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By Mindy Nichols Wendell A powerful story of the devastation of the Dust Bowl—and the courage of those who survived it—in the tradition of Out of the Dust . We came all the way from California to make something of ourselves. Today's the day we start. California, 1939. It's hard being the new kid in school. . . but it's harder for eleven-year-old Lark, after she and her family fled Oklahoma's Dust Bowl for a not-so-sunny welcome in California. Kids whisper Go back to Oklahoma! Lark would give anything to go back to where she came from, but she can't: the dust storms destroyed everything. The farm labor camp she, her parents, and her siblings live in is her life now, and even Lark has to get a job. Can California really be "the land of milk and honey" she was promised? More than that. . . can it ever be home? Mindy Nichols Wendell's sophomore historical middle-grade novel is a heartfelt, powerful, and incredibly well-written story of resilience, pride, and tenacity in the face of overwhelming obstacles.