Setting
The Four Winds is set in the time of severe drought in the mid-west and southern states of the United States. The drought centred in the states of Texas, Oklahoma and parts of New Mexico, Colorado and Kansas. During World War I, farmers were encouraged to grow wheat and corn. With the rise in prices and demand, farmers ploughed more and more land to grow wheat. With the onset of drought in 1931, crops began to fail. Years of no rain and intensive cultivation of marginal lands led to massive erosion of the topsoil. During the Dust Bowl period, severe dust storms called Black Blizzard swept across the Great Plains, sometimes carrying the topsoil to as far as New York City. The Dust Bowl led thousands of families to abandon their farmlands and migrate westwards towards California. The drought further intensified the effects of the Great Depression.
Storyline
The Four Winds follows Elsa Martinelli and her children during the Dust Bowl era in Texas. After being neglected by her own family all through her childhood, she craved familial love. Once she got a loving family of her own, she protected and fought for it fiercely. Following a period of good crops, a long spell of drought came. With it came relentless dust storms. Dust smothered everyone, choking the breath out of them. Elsa realized that the very land that was their lifeline was gradually killing them. To save her children from this eventuality, she took the tough decision of moving west for the promise of a better future. But there also, she endured disappointment and rejection. The migrants were ill-treated by their own countrymen. Still, Elsa persevered and continued to fight for her family despite all the hardships.
My Thoughts
The Four winds is an emotional rollercoaster that pulls on your feelings. It was an exhaustive read for me which many a time brought tears to my eyes. I have never read about the Dust Bowl before, so this book was also more of a learning experience for me. Kristin Hannah has created a masterpiece in The Four Winds that shakes you from your core. The plight of farmers and their families would shatter your heart. This book illustrates that empathy and kindness are the two most important things in the world. A little kindness makes the world go around. In Elsa, she has created an exemplary character who is synonymous with grit and resilience. I became so invested in the character that it was almost as if I was living Elsa's life. The description of the dust storms and the Black Sunday was so vivid that I could taste the dust in my mouth. This history lesson is a must for everyone.
