(Photo by Kevin Lynch). I just found that journey of a woman finding her voice to be incredibly powerful.. Source materials at the University of Texas in Austin also helped, including the writings of novelist Sanora Babb and the memoirs of many who lived through the Dust Bowl and westward migration, Hannah says. How do you think future generations will judge the America of today? Was there anything in particular that you feel you learned or which surprised you. Hope you enjoyed book club questions for The Four Winds! Do they intend to exclude Elsa, whom they perceive as just a workhorse? Instead, they are staying to take a governmental payment to grow grass as part of a soil conservation plan to help save the farmland of the Great Plains. The farmer. Millions are out of work and a drought has broken the Great Plains. In the Epilogue, in 1940, Loreda has been living in Texas. Although a lengthy read with some good descriptive writing, I found the story really sketchy, threadbare and boring. Meanwhile, Loreda, now 13, grows dissatisfied with their life and her mothers inability to move them out of the camp. Loreda says theyre like a plant that can only grow in one place. Lets discuss what Loreda is saying here. Chapter-by-Chapter Summary & Analysis of The Four Winds, Book Review: The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah, Books Like The Four Winds: 8 Great Books to Read Next. If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original Her 2015 novel The Nightingale was voted a best book of the year by The Wall Street Journal, Library Journal, Buzzfeed, and The Week. There were times in my journey when it felt as if that penny and the hope it represented were the only things that kept me going." (1) What is the significance of the fact that it is an American penny? She is sustained by her fearless aunt Yaltha, who harbors a compelling secret. Thirteen-year-old Leni, caught in the riptide of her parents passionate, stormy relationship, has little choice but to go along, daring to hope this new land promises her family a better future. By 1934, the world has changed; millions are out of work and drought has devastated the Great Plains. . She watches as the lands around her crack in their perpetually parched state and the hopelessness threatens to breaks the spirit of those around her. Along the way, Elsa develops a greater consciousness of the plight of laborers in Depression-era America, joining them in protests against the larger political and economic engines that exploit people and land alike, leading to the Dust Bowl in the first place. The Deweys and the Martinellis become vital support for each other, sharing food, funds, and resources as needed. Do you think the American Dream is a reality or a myth? Im also guessing that this will be a hit with book clubs, given that its accessible and tells a relatively fast-paced story. And restarted the book as Elsas story. If this summary was useful to you, please consider supporting this site by leaving a tip ($2, $3, or $5) or joining the Patreon! Time and again, when life threatens to overwhelm her, Elsa finds strength in those around her. Throughout the drought, Tony continues to work hard and plant seasonal crops in hopes that rain will come and nourish the land again. Over the course of their time in the ditch encampment, Jean becomes Elsas first real friend, and Elsa credits that friendship with giving her the strength to endure the many hardships she faces in California. How does the Great Depression setting of The Four Winds compare to America during the pandemic? "The Four Winds" (St. Martin's Press, 464 pp., *** out of four stars) plays out against the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl that together gutted the American economy and turned beloved . Alaska, 1974. "Come in," she said. This strains their marriage, and Elsa acknowledges that Rafe never really loved her in the way that she came to love him. Life in California is not at all what the migrants expected, what advertisements had led them to believe. Her daughter, Loreda, returns home to Texas. I think thats when it really became the story I was meant to tell, and the story I want people to read.. There are greater forces in the world than love and dedication, however. He brings Elsa and the children to an abandoned hotel where he provides them rooms for the night. Was there anything surprising about the audiobook edition? How well does the narrator, Julia Whelan, fit the characters personas? The cynical part of me thinks that this book overly optimistic when it comes to the kindness of strangers and some of the plot occurrences rely on people just happening to be in the right place at the right time. How does Jean Deweys death affect Elsa in The Four Winds? The Martinellis farm, which previously yielded plentiful supplies of wheat, dies under the scorching sun. The Four Winds tells the story of Elsa Wolcott, a young woman born and raised in Texas during the boom years of the 1920s. After Elsas death, Loreda returns to the Martinelli farm in Texas. Going into the novel, I had wondered how much of the trip from Texas to California would be covered. How is it the same? Mr. Welty is a wealthy plantation owner in the San Joaquin Valley of California. When Ana commits a brazen act that puts her in peril, she flees to Alexandria, where startling revelations and greater dangers unfold, and she finds refuge in unexpected surroundings. Is this some type of pronunciation that Im not aware of? He's taught one or two classes a semester in the journalism and mass communications department at Cal State Long Beach since 2006. Before Elsa dies, she asks Jack to take her kids home to Texas. What books influenced you when you were growing up? How does the treatment of migrants in California during the Great Depression mirror the treatment of immigrants today? The Four Winds is a historical fiction novel that tells a survival story centered around a mother and her daughter. The Communists claimed that communism is the new Americanism. Can you understand why people believed in that? By 1934, Loreda is 12 and has a difficult relationship with her mother. How is Elsa shaped by these expectations and her failure to meet them? How are womens stories different? The two women often fantasize about better times, and they promise to go dancing and drink gin together someday when their situations have improved. How did this treatment impact her later relationships and her search for love? Raised in a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of Galilee, she is rebellious and ambitious, with a brilliant mind and a daring spirit. The locals treat them badly, are afraid of them. I make wine from grape cuttings that I brought here from Sicily, and the wine I make reminds me of my father. In a wild, remote corner of Alaska, the Allbrights find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. How is the modern world different? 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. Aka: Lolo. WEBSITE BY. If youre looking for another epic style story, The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd is a great choice. Rafe likes to dream big, and he constantly talks about moving to Hollywood or traveling the world. The main characters in The Four Winds include Elsa Martinelli, Loreda Martinelli, and Jack Valen. More broadly, he represents the capitalistic interests of the wealthy farm owners, who rely on exploitative labor practices to increase their profits. She watches as the lands around her crack in their perpetually parched state and the hopelessness threatens to breaks the spirit of those around her. Cora will do anything for the man she loves, even if means following him into the unknown. Do you or your family have any keepsakes that represent your familys hope for the future? eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. So even the 30s were so long ago, I think people will see some of our societys current problems made an appearance then as well. The two protagonists of the book, Elsa and Loreda, are both fully drawn and compelling characters. This may not be the book for you. I hold The Nightingale as Kristin Hannahs best work but this one does come a very close second. She and Jack fall in love as they help to plan a strike. However, as time passes, Loreda comes to appreciate Elsas quiet strength, and she begins to realize that it is Elsas parenting that has turned her into the sort of person who can fight for her dreams and ideals, unlike her ineffectual dreamer of a father. Elsa compares them to the early pioneers in their covered wagons. After 1936/37 did work pulling cotton improve for the workers? Its not a difficult read, so if youre on the fence about it, Id encourage you to give it a shot. An armed guard fires through the teargas and hits Elsa in the abdomen. In the margins of Hannahs story as she initially conceived it, there was the character Elsa, a young woman whod grown up feeling unloved and unworthy, who found meaning as the mother of two young children. Unloved by her family, she falls for the sweet words of Rafe, a younger man who woos her but is not ready for the responsibility of fatherhood. Lets talk the impact of Elsas pregnancy on all parties involved. Elsa describes him as a man who believes in two things: God and his land, both of which fail him during the long Dust Bowl years.