No Promises in the Wind

by Irene Hunt

Overview

From the Newbery Award-winning author of Across Five Aprils and Up a Road Slowly comes a tale of a brave young man’s struggle to find his own strength during the Great Depression.

“A powerfully moving story.”—Chicago Daily News

In 1932, American's dreams were simple: a job, food to eat, a place to sleep, and shoes without holes. But for millions of people these simple needs were nothing more than dreams. At fifteen years of age, Josh has to make his own way through a country of angry and frightened people. This is the story of a young man’s struggle to find a life for himself in the most turbulent of times.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780425099698
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/15/1986
Edition description:	Reissue
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	1,110,027
Product dimensions:	4.19(w) x 6.75(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	930L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Irene Hunt was the author of many distinguished books for young readers. Her first novel, Across Five Aprils, was a Newberry Award nominee and received a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award. Her second novel, Up a Road Slowly, was awarded the Newberry Medal in 1966. Ms. Hunt was born in southern Illinois and received degrees from the University of Illinois and the University of Colorado. For many years she taught in the public schools of northern Illinois, and later taught psychology at the University of South Dakota. She died in 2001.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for the Novels of Irene Hunt

“A deeply affecting, affirmative story.”—Booklist

“A powerfully moving story.”—Chicago Daily News

“An intriguing and beautifully written book, a prize to those who take the time to read it, whatever their ages.”—The New York Times

“This is a beautifully written book, filled with bloodshed, hate, and tears, but also with love, loyalty, and compassion, with unforgettable characters, and with ideas and implications that have meaning for young people today.”—Chicago Tribune

From the Publisher

Charlie Thurston beautifully narrates this story of 15-year-old Josh and his little brother, Joey, who leave a hungry home in the midst of the Great Depression, armed only with musical talent and pride. Thurston’s voice is plastic; it twists and stretches, shaping lively gangsters, caring carnies, and quiet friends with seeming effortlessness. His performance adds a great deal to this simple narrative. Thurston’s pacing and vocal anguish help listeners connect with the boys despite a writing style that keeps the characters’ suffering at arm’s length. The story is perhaps a bit romanticized—pride and reluctance to accept charity are at the heart of Josh’s struggle. It shames him to beg for food to keep himself and his brother alive. A.M.P © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

MAY 2012 - AudioFile