Super Short Summary

The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan chronicles the history of the Dust Bowl from the late 1800s to 1939, detailing the errors leading to the environmental and economic disasters of the 1930s. Through survivor stories, he illustrates the impact on farmers, ranchers, and other residents in severely affected areas, highlighting how misguided policies and actions exacerbated the devastation and how FDR's New Deal sought eventual recovery.