At Season's End by Eric Hendershot

Title: At Season's End
Author: Eric Hendershot
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Incorporated
Acquired: Received free for an honest review
Age Group: Young Adult
Grade: 79% or C+ 
Buy It: Amazon

Hit hard by the Great Depression, Sal’s family loads up an old Buick and heads out to find work wherever they can. Driving from place to place, living off the little they can make, they soon realize they’ll never be able to afford to settle down again.

Then, when tragedy strikes, Sal and her brother must learn to fend for themselves. In a world of harsh realities, there’s no room left for romance. But that can’t stop Sal from dreaming of a life with Ben—a boy from another migrant family—even though she knows she may never see him again.

My Thoughts:: 
I've recently been enjoying books that take me to a different time period. In fact, I've loved shows like Little House just for that purpose alone. There is just something so fantastic about immersing yourself in another time in history, and feeling like you're living first hand with their struggles and the social trends.

This book brings us to The Great Depression. I knew that many families packed up and left home to find work, but I had no idea that they made it into an entire different kind of lifestyle! The author did a great job of REALLY taking us back. There was talk about what people thought about the Great Depression, how different types of people lived, how much things cost, and the kinds of things that people bought. It was fun and interesting comparing life back then, to life now.

The novel gave us plenty of background information about the family. Throughout the book we get little anecdotes that give us a better insight on how they got where they are and about who they are. Though I really enjoyed reading these...I do have a complaint about the book. It was just wayyy too jumpy. Whole months, and even a year are just cut out. The book isn't very long, so length couldn't have been an issue. I suppose the author just wanted time to go by without anything happening? It was hard for me to imagine the characters getting older and growing up when I've barely gotten to know them yet.

Overall I think that At Season's End was a read that can really bring out back in time and help you better understand some of the struggles of America's past. I'd recommend this book to any historical fiction fan who doesn't enjoy going too far back.