Not just any drought, a prolonged, years and years long drought that resulted in an environmental disaster never before seen. The stock market crash in America at the end of the 1920s which led into the economic depression of the early 1930s, which then coincided with a drought throughout the wheat belt (middle America). And it should be, because it’s about a prolonged national disaster of epic proportions. Even with knowing that this combined economic and environmental disaster had occurred, I honestly had no appreciation of the gravity of it. I didn’t actually pick the region that contained the areas in this novel known as ‘The Dust Bowl’, but I was introduced to the history in a brief way during the overview. We touched on all regions as an overview and then needed to select two for our specific analysis. I studied a unit back at university (way, way, back) on the social and cultural geography of North America. It covers that period in the 20th century known as ‘The Great Depression’, but it focuses in on the environmental disaster that coincided with the economic depression and the huge shift of migration from the agricultural interior to the west coast. The Four Winds is very much a novel of social and political American history. Will it be the land of milk and honey? Or will their experience challenge every ounce of strength they possess?įrom the overriding love of a mother for her child, the value of female friendship, and the ability to love again – against all odds, Elsa’s incredible journey is a story of survival, hope and what we do for the ones we love. Fight for the land she loves or take her beloved children, Loreda and Ant, west to California in search of a better life. But when drought threatens all she and her community hold dear, Elsa’s world is shattered to the winds.įearful of the future, when Elsa wakes to find her husband has fled, she is forced to make the most agonizing decision of her life. A family, a home and a livelihood on a farm on the Great Plains. Elsa Martinelli had finally found the life she’d yearned for. She will discover the best of herself in the worst of times. The Four Winds is a deeply moving, powerful story about the strength and resilience of women and the bond between mother and daughter, by the multi-million copy number one bestselling author Kristin Hannah.
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