“When most people talk about ‘The Great Depression,’ if at all these days, it is usually about money: banks failing, mortgages revoked, etc. We don't often hear the stories of PEOPLE…When the Sky Turned to Dust tells one family's story as they fight for their family, their farm, and their lives. It is gut-wrenchingly sad in places, but there is quiet joy in the family, too, as they live through one of the worst periods of modern history…I will be recommending it to three book clubs, both full of older people, but will also tell teachers that it is a great story of life at the time.” —Lesley F. (San Diego, CA)

Members! This month's First Impressions and Book Club books are now available to request. Offer closes end of Saturday, April 4.

Books are provided free of charge to BookBrowse members resident in the US with the understanding that they'll do their best to either write a short review or take part in an online discussion forum (depending on whether the book is assigned for First Impressions or the Book Club). Our basic membership guarantees you at least four books a year when you request each month.

Early in the book, Ulloa explains that although El Paso sits at the heart of US immigration debates and has played a crucial role in American history, it is often overlooked in these contexts. Her goal is to place the city at the center of national attention and highlight its importance by exploring how it fits into the intertwined histories of the US and Mexico, and its relationship with major historical events and the lives of people who have settled there or passed through.

To achieve the above, she traces more than a century of the city's history, beginning in the mid-1800s and moving to the present day.

Every year, the NBCC (National Book Critics Circle) presents awards for the finest books published in English in the United States during the previous year. This year’s winner in Fiction is Nobel laureate Han Kang’s novel We Do Not Part, and the Nonfiction award goes to Empire of AI, from investigative journalist Karen Hao.

Explore more winners on our Awards page, and check out our community forum discussion about all the NBCC finalists!

For a better TBR and a more satisfying reading experience, check out our curated guides and bundles, including The BookBrowse Anthology, our Reading Deeply collection, coverage of WWII fiction featuring women, and our own book club guide. Our compilations and guides are drawn from over two decades of book club research and editorial content.