The Hired Man - by Sandra Dallas (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The Dust Bowl sweeps a handsome stranger into a small Colorado town to dangerous effect

1937. It's been seven years since the dust storms started in Colorado. Folks can barely remember a time when the clouds were filled with rain instead of dirt, and when the fields were green instead of brown. High school student Martha Helen Kessler and her family are luckier than most; they still eke out a living from the land. Even so, evidence of the Dust Bowl's grim impact on families, especially on the women who bear the brunt of their husbands' frustration and their children's hunger, is everywhere.

When Martha Helen's compassionate mother insists they take in Otis Hobbs, a handsome drifter who saves a local boy from a vicious storm, she quickly discovers a darker side to their rural community. Suspicion, jealousy, and prejudice grip their neighbors - and emotions reach a frenzy after Martha Helen's best friend, Frankie, disappears and is then found murdered. Ultimately, Martha Helen is forced to make sense of her conflicting feelings and loyalties in order to help find retribution and to reconcile the difference between the law and justice.

Full of period detail and Sandra Dallas's trademark focus on the lives of women, The Hired Man entertains and ultimately surprises.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Hired Man

"Sweeps readers into rural 1930s Colorado, rich in detail, strong in characterizations, and with a unique brand of justice."
--Roundup

"Explores how women silently and patiently claw themselves free from cruelty."
--Booklist

"Dallas skillfully peppers her well-crafted plot with red herrings, keeping the reader guessing at the truth and making the final revelations even more explosive...Readers who enjoy historical stories with a dash of mystery will race through this."
--Publishers Weekly

"A fascinating story that shows what life was like during this period of time when for almost a decade the ground turned brown instead of green and the skies rained dirt...This story has a bit of everything--from love to hate, kindness to extreme cruelty, generosity to callous greed... Dallas' descriptions are detailed and help readers picture the desperate conditions, but there is also a touch of humor."
--Bookreporter

Praise for Tough Luck

"A lighthearted story filled with adventure."
--Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of The Kitchen House

"On prose that rides west at an easy canter, Tough Luck keeps its reader tight to the stirrups."
--John Larison, author of Whiskey When We're Dry

"A vibrant cast of characters...lace the story with atmosphere and charm. Fans of Charles Portis and Elmore Leonard will love Tough Luck"
--Olivia Hawker, Washington Post bestselling author

Praise for Where Coyotes Howl

"Rich character development and memorable secondary plotlines."
--The Denver Post

"Addictive. Highly recommended!"
--Paulette Jiles, New York Times bestselling author

"A poignant love story that brings to life both the brutality and the beauty during the turn of the century in the rugged, American West."
--Lee Woodruff

"Explores the mythic soul of the American West...through a female lens."
--Booklist (Starred Review)

"Immersive."
--Publisher's Weekly

About the Author

Sandra Dallas is a New York Times bestselling author of nearly twenty adult novels, several children's novels, and numerous works of non-fiction about Western subjects. Her work has won numerous awards and prizes including the Colorado Book Award and, in 2021, she was inducted into the Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame. A former bureau chief for Business Week magazine, Sandra lives in Colorado with her husband.