I received an ARC of this book. I think it's the first I've read by this author...I can tell you it won't be my last.
The story starts in the middle of another dust bowl storm for the Colorado plains. A "hobo" saves a little boy during the storm, but his actions don't receive the response you would expect - not from the boy's family or most of the townspeople. The Mother of the family that owns the land where the hobo saves the boy "hires" the hobo and this sets off a division amongst the townspeople.

What I really liked about the story is the that I felt I learned a little more about this time period and what people in the plains went through during this tough time. The women in the story were what made me want to keep reading...I do wish there had been a little more character development with some of the other family and supporting cast but all in all, I enjoyed reading this and hope to read more by this author.

I was especially thankful for the epilogue since I always love to see what happens to the characters after the story finishes.

The ending was unexpected so if you get the chance to spend some time with this book, do it - you won't be sorry!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This was such an interesting and emotional read. It really takes you on a ride from start to finish. Set in a small Colorado town during the late 1930s, The Hired Man is about a community that’s quick to judge and a kind-hearted family willing to stand up for what’s right, no matter the cost.

The story follows Martha Helen and her family, who don’t have much but are incredibly kind and compassionate. When a drifter named Otis shows up looking for work, they take him in. He’s quiet, hardworking, and seems like a genuinely good guy, but the rest of the town doesn’t trust him just because he’s an outsider.

Things really take a turn when Martha Helen’s best friend goes missing and is later found murdered. Everyone is quick to blame Otis, but Martha and her family aren’t convinced. They believe someone else is responsible and are determined to find out who. The tension in the town builds fast, and you’re left wondering if they’ll get to the truth before something worse happens.

I loved how this book had characters you really care about and others you just love to hate. It creates such a good balance and keeps you hooked the whole way through. I honestly wasn’t expecting the direction the story took, and I was impressed by how it all came together in the end.

If you enjoy historical fiction with a bit of mystery, drama, and heart, this one’s definitely worth picking up.

Sandra Dallas is one of my favorite authors, so I was thrilled to read her new book. It takes place in 1937 in Colorado during two disasters: the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. The main character and narrator is the youngest child of the Kressler family, Martha Helen Kressler. Every family in the small farms around them is struggling: this is the 7th year of little or no rain. The ground is dry and the ever-present wind is blowing the top soil away. Water is scarce, and so is food: little can flourish in the dry ground, there isn't much to feed any of the livestock that is left, and few people have money to buy from the stores. It's a desperate time, and many have left to try to find work elsewhere.

One day a drifter came to their house carrying a young boy who had been missing since the day before. The Kresslers asked the drifter, whose name was Otis Hobbs, to stay for a meal, and they ended up hiring him to work for them in exchange for food and a place to stay.

Many people in the community don't like Otis, particularly the men. This was exacerbated when a young woman in the community was found dead, a young woman that he knew. Otis was tried in a court of law, and was found not guilty. The ending of the book was a real shock. I didn't see it coming.

I received an e-arc from the publisher St. Martin's Press, and voluntarily read and reviewed it.

You had me at Sandra Dallas. I’ve read all of her books. I was thrilled to get an ARC of her newest book from Net Galley. Her writing mesmerized me, and yet it told a familiar story of hard life during the Depression. I liked so many characters, especially Willie, Sunshine and Otis. The ending. Nope.

NetGalley ARC

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC.

The story revolves around a young girl named Martha Helen Kessler. One night, a young man by the name of Otis Hobbs, a vagrant saves a little boy and as a result the Kessler family decides to hire him to work on their farm.

Martha Helen's friend Frankie Tucker is found murdered shortly after Otis Hobbs is hired and Hobbs is the main suspect. The townspeople all but accuse him.

Martha Helen must make a decision between justice and taking matters of justice into her own hands.

Overall, the story itself was really good. I will give the plot a 5/5 stars. The Hired Man is a departure from most Dust Bowl era books where the main plot or the focus are the storms and the aftermath of it, like The Four Winds.

This book is a coming of age with a murder mystery along with it. It blends two genres together seamlessly. So plot 5/5

The ending:100000000/5 My entire face went numb.

Where the story falls a bit weak is in the character development of Martha Helen. She shows little emotion after the death of her best friend. It's almost like "ok my best friend's dead." Some more depictions of grief from Martha Helen would make her less robotic and more human. So character I'll give a 3/5 I did like Martha Helen.

There were a lot of characters in this book and many times they came in and out as fast as they were introduced. I think that the book could have had less characters. The time it took to introduce all this cast the author could have spent it on our protagonist navigating her own grief in a changing world.

Overall I give this story a solid 4/5 stars because the plot was amazing and the ending rocked me.

I thoroughly enjoyed THE HIRED MAN by Sandra Dallas. A conventional story with no fractured timelines or multiple points of view. Just a great story set in a fraught time in our nation, the late 1930s when wind and years long drought had created the dire conditions known as the Dust Bowl.

Martha Helen, the young narrator, grows up in the short time her family has Otis Hobbs, a vagrant passing through their town, live with them. Through the other characters, we get a good sense of her community, including her family (not even slightly dysfunctional), her friends (crucial to the story), many fine and not-so-fine community members.

Part historical fiction, part mystery, part legal drama, part female coming-of-age, this book entertains.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sandra Dallas tells a story about what happens when a farming family living through the Dust Bowl allows a wandering vagrant to become their hired man. She tells the story in her typical quiet way of allowing the narrative to unfold, but then she wallops readers at the end with a conclusion that had me wailing to the heavens.

I was happy to see quilts make an appearance in "The Hired Man." Dallas, of course, has made needlework a bit of a trademark in her work. The story is told from the perspective of a 15-year-old girl, but it contains some adult situations.

As it turns out, I've read several books this year that have been set during the Dust Bowl. "The Hired Man" does a better job of telling its specific story about the effect the vagrant's presence has on the small community than in telling the story about the Dust Bowl. The farming disaster was a secondary matter.

Still, I enjoyed this novel. The ending, though, left me unsettled.

Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I have read several books by Sandra Dallas, and I have to say she is quickly becoming one-of my “ go to authors” when I want a great historical read that focuses on strong women characters. This story focuses on Martha Helen and her family living in Colorado in the 1930’s trying to survive on a farm during the depression, coping with dust storms, shortages of supplies and food, just trying to survive on a day to day basis. A tramp named Otis rescues the family’s young son Henry during a dust storm and to show their gratitude the family takes Otis in as a helper with room and board , and food provided in exchange for cash. Otis is a great help on the farm and the family accepts him, although the town and neighbors are very wary of outsiders. Martha Helen’s best friend Frankie is murdered and the murder is pinned on Otis, a trial ensues and the town is divided, showing all the good and the bad. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it showed the goodness of people, neighbors helping each other through heartbreaking times but it also showed the fear and prejudice people can exhibit toward outsiders. Martha Helen and her mother were very strong, likeable characters, some other characters man in particular were not as likeable. I would highly recommend this story especially due to the ending, I cannot wait for the next book by Sandra Dallas.

This interesting and captivating historical fiction novel we'll surely be one that is the ride of your life. Set in Colorado in the late 1930's it will follow the struggles of a town that is quick to judge without asking questions first and a loving family that will do just about anything to uncover the truth. I will say that I was deeply impressed with the direction that this novel went. Thereare character that you adore and then there are the ones that you can't stand. However, in the end it is what balances out the complete story and that is what is important.
In the late 1930's we are introduced to Martha Helen and her family. They are very poor but are very kind and compassionate compared to some of the other families in town. When a penniless drifter name Otis comes around looking for work they take him in. However there are those in town who are suspicious of this outsider and say nothing good could come of it.
Everything seems to be well until Martha Helen's best friend disappears and is later found dead. The whole town believes the drifter has something to do with it while Martha and her family think it was someone else. Wilk they be able to uncover the truth before another person goes missing and will they be able to do so without the town tearing themselves apart?