The Children's Blizzard: a story of survival and life and death decisions

The Children’s Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin is the story of the sudden and devastating blizzard which swept through the Great Plains. The morning of January 12, 1888 was warm enough that the homesteaders of the Dakota Territory ventured outside and sent their kids to school without their heavy winter coats. As the school day was finishing, a sudden and fast moving blizzard blew in, leaving many unprepared and without many options. Based on the stories of survivors, Split into two parts, The Children’s Blizzard is the story of two school teachers, sisters, Gerda and Raina Olsen, in different parts of the territory. One becomes a hero who saves her students and the other finds herself ostracized and living with the guilt that she sent her students to their deaths. It is also the story of Anette Pedersen, a servant girl whose survival touches the heart of journalist Gavin Woodson and the nation as the newspaper stories spread far and wide. 

I have read about The Children’s Blizzard and its horrifying aftermath in many books before and I was eager to read Ms. Benjamin’s story. Part One was great, suspenseful and nail biting as the sudden storm swept in and the life and death decisions were made. Part Two is where the book faltered for me. It was not as emotionally gripping for me. It had long winded paragraphs, although beautifully written, didn’t move the story along. I also didn’t like that Ms. Benjamin took great steps to introduce all people who were affected by the blizzard including a black man named Ollie Tennant but I read Part Two, I was waiting and waiting and waiting to see what happened to Ollie and his children as they were trapped in the schoolhouse when they were last seen in the story. Unfortunately, there is a brief mention in Part Two as if you say “Here is what happens to Ollie and his children.” And it was a let down. Why introduce a character and then mention him in passing? I don’t know if the author knew what kind of story she wanted to write. Is it a story of how the embellishments that lured so many immigrants to a country they weren’t prepared for? Is it a story of the displacement of the Indians from their lands? Or was it a story of the blizzard itself? She wanted to write about the “ferocious storm that is little remembered today” but even the storm got lost in the political commentary. Overall, I did enjoy the book as the author’s descriptions of the storm in Part One, so vivid that you could almost feel the cold and the force of the winds. However, Part Two is where I feel the author strayed. I feel the ending of the story was rushed and didn’t do the characters or the events justice. 

The Children’s Blizzard is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook