Alyssa Coleman’s Where Only Storms Grow: A Review

INTRODUCTION

Where Only Storms Grow by Alyssa Coleman is a suspenseful and seminal novel centered around the dust storms of the 1930s in Oklahoma. This historic story showcases the perspectives of two adolescent twins, Joanna and Howe Stanton. Throughout a six year journey, they overcame family turbulence, natural disasters, grief, and financial insecurity. 

REVIEW

During the main plot (the Dust Bowl), the characters’ personal conflicts versus their inner thoughts were smoothly incorporated by the author. For instance, Howe desires to be a poet, as he feels a personal bond with words and the emotions that come with them. But his father thinks a real man is a farmer, so Howe became insecure about his aspirations and swears his literary passion to secrecy. When Joanna’s older brother, Lou, injures his leg, she is introduced to their local Red Cross hospital. The nurses needed extra help and found her to be a perfect fit. Joanna accepted the offer. `She saw a chance to prove to her family that she can help people even though she has scoliosis (an incurable condition that makes the spine curve sideways, leading to uneven shoulders, hips, or waist). Throughout her employment with the Red Cross hospital, Joanna learns that she can still overcome physical challenges, help people, and make an impact despite what her family told her. Her family is shocked at her medical proficiency, but grateful for Joanna’s expertise, as her medical skills benefit the household later on in the book.

Occasionally, the Stanton twins feel shame & insecurity from their parents and each other. Once most of the farmers began to leave Oklahoma, the twins overhear a conversation between their neighbors and parents sharing their current stresses about moving. They figure out that the main difficulty is that Joanna’s scoliosis wouldn’t be able to tolerate the extended drive. This statement triggeres turmoil between the twins. Both perspectives are valid, as Howe is disappointed that his sister is the only thing stopping them from accessing safety and financial opportunities, while Joanna is vexed that her back is always a “burden” and is getting in the way again.

With the spontaneous vigorous dust storms and the family trying to maintain the farm, chaos emerges. The crops are scarce due to the drought, the animals are frail, and the family have smaller food portions. These dust storms caused many of the citizens to get sick with “dust pneumonia”,  a deadly disease caused by the body inhaling too much dust, and the survival rate was minuscule. People Joanna was close to and had known for a while ended up in the hospital because of the surplus of dust in their bodies. This helped her understand people’s perspectives, stories, and fears. 

Soon enough, Joanna gets a patient who was a classmate of hers; she had been affected by the dust pneumonia. Though the two weren’t very fond of each other, they developed a bond after talking in the hospital. Her classmate’s case is very severe and seems deadly. She coughs up blood and has trouble breathing, which triggers the infamous question, “Am I going to die?”. It’s a medical standard not to promise anything, but Joanna told her that she wouldn’t die and they would talk again tomorrow. Sadly, in the midst of that night, her classmate passes away, causing sobs to echo in the hospital and tears to stain the floor.  After the funeral, when it came time for the consolation feast, Joanna is heartbroken and confused about how people could eat at a time like this, so she, her brothers, and her teacher leave early.

After all these unfortunate events, bills & debt start piling up. With their dad in California trying to earn money, and their mom in the hospital from dust pneumonia, the kids are having trouble figuring out solutions. Soon enough, the family conclude that they should sell their precious horse, “Pie”. Propitiously, Howe comes up with the idea to “rent” part of their land to SES (Soil Erosion Service), as it helps them earn money and ensure better crop growth. 

CONCLUSION

Overall, this novel is a heart-thumping read, with great imagery, metaphors, and meaningful poetry. Something worth mentioning is the author’s talent for describing and envisioning the characters’ mindsets and personal struggles. Where Only Storms Grow by Alyssa Coleman is a transformative piece that strikes the perfect balance of positivity, trauma, and passion. I would recommend this book for ages 10 and above, as it is very insightful and educational.

Brooke Leela-Ann White is a published author and book reviewer based in Charlotte. She enjoys reading, baking, sewing, writing, walking outside, and playing sports. She last reviewed Louder Than Hunger on this blog.

This review was originally published by the Center for Children’s Literature by Bank Street College of Education.