An Unsung Hero: Coming of Age in the Dust Bowl

A Greatest Generation Account, Book 1

By: William M. Forsythe

Narrated by: Todd Gaddy

Growing in a small Texas town in the midst of the Great Depression, pummeled by the mighty dust storms so devastating that the region was known as the “Dust Bowl”, and coping with a diagnosis of tuberculosis at age 15, Jimmy Ray Lewis and his family experienced hardship, loss, and community rejection. This audiobook is the story of forgiveness, family strength, and faith that life would be better if they could just “keep on keeping on”.

It is a story of a simple life before modern bathrooms, electricity, paved roads and highways, or radios when neighbors helped neighbors and a person's word was his bond. A time when the audible utterance of the words “damn” or “hell” could result in ejection from a store or cafe. Jimmy and friends entertained themselves with homemade stilts and scooters, warred across the neighborhood with rubber guns, and the worst Halloween prank was putting a potato in a neighbor's exhaust pipe. The era and the values it represented became the foundation shared by the members of the Greatest Generation.

©2014 Michael R Lewis (P)2014 Michael R Lewis

Wonderful Book!

If you could sum up An Unsung Hero: Coming of Age in the Dust Bowl in three words, what would they be?

Hopeful. Amusing. Brilliant!

What other book might you compare An Unsung Hero: Coming of Age in the Dust Bowl to and why?

Agatha Christies's "An Autobiography". Listening to this book I am reminded of the times when my grandfather use to tell me tales of his childhood and travels through India and Africa. The only difference is that it is set in "Small Town America". I have not had so much pleasure listening about a person's life since Ms. Christies's book that I have read in 1996.

Which scene was your favorite?

There are too many to list. I spent most of my time listening with a smile on my face. The author has a wonderful sense of humor, and considering that this book takes place during Great Depression, I was not depressed at all. Quite beyond my expectations.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

A funny and touching story of growing up.

Any additional comments?

I will not reveal what happens, because I want whoever is reading this to listen to the book. All I will say is that it is a touching life filled with adventure and hope. From the moment the reader (who does a great job bringing the story to life) said "... he did it, because he loved them" until the very end, I have enjoyed every second.

Coming of Age during the Depression

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend this audiobook to anyone who lived during the depression as well as the generation that followed (Baby boomers). I sincerely believe that most people in their 20s-40's today would not relate/identify with this memoir because life has changed so dramatically since then.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I believe this audiobook would be more effective if it was shorter in some parts and more extended in others. For instance, I found the chapters related to tuberculosis very interesting and would have liked to hear more about this, whereas I was not as engaged when the narrator went into detail about family history.

What three words best describe Todd Gaddy’s voice?

Consistent, clear, and genuine. The narration for this audiobook was solid. Throughout the book, Todd constantly "popped his P's" - overemphasis on words that began with "p" or with the letter "p" in them. The narrator also had a hard emphasis on "s" words throughout. These issues along with background static noise was moderately distracting to the overall experience of the audiobook.

Any additional comments?

This audiobook provides an informative perspective of what it was like to live in the Texas panhandle during the depression and the era of WWII. It describes a time when life was much more simpler, yet harder with regards to lack of modern conveniences, manual labor, and financial hardship.

I'm somewhat perplexed by the title "An Unsung Hero." I believe the title should just say "Coming of Age in the Dust Bowl." There is no indication that the main subject of the book did anything "heroic" in nature. He struggled and dealt with adversity like everyone else living during this era. I don't think anyone living back then would think of themselves as a "hero," but merely did what they had to in order to survive.