The Four Winds: A Novel
By: Kristin Hannah
Rating: 5 of 5
This is a fictional story set in the era of the Dust Bowl. Elsa Martinelli is part of a farming family. There is a one-two punch as first the Depression hits and then the weather event known as the Dust Bowl begins.
Her family is fighting a losing battle for survival as the dust covers their crops and the winds and the heat wreck havoc. It seems like the rain has dried up forever and Elsa, just like so many others ends up heading west to find work in California.
The way they were treated in California was a surprise to me. I grew up in that state and never learned of this awful period in time. To say that Californians were not welcoming to their fellow citizens is to put it mildly.
My curiosity was piqued by the story and sent me on a research trip into that shameful period. What I learned was just how true to the period this book is.
I was left feeling sad when I finished the book. I think it was more to do with the actual history than the way the book ended. However, I am so glad I read this book and it led me further into understanding how our country was shaped by the events of the twentieth century.
I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.
This is a fictional story set in the era of the Dust Bowl. Elsa Martinelli is part of a farming family. There is a one-two punch as first the Depression hits and then the weather event known as the Dust Bowl begins.