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“In this atmospheric novel, as relentlessly paced as a thriller, you experience the encroaching storm from many perspectives and, in the process, understand something important about the tenacity of the human spirit.”
— Christina Baker Kline, New York Times bestselling author
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“In this piercingly detailed drama, riveting in its action and psychology, Benjamin reveals the grim aspects of homesteading, from brutal deprivations to violent racism toward Native Americans and African Americans, while orchestrating, with grace and resonance, transformative moral awakenings and sustaining love.”
— Booklist (starred review)
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Melanie Benjamin never fails to create compelling, unforgettable characters and place them against the backdrop of startling history.
— Lisa Wingate, author of The Book of Lost Friends
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In this atmospheric novel, as relentlessly paced as a thriller, you experience the encroaching storm from many perspectives and, in the process, understand something important about the tenacity of the human spirit.
— Christina Baker Kline, author of The Exiles
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Melanie Benjamin reminds us that immigrant stories are at the heart of American history. She weaves a moving and uplifting tale of courage, family, and sacrifice.
— Jean Kwok, author of Searching for Sylvie Lee
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Benjamin draws you into the lives, hardships, and triumphs of a diverse cast of characters and compels you to care about them deeply. The Children’s Blizzard has a pulse-pounding pace, a giant heart, and a sweep as wide as the prairie itself.
— Elizabeth Letts, author of Finding Dorothy
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Melanie Benjamin has a gift for opening up and fleshing out her characters, giving readers unfettered access into their hearts and minds. Beautiful and haunting, this is a story of ordinary people forced to face the most extraordinary of moments.
— Allison Pataki, author of The Queen’s Fortune
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Chilling, quite literally . . . Benjamin has taken an almost-forgotten historical footnote and created a vivid and poignant story of Midwestern immigrants pursuing the American dream.
— Sarah McCoy, author of Marilla of Green Gables
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The Children’s Blizzard is that rarest of novels, as riveting in its story as it is delicate and empathetic with its characters. Melanie Benjamin has written an unforgettable tale full of fascinating and forensic historical detail.
— Peter Geye, author of Northernmost
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Fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series will be fascinated by The Children’s Blizzard.
— Oprah Daily
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Readers will want to curl up with a warm blanket by the fire for this novel inspired by real events. . . . [Benjamin] uses her prodigious gifts for bringing history to life.
— AARP
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In this piercingly detailed drama, riveting in its action and psychology, Benjamin reveals the grim aspects of homesteading, from brutal deprivations to violent racism toward Native Americans and African Americans, while orchestrating, with grace and resonance, transformative moral awakenings and sustaining love.
— Booklist (starred review)
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Benjamin revisits the Children’s Blizzard that killed 235 people in January 1888 in this sprawling, well-told story. . . . There’s great suspense inherent to the events. Benjamin achieves a balance of grand drama and devastatingly intimate moments.
— Publishers Weekly