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?

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 was sooooʻoo good!!! I loved every minute of it.
Im giving. This story 5 stars hands down!
I finished it one evening and even burned some midnight hours
I love anything written about the dust bowl era. Dallas does an amazing job with this one and it will be on ny shelf of favorites.
Wonderful characters that I enjoyed in getting to know too.
I didn't want to come back to the present.
I loved the murder mystery and Dallas did a great job of making us guess who it was. This is what kept me turning the pages.
Martha Helen is an unusual name but it's a pretty name. I thought she was wonderful!!
Did Otis kill Martha Helen's best friend or not? I'll let y'all read this well written story to find out!
Secrets never stay hidden for long do they?
I will be looking for more by her.
5 stars from me for a wonderful adventure!
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

The Hired Man by Sandra Dallas is a coming of age novel intertwined with an eerie murder mystery. Dallas creates the atmosphere of desperation on farms and in a small town in eastern Colorado during the Dust Bowl effectively by showing the difficulty the drought and the dust storms have caused. Farms and businesses have failed, people are starving, women and children are often the target of men's frustration. In this setting Martha Helen interacts with her family who are still getting by on their farm. Some of her friends are not doing as well, when their family farms dry up. When a stranger rescues a young neighbor boy lost in a dust storm, Martha Helen's mother refuses to let him be run out of town for being a hobo. Dallas demonstrates the isolation and insularity of the High Plains through the reaction of neighbors and townspeople who want the hobo gone. When one of Martha Helen's girlfriends goes missing and is found murdered, suspicion immediately falls on the stranger. He is saved from a lynch mob and stands trial. He is found not guilty through a surprising admission by one of the witnesses. Martha Helen makes a disturbing discovery and there is a strange twist in the story. The final chapter occurs ten years later and tells what has happened to several of the characters. This is a tense story about growth and survival during hard times. Strongly recommended for readers of well researched historical fiction.

My mind is still grappling with the twist and turns from this book. This is the first read from this author for me. Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC! I love a good historical fiction, but this one caught me with not only the history of the dust bowl, which I had little knowledge of, but also unexpected surprises. The story starts out with a small town during the dust bowl and a young girl who’s coming of age. Her family hires a wanderer, who the town is unpleased with because he’s not a local. There is a heaviness to this time period with the lack of food and the loss of every day luxuries, loss of life and the struggles during the dust bowl The family is the spotlight of all that is good and doing the right thing against all odds.The storyline kept my interest, and tho I typically can predict the outcome of a story, that was not the case in this story, I was left at the end, reviewing what happened and how I missed the plot twist coming. I I honestly might have to read it again just so that I can slow down and take it all in that being said there are some hard issues dealing with abuse and rape so this might not be a great read for younger readers.