Did you know that not all “Okies” migrated during the Great Depression? Some stayed and endured their hardships. These were tough and determined survivors, as described by author Samuel Hall in his novel, Daughter of the Maroonbased on the real life experiences of the author’s mother.
Claire is struggling with a difficult marriage that ends shortly after the story. She is employed by a team of door-to-door peddlers in the Midwest. A romance develops between Claire and her supervisor, Elmer.
After stops and starts, and challenges, one of which was the onset of the Depression, Claire and Elmer marry. Making a living in such difficult times is not easy, and they eventually leave sales to other companies.
Adding to the challenges for Claire are her husband’s parents, who seem to be in the habit of inviting themselves as “guests” whenever Claire and Elmer’s circumstances improve, or their own fail.
Throughout her circumstances, Claire struggles with doubt and faith in God as the author takes us into a vivid Midwestern landscape. Much of the story takes place in Ness County, Kansas, and the Oklahoma Panhandle. In the early chapters, we experience the life of door-to-door sales, not from the point of view of the person who answers the door, as we are accused, but from the perspective of the person who knocks on the door.
As Claire and her family search for other, more conducive means of support to start a family, the challenges of the Great Depression threaten to undermine their happiness.
Most surprising was the description of the four main characters surviving on crushed and cooked grain “acquired” from their owner’s barn. Despite their desperate and exhausting circumstances, we see the characters, especially Claire, survive with dignity and grace.
This is not literary fiction, like a Steinbeck novel. And, although it is published by a Christian publisher, Daughter of the Maroon it is not overtly a Christian novel, but a work of realistic historical fiction written from a Christian worldview. This novel lacks the rich symbolism and motifs of a novel like The grapes of wrath The characters are also less vividly defined. where the author of Daughter of the Maroon has managed to bring the reader to the courage and perseverance of the main character by giving us the true story of a real person.
Another interesting feature of the novel is that it is the author’s own personal story. By showing us the world, life, and the circumstances into which he was born, Samuel Hall has shown us that perseverance is a story, sometimes exhausting, sometimes exhilarating, and often entertaining.
