Published by Carol Taylor Books, a division of:

Dakotas’ Meanest Winter!

On the heels of North and South Dakota’s prettiest autumn in years (1996), there came a staggering winter that brought people to their knees in both states.  The infamous winter of 1996-97 supplanted all others as the coldest, windiest, wettest, deadliest…and longest…in 100 years or perhaps ever. The Devastator left its permanent mark.  It was a defining moment in half a million lives. This 2-book series will inspire you with true stories of human triumph over tragedy, and how the worst in nature can bring out the best in people.


People were challenged, especially in rural areas, to survive and overcome this ongoing adversity.  When Mother Nature pins you down and doesn’t lift her jack boot for most of the year…what becomes of your emergency drill then?  Dakotans went into crisis mode in October of ’96, not to emerge from their historic deep freeze until the next May.

From humorous to heart-breaking, this is an astonishing page from Dakota history.  Having lived through it myself, I was inspired to write about that winter in these companion books.  I hope you will take a few moments to visit our pages.  Learn more about me and the books, and enjoy some more photos from DEVASTATOR.

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Thanks for stopping by!
--Carol Taylor