged book as it is the anniversary of the Children‘s Blizzard. Dinner tonight is bison chili which matches this book better than my current read as well.

We meet two sisters who are teachers and a blizzard that is wreaking havoc on the Great Plains just as school is about to be let out.

THE CHILDREN'S BLIZZARD is based on a true event that took lives and maimed many.

Another of Ms. Benjamin's beautifully written, well-researched historical fiction. 4/5

PUBLICATION DATE is January 12.

FULL REVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/yynahrvn

@melaniebenjamin_author
@delacortepress