The Four Winds

One can only imagine the difficulty in trying to farm land that is arid with temperatures in the 100’s.  By 8:00 am your chores better be done, or the rest of your day will be miserable as you complete your tasks. This is how the Martinelli family live in Dust Bowl-era Texas during one of the worst draughts in its history. Elsa Wolcott married into the Martinelli family and now finds herself the mother of two with a husband who does not love her. Elsa tries to gain his love, but not knowing how to express herself verbally or physically, she stays silent.  As hard times befall the Martinelli family, Elsa’s husband, Rafe, decides to walk away from his family and find a new life in California.  Elsa is left to raise her children with her in-laws, whom she considers her family too.  

As times get worse and food and water become scarce, Elsa must come up with a solution to save her children.   She decides to uproot and move to California in hopes of finding employment and an easier life.  But California is no picnic and as soon as Elsa and the children arrive, they are met with racism and bigotry -they are of migrant status.  Instead of steady work, Elsa finds whatever employment she can.  She begins picking cotton and when cotton season is done, she travels north to pick whatever is in season.  All the while, living in a tent with deplorable conditions and little food and money. Her children are of skin and bones and dysentery is in the camp.

As time passes, the migrant workers are harassed and treated poorly by the rich land owners.  Talk of unionization begins and the possibility that workers might strike becomes a reality. How will Elsa get by without a job and a place to live?  Can she afford to strike and possibly loose what little she has. What will happen to her children if she can’t work?

Karen’s thoughts: When you decide to read a Kristin Hannah novel you need to know you will be taken on a ride.  Sometimes a joyful ride. This time, not so much.  I really loved The Great Alone and I usually gravitate toward historical fiction, so I was excited to get my hands on this title. It’s a big book with a big-time commitment. I became bored with the story. I was not invested in the characters and found myself skipping through the pages just to finish.

Many patrons tell me they cried in the end, I wish I had. I like a book that gives detail and Hannah does.  She obviously did her homework.  After I read the first 50 pages, I thought to myself this is going to be great.  I loved the bookish character Elsa and was interested in her story with Rafe, although their relationship was doomed from the beginning and after a while it fizzled out.  I thought the relationship between Elsa, her parents and her sisters was not well developed, and the descriptions of the camps, the clothing, meals, tensions between worker and land owner, and living conditions was just tedious.

I am glad I read the novel, and I will continue to read Hannah’s books, just not a huge fan of this one.  (6/10) 

Read The Great Alone or The Nightingale if you want an epic to get you through the holiday season.