Billie Jo has also temporarily lost her father. She is grieving for the loss of her mother, her baby brother, and her ability to play the piano, which was to be her escape out of the Dust Bowl. Her hands are scarred and curled up, making it painful for her to stretch her fingers and play the piano. She is in extreme physical pain because her hands are badly burned. Billie Jo envisions herself moving away from the Dust Bowl someday her means of escape will be her talent as a pianist.Īfter the accident, when Billie Jo throws the burning pail of kerosene out the door of the house and onto her mother, and after the death of her mother and newborn baby brother, Billie Jo's life changes forever. She is self-confident about her ability to play the piano and loves to entertain at the Palace Theatre with Arley Wanderdale and his band, the Black Mesa Boys, and singer and friend, Mad Dog Craddock. When she plays, she gets lost in the music.
Playing the piano is Billie Jo's passion.
She attends school and does well, receiving the highest score in the state on the standardized state test for eighth graders. When the novel begins, Billie Jo is making the best of her life despite the dust storms, depression, and drought.
We know how Billie Jo changes because Hesse narrates Out of the Dust in the first person, allowing Billie Jo to speak for herself. Her experiences and actions cause her to change during the novel. She is 14 years old when the story begins, tall and slender, with red hair and freckles, and she loves apples. Study Help for All 1990s Newbery Medal Winnersīillie Jo Kelby is the strong and courageous protagonist, or main character, of the novel.Introduction to the 1990s Newbery Medal Winners.
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