The Four Winds

The Four Winds, by Kristin Hannah, tells the story of Elsa Martinelli and her family through many hardships and struggles. This is an emotional epic, all about the life in the Dust Bowl and American migration patterns.

I have to admit that almost put this book down early on because Elsa and Rafe’s romance felt flat — but I’m so glad I didn’t, because that lack of romance was kind of the point. Elsa’s accidental pregnancy wasn’t part of a love story, instead, it was the start of her life with her new family, the Martinellis. Rafe isn’t the greatest guy, but he tries to do what’s right for his wife and then their children, and without the unending hardships of the dust bowl, he probably could have managed.  There is a sweet relationship here between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and that’s not a very common story.

If I describe the plot of The Four Winds, it starts to feel like a tragic story, as the family goes from hardship to hardship, facing natural disasters and the resulting poverty.  The drought that begins the Dust Bowl, black dust storms, crippling heat, floods.  So many natural disasters in this book, it’s almost like living in 2020.

But Elsa’s attitude is perfect for these covid times, too. She just keeps working hard and making the best of things, focusing on her beloved family, and hoping for better times again. This familiar covid attitude gets her through some harsh conditions on the farm and many other setbacks. But her work ethic, of just working as much as she can and hoping things improve, might not succeed when she works long hours at lower and lower rates as a picker for exploitative bosses.

This is a compelling, emotional story about a struggling family and about a woman trying, again and again, to choose the least-terrible out of the terrible options presented to her. A perfect read for 2020.

The Four Winds will be released by St. Martin’s Press on February 2, 2021. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.