I was crying, smiling, shaking my head in disgust, and rooting for love and survival. These were only some of the emotions I felt reading The Four Winds (St. Martin’s Press, 2021) by Kristin Hannah.
Actually, I listened to the book. That was enjoyable because the reader does a great job with the various characters in capturing their inflections as the author probably wanted. Plus, at the end there was a Q&A with the author that gave insight into her research and writing processes.
This historical novel takes place during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression in the United States. I realized I don’t much about the Dust Bowl. Was it more than a paragraph in history books?
What made this so interesting is the main character is a woman. So often history is about men told by men; almost as if women were not there, wherever there was.
With this being a work of fiction, Elsa isn’t a real person. Hannah’s research included reading memoirs from women, so her Elsa character is a compilation of real people. The whole story was believable.
The struggles people found when they arrived in California were most unnerving. It made me better understand the cycle of poverty because of the greed of growers. The hatefulness of those who discriminated against these migrants was unconscionable.
Sadly, many issues in the book are still relevant today. When are we going to learn to do better?
Hannah has such a great way of bringing characters and places to life; I could picture them in my mind. Her descriptive words made me feel the dust, the pain, the love.
Every opportunity I could find I was listening to the book. I’m sure people thought something was really wrong as I was on walks and tears were coming down. I was done with the book well before I had to return it to the library.
Growing up in Salinas, I’ve read most of John Steinbeck’s works. The Grapes of Wrath was my introduction to the Dust Bowl/Great Depression era. It stuck with me! And helped vilify Steinbeck in his own hometown and with the broader agricultural community. Sigh. Kae, you make me eager to read The Four Winds. And if another Dust Bowl read sounds too heavy, you would LOVE Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley! I promise!
I’ve actually read both of those, but it may have been way back in school. Time to revisit those classics. Thanks!
I agree that The Four Winds is an exceptional book. From my booklog:
This was so grim, it was not a pleasant book to read, but I did learn more about the Dust Bowl and the experience of the displaced people who migrated west. The author’s descriptions of the dust storms were riveting. The book made for a very interesting Book Club discussion. I became curious as to whether no till is being practiced in this region. I learned that it arrived later than the upper plains and the midwest, but it IS happening, starting in Kansas.
There is an excellent list of books on the Dust Bowl and the migration experience on the author’s website. I won’t be reading all 52 books, but I plan to read Sanora Babb’s book Whose Names are Unknown, 2004, and On the Dirty Plate Trail: Remembering the Dust Bowl Refugee Camps, 2007.
Yes, I read it and what an eye-opener it was.. Those people from the dust bowl states were so strong and so resilient, but how sad that they had to endure so much hardship.
The Book Club I belong to read this. It was well written and full of historical information. Loved the characters!
I read this book a while ago and I laughed and cried and was impressed with the resilience of the people who lived through this
I just ordered it! I’ll be teaching this in my AP class soon and will recommend the book to them 🙂