The past few years have been difficult, with the Great Depression, an on-going drought and frequent dust storms ravaging the lands. Massive dust storms pummel the region, covering everything in layers of grit and dust and causing an epidemic of lung disease. Im trying to get a description of the characters for this book. I also wish Elsa would have found a way to love herself (and to feel that she is loved) separate from a mans recognition of her worth. Unlike Elsas birth mother, who only viewed Elsa as sickly and deficient, Rose teaches her how to be strong and capable, instilling in her the importance of hard work and family. 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. Elsa compares them to the early pioneers in their covered wagons. "Hope is a coin I carry. It is Jeans memory that inspires Elsa to commit to going on strike. And as the novel sort of progressed, I became more and more interested in Elsa, and her sort of difficult journey from insecure and unloved to a woman finding her own voice, she says. It is likely that readers of The Four Winds, which arrived on Feb. 2, wont be able to imagine this story told any other way, so strong a character is Elsa as she fights for survival and finds her own strength in a tale that reaches from the Dust Bowl to the migrant camps of Californias Central Valley in the mid-1930s. However, she does not let her experiences in California break her spirit or prevent her from living life to the fullest, and she carries both her fathers dreams and her mothers hopes with her as she becomes the first Martinelli to attend college. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as crops fail, water dries up . Its the first of Hannahs books to be adapted for American TV or film, though by the end of the year The Nightingale, starring Elle and Dakota Fanning as the books sisters, is expected to be released. He has dreams of moving to a big city. Rafe's abandonment of his family is based on a widespread phenomenon that occurred during the Dust Bowl era, as increasingly destitute and desperate men abandoned their families in order to. Were different voices and tones used effectively? The Four Winds is a historical fiction that recounts a survival story centered on a mother and daughter. Unlike Rafe, who never seemed to care about Elsas desires or interests, Jack is respectful of her boundaries, and when the two become intimate, he ensures that Elsa enjoys herself as well. 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. Lets discuss Loredas new found activism and how that carried on to every decision she made going forward. What lessons can be learned from this time in history. (1) What is the significance of the fact that it is an American penny? 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. A testament to hope, resilience, and the strength of the human spirit to survive adversity,The Four Windsis 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. With the extreme poverty conditions, theres often remarks about how its inconceivable that this is taking place in America in the 30s. publication online or last modification online. If you havent read The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah yet, I highly recommend it! Few things can break a womans heart like motherhood. All of that hardship, its remarkable and its inspiring, Hannah says. As the situation worsens, Elsa is forced to make a decision to stay and fight or leave for the uncertain and unfamiliar lands in the West. Do you think the American Dream is a reality or a myth? Kristin Hannahs absorbing new novel begins just a few years before, when it seemed as if Elsa Wolcottmight finally have a peaceful, fulfilling life ahead. He is also not afraid to employ violent means, as he knows that the justice system will side with a wealthy, influential man like him over the impoverished migrant workers. Jack Valen is a member of the Workers Alliance, a Communist Party organization dedicated to improving conditions for workers across the country. Would you have had the courage to do the same? The two protagonists of the book, Elsa and Loreda, are both fully drawn and compelling characters. I think the narrator does a good job with it, and its easy to listen to. How did the story work for you on audio? At first she'd tried to scale the walls of her daughter's adolescent, irrational anger; she'd volleyed back with words of love, but Loreda's continuing, thriving impatience with Elsa had done worse than grind her down. How does Jean Deweys death affect Elsa in The Four Winds? All around them, people pack up and leave for greener lands and jobs out West, but what actually awaits out there is uncertain at best. While both these novels are survival stories, The Four Winds is the one Id recommend if youre on the fence between the two of them. There are greater forces in the world than love and dedication, however. PDF THE FOUR WINDS DISCUSSION GUIDE - Google Discussion Questions: 1. In short, thats how the locals pronounced it. Rose is a woman of strong Catholic faith, and she prays often, especially during the drought. 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. If youre looking for another epic style story, The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd is a great choice. The Four Winds Summary and Study Guide | SuperSummary How might others struggles inspire us? 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. It is a triumph of storytelling both timely and timeless, from a masterful writer at the height of her powers. 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. Life in California is not at all what the migrants expected, what advertisements had led them to believe. What do we know now that people didnt know then? They befriend Jean (who is pregnant) and Jeb Dewey, who show them the ropes. 'The Four Winds' review: Kristin Hannah's 'epic' Dust Bowl-era novel The "four winds" encompass all directions or the " four corners of the earth ": north, south, east, and west ( Jeremiah 49:36; Matthew 24:31 ). Ant experienced extreme sickness from the impacts of the dust storms, which finally forces Elsa to make the decision to move the family to California. When Elsa gives birth to Loreda, Tony and Rose love their grandchild immediately and eventually accept Elsa as the daughter they never had. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as the crops are failing, the water is drying up, and dust threatens to bury them all. Texas, 1934. It was published in 2021. 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. I make wine from grape cuttings that I brought here from Sicily, and the wine I make reminds me of my father. The Four Winds : The Fiction Addiction Her family and her world have pared her down to inconsequence. What on earth happened to Rafe and Ellas family? He is a cheerful, playful boy who helps maintain his familys spirits with his carefree innocence. A big theme of the novel is obtaining the American Dream whether its through financial independence of owning a farm or traveling to California in search of a better life. For those listening to the audio edition, here are some questions for you about the audio experience. By 1934, the world has changed; millions are out of work and drought has devastated the Great Plains. How well does the narrator, Julia Whelan, fit the characters personas? THE FOUR WINDS DISCUSSION GUIDE Book Club Collection (630) 232-0780 x366 bookclub@gpld.org . Did you feel compressed by expectation when you were growing up? The Four Winds Characters Listed With Descriptions - BookCompanion There is a strong thread running through this novel about mans connection to the land. Sturdy. Lets talk the impact of Elsas pregnancy on all parties involved. And a dog named Buddy. I love to read and review various genres with a focus on contemporary fiction, historical fiction with some mysteries/thrillers and also select nonfiction and memoirs. Q&A with Sarah Penner, Author of The Lost Apothecary. By 1933, Texas is in the throes of a severe drought. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Her dreams of a better future are interrupted Americans. They pack up the truck and head west, while Tony and Rose stay behind to salvage what they can of the farm. 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. Going into the novel, I had wondered how much of the trip from Texas to California would be covered. Their marriage evolves with love and conflict, humor and pathos in Nazareth, where Ana makes a home with Jesus, his brothers, and their mother, Mary. Jack has a strong sense of justice, and he uses it to fight for those who lack the social capital to fight for themselves. Jack helps the Martinellis move into a cabin on camp for a large farming operation, Welty Farms, while also encouraging Elsa to unionize its workers. By 1934, the world has changed; millions are out of work and drought has devastated the Great Plains. This story, about family, love, & struggle during the Dust Bowl, captivated my interest from start to finish! Jack takes her to the hospital, but the damage is too severe. Fighting for any kind of social equality or radical change often requires great personal sacrifice. In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinellilike so many of her neighborsmust make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west, to California, in search of a better life. Rafe, has become distant and something of a hard drinker, and after he abandons them, Elsa reluctantly leaves with her children for California with the promise of steady work. What bonds Loreda and her father? Most of the things that come up are facts that youd probably heard about in history class, but having it placed into the context of a vivid and expansive story really brought to life a time period that Ive never really spent much time thinking about. The Four Winds. I found it very depressing and had to force myself to finish it, Just started The Four Winds and Im wondering where Elsa would have found a copy of Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure given the times and small town she lived in. The accent she does for the dialogue parts is more southern than Texan (where the characters are from), and it slips in and out at times, but I cant imagine that most people will notice or care. To save money, spend a night in a tent camp with other migrants, only to learn that wages for migrant work are so low that they'll have to stay there indefinitely. How are womens stories different? Decisions Julia made or voices that stood out? The Four Winds is also a true historical fiction novel, bringing in bits and pieces of historical facts from the time periods it covers. Rafe Martinelli is Elsa's husband. There was a quiet knock on the door. What do you think drives Loredas anger throughout the book? Elsa, fearing the violence will break the strikers spirits, picks up Jacks megaphone and exhorts the workers to stay united. With The Four Winds, Hannah has penned another survival story, this time about a family in the Great Plains struggling through the difficulties of poverty and famine during the Dust Bowl in the years after the Great Depression. Why does Rafe leave and what is he chasing out west? And I really began to want to write a quintessentially American novel about some story of lost history that I thought would be as emotional and as inspiring as The Nightingale.. Your email address will not be published. Hannah mixes in a variety of historical facts as she tells this familys story and show the technology progressing in that era. The Four Winds Chapter Summaries - eNotes.com Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. Comparing the devastation of the farm to the hardships of the camps, what do you think was harder for Elsa and the family? After falling ill during her childhood, Elsa was told she had a weak heart, and her family kept her isolated. 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. Elsa is reluctant to leave Texas, as she has found the only true happiness she has ever known on the Martinelli farm. 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. Her deep-seated insecurities make her eager to please others, and she is quick to ingratiate herself with the Martinelli family. Already a member? Loreda Martinelli is Elsas spirited daughter. Chapter-by-chapter summaries and multiple sections of expert analysis, The ultimate resource for assignments, engaging lessons, and lively book discussions. Why? How would you describe the Texas landscape the author paints? As a professional organizer, Jack knows that his job is dangerous, and he does his best to protect Elsa and her family. An Italian immigrant, Tony and his wife, Rose, came to the United States with only a few dollars and some grape vine cuttings. The Four Winds Character Analysis | SuperSummary While most of Hannahs writing is specific and surprising, the novels beating heart weakens a little in the last section as it falls into familiar crowd-pleaser story beats, with a simplified villain and a quick epiphany just in time to give a rousing speech. What I keep hearing and what I believe to be true is that its a really good book for people to read right now. Is that an accurate comparison? Is it simply sex and loneliness? Unhappy with farm life and his marriage, Rafe runs off in the middle of the night, leaving a distraught family behind. She has the capacity to dream big and embrace change like her father, but she also has her mothers stubborn determination and fierce protective drive. The doctor says he must leave to survive, so Elsa packs up the household into the car. Why is it a risk to associate with them and what is Elsas hesitation? Peter Larsen has been the Pop Culture Reporter for the Orange County Register since 2004, finally achieving the neat trick of getting paid to report and write about the stuff he's obsessed about pretty much all his life. How is Elsa shaped by these expectations and her failure to meet them? Years later, when Loreda is 18, she bids a final farewell to Elsa and the farm as she heads back to California to attend college, the fulfillment of her mothers most important wish. Why does the Martinelli family stay under such brutal conditionsthe heat, the dust storms, the lack of food, and the dying livestock? Books became Elsas escape, and she carries a deep love of reading with her throughout her life. She is sustained by her fearless aunt Yaltha, who harbors a compelling secret. A first-person narrator announces, "Hope is a coin I carry.". Why do you think Loreda takes on her fathers mindset instead of her mothers? They might have come off the boat as Anthony and Rosalba, but hard work and the land had turned them into Tony and Rose. Hope you enjoyed book club questions for The Four Winds! How is the modern world different? It had resurrected all the insecurities of childhood. (66) If youre a parent, did this passage resonate with you? eNotes.com As the drought continues, their animals die and supplies run out. I havent finished the book so Im kind of sad I asked the first question. Why do you think Loreda decides to decisively shoot Milo, a horse that she loves? Log in here. When a flash flood hits the migrant camp, everyone there, including the Martinellis, lose everything. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah - Princetonbookreview.com Until the night she meets Rafe Martinelli and decides to change the direction of her life. However, after Rafe abandons his family, it becomes clear that he is a cowardly man who does not know how to put his dreams into action. Rafe likes to dream big, and he constantly talks about moving to Hollywood or traveling the world. The first time I heard it, I assumed it was a mistake, but the second time I started wondering if there are people out there who just pronounce it that way. I mentioned this in my review but its eerie how the hardships presented in The Four Winds remain today and even more so due to the pandemic. Why do you think she insists on leaving school to pick cotton? Did Elsas married sisters survive? He even offers a system where tenants can pay their rent and buy goods at the on-site store on credit, which they then pay off by working on the various Welty farms. 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She sees early on that the land is dying and tries hard to convince her family to leave for California, though much of this desire is based on the fanciful notions that Rafe has instilled in Loreda about living in a big city and becoming famous. Would they have fared better in Texas? After a week-long dust storm, Ant is severely ill due to inhalation of dust. In a very real sense, its sort of the core of it, she says. Did any novel and/or character change your perception of either yourself or the world? She has traveled west in search of a better life, but her American dream has been "turned into a nightmare" by poverty . The main characters in The Four Winds include Elsa Martinelli, Loreda Martinelli, and Jack Valen. Earned his first newspaper paycheck at the Belleville (Ill.) News-Democrat, fled the Midwest for Los Angeles Daily News and finally ended up at the Orange County Register. The first day of the strike is successful despite Weltys threats of a further pay cut, but the next day, the strikers are met with law enforcement and hired vigilantes. The Four Winds is a historical fiction novel that tells a survival story centered around a mother and her daughter. Free shipping for many products! This upbringing, along with her guilt over the circumstances of their marriage, often render Elsa incapable of expressing her feelings properly, and she tends to avoid confrontation. You can order the book on Amazon here. The events in the book reflect a sense of pioneering spirit and resilience that is bespoke with determination, love for self, love for family, survival, and the American Dream. From the number-one bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone comes a powerful American epic about love and heroism and hope, set during the Great Depression, a time when the country was in crisis and at war with itself, when millions were out of work and even the land seemed to have turned against them. How does one become American? What did you think about the ending and Loreda returning back to California to attend college? She wished shed never read The Age of Innocence. On the journey she has to contend not just with the hardships of picking cotton for pitiful wages, but with the weaker wills of the men around her, who abandon family or run ruthless corporate farms that exploit their employees. With biting dialogue that holds nothing back, The Four Winds is classic in its artistry. When Elsa has to tell her children, Loreda blames Elsa (says he left her, not them), and Anthony just doesn't understand. The Four Winds is set in the Texas panhandle as the Depression and the Dust Bowl environmental disaster. Loreda, too, skips school during cotton-picking season to help, though Elsa's ardent wish is for Loreda to go to college. This strains their marriage, and Elsa acknowledges that Rafe never really loved her in the way that she came to love him. She and Loreda clash often, as Loreda is a youthful idealist who views her mothers survivalist mentality as a weakness rather than a strength. How do Elsas and Loredas actions embody this idea? Jack calls Elsa a warrior. Loreda really finds her voice after going to the Communist movement meeting and being introduced to Jack. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as crops fail and water dries up and the earth cracks open. So many characters, like Jean, were really two dimensional. What do you think about Rafe? She feels restless and destined for spinsterhood. Despite Loreda's interest in the cause, Elsa firmly resists. Weltys company store overcharges for food and supplies and keeps its workers forever in debt. I figured I was missing something here that makes sense! Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for The Four Winds : A Novel by Kristin Hannah (2023, Trade Paperback) at the best online prices at eBay! What do Jack and the Communist union organizers offer the migrant workers, and Loreda in particular? Jack admires Elsas warrior spirit, and he courts her over the course of their acquaintance. 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. Prior to his work with the Okies, he tried to help organize undocumented Mexican laborers. In this tale, Kristin has written a survival story about resilience, love, family, courage and the American Dream. Ana determines her fate during a stunning convergence of events considered among the most impactful in human history. One of the Martinelli's neighbor. Whats the definition of a warrior to you? Time and again, when life threatens to overwhelm her, Elsa finds strength in those around her. WEBSITE BY. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. 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. But when Elsa and her family arrives to the state, they instantly realize reality is much different. Elsas parents view her as a sickly and unlovable person. How does Hannahs description of the experience of migrant workers traveling from the South to California compare with the modern day treatment of immigrants looking for work? In Kristin Hannahs recently released The Four Winds (published February 2, 2020), Elsa is a woman trying to raise two children on a Texas farm as they watch the lands dry out and as relentless dust storms ravage everything in sight. Originally from Alabama, the Deweys were farmers, but they were forced to sell their land to the bank when the drought started. Ant represents the thousands of children who were forced to endure the hardships of hunger, poverty, illness, and prejudice during the Dust Bowl migrations. After a year I just sort of gave in and threw away most of what I had done, she says. The second date is today's How do the characters in the book react in the face of poverty? Embittered by their terrible luck in California, Loreda resolves to take her mothers body back to Texas and bury her on the farm, in the land she grew to love. . I also thought it was charming that at the heart of the story is a mother-daughter relationship. She had to believe there was grit in her, even if it had never been tested or revealed. (9) This sentence highlights Elsas essentially hopeful nature, even though she doesnt believe in herself. The Four Winds - Book Clubs - Kristin Hannah What does it say about Loreda as a person that she chooses to do this? As an avid reader I found this book compelling and informative. Amazon Barnes & Noble Bookshop Books-a-Million, Kindle B&N NOOK Apple Books eBooks.com Google Play Kobo. For more detail, see the full Chapter-by-Chapter Summary. who recently moved to Cambridge, MA. How does she change? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Her family also instilled in Elsa the belief that she was unattractive and undesirable, which, combined with her health, prevented Elsa from finding a husband and marrying at the typical age. How do you think these perceptions have changed over time? After 1936/37 did work pulling cotton improve for the workers? He took off his cap, twisted it in his hands. If so, how?