The Children’s Blizzard, a novel by Melanie Benjamin, is a well-told story based on actual histories of survivors of the devastating Nebraska Dakota Territory blizzard of 1888.
Following a cold spell, January 12, 1888 was an unusually warm morning. School children were delighted to shed their heavy winter coats. At the hour when most prairie schools were letting out for the day, a terrifying fast-moving blizzard blew across the plains. Schoolteachers were suddenly faced with life and death decisions: keep the children in school or send them home.
Raina Olson, 16, taught in a rickety one-room school house. She boarded with a family near the little school. The family she lived with was strange. The father showed special, inappropriate attention to her; the overbearing mother in the family hated her life, hated the prairie. Also in the household was Anette, a young servant girl whose mother sold her to the family for a pig and two chickens. The little girl was given too much work for one so young.
Gerda, 15, Raina’s sister, had a secret boyfriend. Her parents wouldn’t have approved of him, but Gerda was in love, even though all he really talked about was going out West, being a cowboy. Gerda was also a teacher and she’d planned to let the children out early on this surprisingly lovely day so she could spend time with her boyfriend.
When the blizzard suddenly struck, Raina was in a quandary. Should she keep the children at school, or take the chance on letting them make their way home? She realized the schoolhouse didn’t have enough fuel to keep warm for long, and when the window blew out she realized she really had no choice.
Gerda had already made her decision to let the children out early. When the storm struck, the children were in immediate danger. Some of them had a distance to walk, most of them in unsuitable clothing for the raging storm they faced.
Life was already hard for these immigrant homesteaders. Most of them had come from Europe, lured by unrealistic promises of wealth to be had in this unclaimed “land of plenty.” The sudden storm added misery to their lives. Countless died, and even though some survived, many were maimed as the result of frozen hands and feet. Some bodies weren’t found until the spring thaw.
The Children’s Blizzard, is a stark reminder of nature’s ferocious strength and the price to be paid for unpreparedness. I tore through this powerful book. Knowing that the story was based on historical events added to the fascination for me. The Author’s Notes were also intriguing and added depth to this story of fiction based on facts.