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​For Fans of the I Survived series and The War That Saved My Life, this gripping middle grade novel is set during one of the most dangerous storms in American history.

It’s been four years since rain fell on the Oklahoma panhandle and the closeness between the Stanton twins has dried up as much as the land. Howe has been practicing running away and longs for the family to quit this land of dust where only troubles grow. Despite the scoliosis that causes Joanna near-constant pain, she isn’t ready to give up like her brother. But when Daddy leaves the family behind to find work in California, saving the farm from ruin falls on Howe’s unwilling and Joanna’s uneven shoulders.

To pay the family's debts, Joanna takes a job at the local hospital and discovers purpose in helping others. Meanwhile, Howe finds unexpected joy in caring for his father’s horse and escapes in a borrowed book.

But then a tragedy in town reveals the dust’s deadly dangers. With the worst storm of the Dust Bowl bearing down on their home, Howe and Joanna must put aside their differences and work together, or everyone and everything they love will be lost to the dust.

PRAISE FOR WHERE ONLY STORMS GROW:
"Colman's writing is accessible and flawlessly incorporates historical details into the narrative."— Booklist

"Poignant and compassionate... Readers will be swept into the dusty setting of 1935 and be encouraged to grow in their understanding and empathy for people of the past."— School Library Journal

"Extremely well drawn... Colman’s dedication to authenticity and rich detail creates a compelling world." --Kirkus

"...[A] powerful middle-grade novel that shines a light on overlooked histories of the Dust Bowl while offering a timeless message of perseverance. Through vivid storytelling and deep empathy, Colman shows how strength can emerge quietly, guiding us through hardship toward brighter days." - The Children's Book Review
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"A testament to human resilience in the face of insurmountable odds, Where Only Storms Grow is the poignant story of a family coming apart in a desperate attempt to stay together. Set in one of the most devastating periods in modern history, this story will hook readers from the first gripping sentence to the final satisfying page." - Megan E. Freeman, New York Times Bestselling author of Alone

"A triumph of a historical novel! Expertly immersing young readers in the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, Where Only Storms Grow offers a timely reminder of the ways our fragile environment connects us all. Joanna and Howe’s extraordinary survival story both thrills and captivates with its messages of hope, determination, and love." - Kate Albus, author of A Place to Hang the Moon and Nothing Else But Miracles

"As powerful as a storm and as heartfelt as a warm embrace, Where Only Storms Grow is a timely story of strength and resilience that reminds us history is never very far away. Colman is an incredibly gifted storyteller who will sweep you back in time to a tale you’ll want to revisit again and again." - Kalyn Josephson, New York Times bestselling author of the Ravenfall series

"Beautifully woven, Alyssa Colman's captivating Where Only Storms Grow is a masterful and moving tale of siblings re-finding one another in the most harrowing of human and environmental catastrophes--the Great Depression's Dust Bowl--and in themselves the courage to show kindness, to hang onto the lifeline of hope so easily blown away by storms of disaster. A gripping portrayal of the apocalyptic "dusters" that consumed the Midwest and a resilient family determined to survive--together." - L. M. Elliott, best-selling author of Bea and the New Deal Horse, winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction

Published by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers (BYR)
ISBN 9780374392789
Cover art by Nik Henderson 
Page Count: 238
Age Range: 8-12​

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Alyssa with Dorothea Lange's Child and Her Mother, Wapato, Yakima Valley, Washington. August 1939. One of the many images that inspired this story.