Days of Sand

Aimee de Jongh's Days of Sand was initially published in France by Dargaud Benelux in 2021. It was published in English on April 19, 2022. The story takes place in the Dust Bowl area of the United States in 1937. It's interesting to me that this Dutch author chose to write a comic based on the dust bowl history. She has been publishing comics for 18 years.

The publisher's summary:

In the middle of the Great Depression, 22-year-old photographer John Clark is brought in by the Farm Security Administration to document the calamitous conditions of the Dust Bowl in the central and southern states, in order to bring the farmers’ plight to the public eye. When he starts working through his shooting script, however, he finds his subjects to be unreceptive. What good are a couple of photos against relentless and deadly dust storms? The more he shoots, the more John discovers the awful extent of their struggles, and comes to question his own role and responsibilities in this tragedy sweeping through the center of the country.

 

I am impressed with the thoroughness of de Jongh's research. As a history buff, I am well acquainted with the dust bowl era and believe that the author exhibited her knowledge of the subject in her story. The story itself was  well told. The characters were convincing. Using a professional photographer to tell the stories of those who lived in the affected states was brilliant. John Clark, the photographer, is the most fleshed out character as he is involved in the story from its beginning to the end. He meets a wide variety of people in his quest to complete a to-do list of photos that his boss wants. The artwork is appropriate for the story. The pages are colored in shades of browns and dull reds to match the dusty landscape of the dust bowl region. 

The writing in Days of Sand is commendable. I recommend this comic not to just history buffs but young students as well. The comic format is perfect for young readers to learn about this part of history.

5 out of 5 stars.