The Worst Hard Time is a story that captivates readers through the telling of survival stories from different perspectives, ranging from a part Indian cowboy, a schoolteacher optimistic, from a mother and a wife, to a family of "Russian Germans" who immigrated to America to escape the Tsar's military conscription. Not everyone in the story has a happy ending after the dirty thirties, as the Dust Bowl was a critical period in the American High Plains, full of tragedy, false hopes and shattered dreams for farmers and civilians. Timothy Egan tells the stories of these survivors while sprinkling in information about the Dust Bowl presidents' big picture and how to help the High Plains in times of need - with the sand and eroded soil of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado. reaching the Eastern Seaboard, this began to become a problem beyond the High Plains, and intervention was needed. Egan's depiction of the Dust Bowl survivors also sends a message to modern America that they need to understand the consequences of their actions, especially when it comes to the environment and whether what they It's definitely worth the cost. While The Worst Hard Time appears to be simply an anecdotal story about these survivors, Timothy Egan's introduction gives the audience an ominous feeling about the lingering effects of the Dust Bowl. To set up the story, Egan begins by introducing the audience to some of the recurring survivors, including Ike Osteen, Jeanne Clark, and Melt White. Ike Osteen is described as an old man working on a roof – when he's faced with one, anyway. Egan asks Osteen about the drought currently plaguing the high plains of Baca County, Osteen's home territory - asking him if the drought... middle of paper ... which illustrates the way of life and the consequences people can have. took place in the 1930s, following their actions in the early 1900s. From the introduction, Egan sets up the storyline and addresses the prolonged consequences of the problems in the American High Plains. By the end of the book, it is evident that Egan's message to the audience is to think before you act, even if it is for something that seems like a necessity, like money. Timothy Egan truly highlights a common problem in American society and illustrates it on one of the many occasions in the country's life that have been truly devastating to many. As we said before, history often repeats itself, and The Worst Hard Time is simply a cautionary message to modern America to think about the costs and benefits and see if they outweigh each other. long term, as well as short term..