The Four Winds
Fiction
St. Martin's Press
February 9, 2021
Hardcover
464
Purchased
Texas, 1934. Millions are out of work and a drought has broken the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as the crops are failing, the water is drying up, and dust threatens to bury them all. One of the darkest periods of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, has arrived with a vengeance.
In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinelli—like so many of her neighbors—must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west, to California, in search of a better life. The Four Winds is an indelible portrait of America and the American Dream, as seen through the eyes of one indomitable woman whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation.
My review:
My favorite thing about historical fiction novels is what you learn from little talked about parts of history. In this story, we learn about the great depression, which most of us are familiar with, but we also get the story of the dust bowl era, when farmers in the center of the country (in this case northern Texas) endured years of hardship with no crops due to the significant drought. We follow one such family as they try to make due until the drought subsides. The descriptions of the living conditions (particularly the dust storms) were impeccable, and you could feel the torment these farmers were experiencing as their livelihoods literally dried up before their eyes. After waiting it out, Elsa must make the journey to California due to her son's deteriorating health. Once there, the family finds a whole new set of problems with the prejudice against these newcomers, and the only available work is for landowners who are adept at keeping their workers downtrodden and beholden to them. Toward the end of the book we are introduced to the emerging concept of unions (rejected by most as an early attempt at Communist rule), while back home on the Great Plains the New Deal working on soil conservation methods aimed at reinstating the wheat crops. My only issue with the book was the teenage daughter. I have two daughters who were once teenagers, so I am well aware of the ups and downs of hormonal girls, but Loreda was insufferable ALL the time! Her attitude made me so crazy that I would have drop kicked her into the dust, and I never felt sorry for her throughout the novel, she was absolutely horrible to her mother! I did love the arc that Elsa took from wallflower to kick ass woman. The other characters, while maybe a bit cliche, were a delight (especially Tony and Rose).
A very good novel, although not one that is very uplifting in nature, this gives great insight into the dust bowl era, especially for those of us who never read The Grapes of Wrath (hanging my head in shame!).
Kristin Hannah did not disappoint with The Four Winds! This is one of those books that you end up racing through, staying up much later than you should! Thumbs up!
Definitely a page turner! I'm glad you enjoyed it.