Ant Martinelli is Elsas son and Loredas younger brother. In a wild, remote corner of Alaska, the Allbrights find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. Rose is a woman of strong Catholic faith, and she prays often, especially during the drought. Throughout the drought, Tony continues to work hard and plant seasonal crops in hopes that rain will come and nourish the land again. 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. Do you have any family stories from the Depression? Did Elsas married sisters survive? What do Jack and the Communist union organizers offer the migrant workers, and Loreda in particular? The Four Winds Character Analysis | SuperSummary The past few years have been difficult, with the Great Depression, an on-going drought and frequent dust storms ravaging the lands. By 1934, the world has changed; millions are out of work and drought has devastated the Great Plains. Was there anything surprising about the audiobook edition? Jack calls Elsa a warrior. Until the night she meets Rafe Martinelli and decides to change the direction of her life. Thats not to say this book has no substance, its just that its not that kind of book. Graduated from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore. with degrees in English and Communications. A time of abundance. Hope is a coin I carry. How does Elsa remain herself after giving birth? Prior to his work with the Okies, he tried to help organize undocumented Mexican laborers. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. One of the Martinelli's neighbor. There were times in my journey when it felt as if that penny and the hope it represented were the only things that kept me going. (1) What is the significance of the fact that it is an American penny? This holds true when the Bible refers to the "four winds.". Issues such as immigration, whether between states or nations, and income inequality, are also in the mix. When word of a strike begins to spread, Mr. Welty implements increasingly cruel measures to ensure that his workers cannot organize, including rescinding their federal aid and installing a gun tower in the cotton fields. Elsa uses her voice to speak out against the oppressors. As the Texas panhandle parches out, Elsa watches their crops wither and has to send her children scrambling through the dirt to find any scrap potatoes that might remain in the fields. If you listened to the audiobook, did anyone else notice how the narrator pronounces drought as DROW-TH a bunch of times? It's not until she sees Jean die from typhoid and Welty casually decrease the wages for its workers that Elsa realizes she must join in the fight. It is a triumph of storytelling both timely and timeless, from a masterful writer at the height of her powers. Although the story dragged along, the ending was abrupt and I felt, cobbled together. The Four Winds: A Novel | IndieBound.org A gangly, awkward spinster with no self-confidence, Elsa is forced by her circumstances to find the strength and courage she never knew she had and confront a life marred by seemingly endless tragedy. WEBSITE BY. Kristin Hannahs new novel The Four Winds is a historical epic about about a woman finding the strength to keep her family going during the hard times of the Dust Bowl and the Depression in Texas and California. Tony and Rose were the kind of people who expected life to be hard and had become tougher to survive. How would you describe the Texas landscape the author paints? But as winter approaches and darkness descends, Ernts fragile mental state deteriorates. When a flash flood hits the migrant camp, everyone there, including the Martinellis, lose everything. How did the story work for you on audio? For those listening to the audio edition, here are some questions for you about the audio experience. I really loved Elsas finding her strengths & the relationship between mother & daughter, throughout the story is fascinating, touching & heart braking, but hopeful! The harsh realities that await the family in the San Joaquin Valley further strain Loredas relationship with her mother, whom she lashes out at in order to relieve her own dissatisfaction and guilt over their circumstances. 5 books not to miss: Kristin Hannahs The Four Winds, 'Mike Nichols: A Life'. Elsa finds that the hard work of farming agrees with her, but Rafes dreams lie elsewhere. Day after day, they worked together, prayed together, held their growing family together through the hardships of farm life. (9091) Do you share a similar bond with the women in your lifeeither as a mother, a daughter, or a daughter-in-law? A solitary child unused to the company of others, Elsa learns the power of having a support network, a lesson reinforced by Jean Dewey and other migrants in the squatters camp. Elsa ends up doing seasonal field work for larger farms. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah | Book Club Discussion Questions Book club questions for The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah takes a deep dive into all the major events and character development in this epic read. Poor simplistic review. Elsa is resilient, and readers will be drawn to her devotion to her children and her tireless efforts to keep her family well, efforts that bring her to pack them up and head west. The "four winds" encompass all directions or the " four corners of the earth ": north, south, east, and west ( Jeremiah 49:36; Matthew 24:31 ). In the 1930s, communism and socialism were on the rise, partially in response to the grinding poverty, joblessness, and despair. The audiobook runs 15 hours. 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. 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. I was much more interested in their lives in California and how they would try to make it work. After a week-long dust storm, Ant is severely ill due to inhalation of dust. Ana is expected to marry an older widower, a prospect that horrifies her. She is enthralled by Jacks charisma and the devotion of his fellow organizers to the cause of fair pay. The Four Winds - ReadingGroupGuides.com The Four Winds: Recap & Chapter-by-Chapter Summary - The Bibliofile Does it reveal anything about the grit that literally fills their bodies? Is that an accurate comparison? What choices do they have, and what might you have done during the drought? 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. In a very real sense, its sort of the core of it, she says. After a year I just sort of gave in and threw away most of what I had done, she says. With her reputation in ruin, there is only one respectable choice: marriage to a man she barely knows. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as crops fail, water dries up . 20 Best Book Club Books for 2022 (New & Anticipated), Best Mystery & Thriller Books for 2022 (New & Anticipated), 20 Best Books with Asian American Protagonists (for Adults), Persephone by Madeline Miller: What We Know, Books to Movies & TV in 2022: 25+ Adaptations Coming Soon, Your email address will not be published. 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. 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. What happened to the Wolcott family? Although she is initially ambivalent about Elsa, she comes to genuinely care for her, viewing her as the daughter she never had. Theyd sewn their lives together in the silent way of women unused to conversation. So far, there isnt a Hollywood version of The Four Winds underway, though its sweeping backstop and epic story seems tailor-made for a limited series, especially given the strength of a character such as Elsa. See the archives. In 1935, the three of them embark on the ride towards California. 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. It binds us, one to another, as it has for generations. Americans. . Follow along on Goodreads, or keep in touch via the newsletter. For Hannah, that vindicates the decision to place Elsa at the center of the story, which like her 2015 bestseller The Nightingale, a novel about the women of the French Resistance during World War II, focuses on an epic story about women set against the backdrop of history. There, Elsa discovers a tight community of fellow migrants, and she befriends Jean Dewey, who shares resources and survival tips. What similarities? Im trying to get a description of the characters for this book. 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. eNotes.com Elsa falls in love with a union organizer and helps to organize a strike against their bosses, but gets shot by the farm boss. How does motherhood strengthen a woman? She is ready to strike. Even if they didnt speak of their love, or share their feelings in long, heartfelt conversations, the bond was there. One day, Rafe abandons them with only a note. It had resurrected all the insecurities of childhood. (66) If youre a parent, did this passage resonate with you? Hannah is the author of more than 20 novels, including the bestsellers Winter Garden, Night Road, and Firefly Lane. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Were they really communist the union organizers, Why did they have them leave grandmas farm. I think the narrator does a good job with it, and its easy to listen to. All 68 characters in The Four Winds are listed by chapter with character descriptions included. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. What does she learn by becoming a mother? As the drought continues, their animals die and supplies run out. The strike is broken, at least temporarily. Roses dreams for the next generation are ultimately obtained through Loreda, who will be the first Martinelli to attend college. Loreda has many of both Rafe and Elsa's best traits. Loreda climbs the windmill to grieve, and when Elsa tries to comfort her, Loreda won't accept her love and sadness. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the newcomers lack of preparation and dwindling resources. She feels restless and destined for spinsterhood. I listened to the audiobook and loved it. What are your thoughts on this and the similarities to the present day? But she is shot and eventually passes away. The level of hope and resilience and love for the land that that shows to me is just inspiring, Hannah says. Why is land so important to that dream? What did you think of Loreda as a character and how her relationship with Elsa shifts throughout the novel? By 1934, the world has changed; millions are out of work and drought has devastated the Great Plains. Then, slowly, he closed the door behind him. Tony Martinelli is Rafes father and Elsas father-in-law. Her 2015 novel The Nightingale was voted a best book of the year by The Wall Street Journal, Library Journal, Buzzfeed, and The Week. After a rough childhood with parents who didnt love her, she met Rafe Martinelli, the soulful and handsome son of Italian immigrants. 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.. Elsa compares them to the early pioneers in their covered wagons. Summary and Themes in the Four Winds by Kristin Hannah THE FOUR WINDS - Reading Group Choices The Four Winds is a rich, sweeping novel that stunningly brings to life the Great Depression and the people who lived through itthe harsh realities that divided us as a nation and the enduring battle between the haves and the have-nots. Review: The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah - Book Club Chat The town's teacher. That hope is quickly dashed when they encounter discrimination, a lack of jobs, and the reality of life in a muddy squatters camp.