The Four Winds

 

Summary (from the publisher): 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.

Review: Born into the economic bounty of Texas in the 1920s, Elsa Wolcott grows up a prisoner in her parents' comfortable home. Deemed physically frail and unattractive, she is found to be unsuitable for marriage by her parents and spends her time reading and dreaming of a life beyond the walls of her family's home. When she defies her parents and ruins her reputation with the handsome Rafe Martinelli, she unwittingly finds a way out and into a marriage and a family.  But by 1934, the new life Elsa has created for herself is in jeopardy. Economic depression and severe droughts have devastated the land and threaten their livelihood and survival as crops fail, water dries up, and animals die. Elsa must make a choice between staying and fighting for the land she loves or leaving it behind to go west to California in pursuit of a better life for her family. 

The strength and glory of this novel is Elsa. She is a strong, courageous protagonist that is defined by her perseverance in the face of any odds. Despite the many tragedies and setbacks she faces, she is dogged in her determination to carry on. In spite of the depressing nature of the book, in many ways this novel feels hopeful because of Elsa's strength. Continually underestimated by her family, she reveals herself to be a true heroine. This novel touches on many themes including survival in a harsh climate, government relief, prejudice against those seen as other, mother daughter relationships, farming as a means of making a living, and more. 

In addition to being an incredible story of perserverance and love, this was also just an amazingly accurate work of historical fiction. It is clear that Hannah has spent considerable time researching the Dust Bowl era and taken great pains to make this book accurate. In particular, the descriptions of the dust storms and animals suffering felt heartbreakingly true to life. Despite being fiction, readers will learn a lot about the time period in this part of the country through reading this book and the incredible suffering faced by many Americans. 

I listened to this book on audible and loved Julia Whelan as a narrator. In addition, the audible version shares an interview at the conclusion of the novel with both the author and narrator and I loved hearing the author's thoughts on the story, characters, and writing process. 

My only complaint with this novel is that Elsa seems to suffer just a tad too much. It felt as if every possible negative outcome that could happen to her did indeed happen. Or as if the author wanted to squeeze in every tragedy she read about in her research but it made for a rather glum reading. In addition, I questioned why Elsa didn't return home in the face of extreme adversity. Unlike many, she had a home to go back to and no real reason was given for her continuing to suffer and be basically homeless when she could have chosen otherwise. However, in all a very enjoyable and also educational book about survival during dark times. 

Stars: 4