“It concerns real life, relatively ordinary activities, drawn with the precision of a Norman Rockwell painting.” (The Omaha Reader)

Set in the Dust Bowl of the American West, this true account of a child coming of age on a 1920s Nebraska farm recaptures an era. Young Lucille Marker experiences survival during the Depression, one of the worst dust storms in history, and finally the disintegration of the close-knit community in which she grows up. Readers who like the books of Laura Ingalls Wilder or Willa Cather will enjoy Farm Girl. It takes place on the Marker farm, located near Red Cloud, the locale of Willa Cather’s Nebraska novels. Farm Girl takes one back to a time and place that no longer exists in American culture. 

"Farm Girl presents a vision of life on a Nebraska homestead during the 1920s and 1930s, told from a child's perspective, and illustrated with photographs of the time." (Quincy Herald Whig)

"Farm Girl will capture the interest of readers in the photos the book contains and witty recollections Lucille has of her grandparents in Catherton Township." (The Red Cloud Chief)

"Have you thought about writing your family history, but found yourself stuck from the start? Writing a family narrative can be a daunting task, but Karen Jones Gowen found a way to bring her mother's story to life." (Homespun Magazine)