Many people who are amateur historians have heard of the horrendous blizzard of January 12, 1888 which killed over two hundered people across the Northern plains states. This blizzard is often called the schoolhouse blizzard or children's blizzard as many of those killed were children who had just been released from school. In the new book The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin, this blizzard takes on a personal tone as the story of several individuals unfolds with some becoming heroes/heroines and others becoming villains. Benjamin does a masterful job of providing a backstory of her five main characters which sets up what happens during and after the blizzard. In particular, she does not end the story when the blizzard is over but follow these characters for several years into the future showing how their experiences impacted their lives and communities. At first the stories seem quite disparate but soon the lives of several characters become quite intwined. It does not become apparent how the fifth character becomes involved until after the blizzard is over, but he has a large impact on the other characters.
The Children's Blizzard is a wonderful book but not for the squeamish as descriptions of individuals freezing to death and subsequent amputations are included. While the main character is female, the story will appeal to both men and women who enjoy historically accurate fiction based on true stories.
I received a complementary copy of The Children's Blizzard from Random House Publishing Group--Ballantine via Netgalley. I am not obligated to provide a positive review.
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