The Four Winds
"The Bestselling Hardcover Novel of the Year."--Publishers Weekly
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.
“My land tells its story if you listen. The story of our family.”
Texas, 1921. A time of abundance. The Great War is over, the bounty of the land is plentiful, and America is on the brink of a new and optimistic era. But for Elsa Wolcott, deemed too old to marry in a time when marriage is a woman’s only option, the future seems bleak. Until the night she meets Rafe Martinelli and decides to change the direction of her life. With her reputation in ruin, there is only one respectable choice: marriage to a man she barely knows.
By 1934, the world has changed; millions are out of work and drought has devastated the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as crops fail and water dries up and the earth cracks open. Dust storms roll relentlessly across the plains. Everything on the Martinelli farm is dying, including Elsa’s tenuous marriage; each day is a desperate battle against nature and a fight to keep her children alive.
In this uncertain and perilous time, Elsa—like so many of her neighbors—must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or leave it behind and go west, to California, in search of a better life for her family.
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. A testament to hope, resilience, and the strength of the human spirit to survive adversity, 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.
Reviews
This Dust Bowl narrative draws the reader in to the tragedy that the Great Depression coupled with human-caused climate change created for a region of the United States. Though the descriptions were a bit redundant in the beginning, the story moves with speed and excitement once the Martinellis leave Texas and embark on a journey of survival. I found myself reading during spare mommy’s throughout the day, and I highly recommend this book!
By Jcinbitt
The Four Winds was another feather in the cap of this wonderful author. I've read all of her books and I patiently wait for the next one to be published! Thank you to this wonderful author for giving us so many great books and so much reading enjoyment.
By Belly kind
This was a good read
By blake7770
Think of every emotion you have ever felt, and you will feel it while reading this story. I know I did. Joy, sorrow, hope, anger, life, death and the struggle to survive. How can some people be so cruel to others? And thank goodness for the ones who believe and love.
By BW in SLO
Excellent read, a page turner and couldn’t put this book down!
By ADiamond59