The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
(Format used for this read: Print–Hardback)
“My land tells its story if you listen. The story of our family.”
Texas, 1921. A time of abundance. The Great War is over, the bounty of the land is plentiful, and America is on the brink of a new and optimistic era. But for Elsa Wolcott, deemed too old to marry in a time when marriage is a woman’s only option, the future seems bleak. Until the night she meets Rafe Martinelli and decides to change the direction of her life. With her reputation in ruin, there is only one respectable choice: marriage to a man she barely knows.
By 1934, the world has changed; millions are out of work and drought has devastated the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as crops fail and water dries up and the earth cracks open. Dust storms roll relentlessly across the plains. Everything on the Martinelli farm is dying, including Elsa’s tenuous marriage; each day is a desperate battle against nature and a fight to keep her children alive.
In this uncertain and perilous time, Elsa―like so many of her neighbors―must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or leave it behind and go west, to California, in search of a better life for her family.
The Four Winds is a rich, sweeping novel that stunningly brings to life the Great Depression and the people who lived through it―the harsh realities that divided us as a nation and the enduring battle between the haves and the have-nots. A testament to hope, resilience, and the strength of the human spirit to survive adversity, 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.
I knew this book would be a serious, tear jerking read… it has been chilling on my bookshelf for a WHILE now because I just wasn’t ready to strap all that on my heart and my mind.
I was warned by many bookworm friends to be in a good mental place when I finally made my way thru it’s pages because they told me it would PUT ME THRU IT.
They were ABSOLUTELY RIGHT (as most bookworms usually ARE)….oooo LAWD did I have some FEELINGS, yall.
Historical fiction used to be one of my FAVORITE genres to read…and it still can be at times…but for some reason I just don’t take in as much of it now as I used to.
This novel reminded me why I enjoy it so much and has reignited my desire to read MORE of it.
Reading about time periods that were very difficult from the perspective of the people that it was difficult for can be TOUGH.
If you are reading the words of a literary artist that is fantastic at their craft, it can be VERY emotional and VERY heavy.
But you learn SO MUCH…and also develop EMPATHY and UNDERSTANDING.
Which is 1000000 percent NECESSARY.
American schooling leaves out so so so so so so so much “ugly truths” out of classrooms that it is VERY rare we make it to being adult citizens knowing a full, ACCURATE picture of our country’s history.
While I learned about the Great Depression many times, I only remember brief facts about the Dust Bowl during that time period.
This book gave me a good refresher and deeper insight of the YEARS of hardships many farmers had to face….and the ways our capitalistic government and the rest of the country ignored them and treated them like shit.
Even though this is a fictional story, it is based on real life events and the horrible things thousands of people experienced.
The struggle just for basic survival, the hatred thrown their way, the lack of any kind of sympathy or empathy or support or assistance….awful.
And still familiar as to how we treat many people in our country even now.
Classism is a real beast… and the “least of these” in our country are shunned instead of cared for.
What does that say for us as human beings that we would just WATCH other people suffer?
How can be just look out for ourselves while others can barely eat when they are working TWICE as hard (or MORE) to live?
SIGH…..
Anyway.
Reading historical fiction always makes me go do some of my own research too.
This is a great article with the basics of the Dust Bowl with links to other resources as well:
https://www.history.com/topics/great-depression/dust-bowl
Elsa’s story in these pages is one of persistence….one of survival…one of being strong when you feel so very weak…one of love and connection and commitment to family, both by birth and by choice or circumstance.
You will feel so many things as yall read her story….pity, frustration, disappointment, anger, hopelessness, triumph, grief, joy and heartbreak.
The strongest theme I found in this book though was LOVE.
The things we do for those we love….the sacrifices, the struggles, the pain, the fear.
When you are faced with unimaginable circumstances, you will do unimaginable actions so those you love survive…you will give all you have and THEN SOME for their protection and for them to prosper.
This book was ANOTHER one that took me longer than usual to read… partly because it is kinda long but mostly because my emotions could just NOT rush thru all the events of Elsa’s life.
I had to pace myself, take my time and really hear her story.
Really great book, yall….just be ready to FEEL THE FEELS.