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.BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
What a book, unexpected and beautiful. A must-read for everyone, even people who do not enjoy reading for pleasure. It's a well-researched book, made with love and care.
I was a little hesitant towards the end, because I wasn't sure where the story was going for a minute... But it surprised, and brilliantly.
It's un-American to be capitalistic to the point of murdering our fellow Americans, exploiting their labor and devaluing the wealth they provide through it. That's the message I took, and that, unionizing and watching out for our community is the most American thing we can do. The message is gentle, but the purpose is strong.
In times like these, this book brings back hard lessons from The Greatest Generation. We have forgotten, how they suffered. This isn't communist propaganda, there is nothing communist, nor un-American in being human. Unionizing and forming strong communities is what being American, being a human is about.
We get so caught up in being called 'commies' or 'socialists' or assigning labels that can be hurtful and derogatory that we forget, what hurts us the most is a country divided. Not watching out for our neighbors, and allowing to be oppressed by others is the true evil. We should cast aside the derogatory labels and terms we use to silence people who wish to construct a better society. They hurt everyone, a society that cannot thrive is a society that fails from bottom-to-top.
Abraham Lincoln Quotes
Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.
Let's not forget.
I was a little hesitant towards the end, because I wasn't sure where the story was going for a minute... But it surprised, and brilliantly.
It's un-American to be capitalistic to the point of murdering our fellow Americans, exploiting their labor and devaluing the wealth they provide through it. That's the message I took, and that, unionizing and watching out for our community is the most American thing we can do. The message is gentle, but the purpose is strong.
In times like these, this book brings back hard lessons from The Greatest Generation. We have forgotten, how they suffered. This isn't communist propaganda, there is nothing communist, nor un-American in being human. Unionizing and forming strong communities is what being American, being a human is about.
We get so caught up in being called 'commies' or 'socialists' or assigning labels that can be hurtful and derogatory that we forget, what hurts us the most is a country divided. Not watching out for our neighbors, and allowing to be oppressed by others is the true evil. We should cast aside the derogatory labels and terms we use to silence people who wish to construct a better society. They hurt everyone, a society that cannot thrive is a society that fails from bottom-to-top.
Abraham Lincoln Quotes
Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.
Let's not forget.
This is one of my favorite books also based on real life events, I will admit in the beginning it was hard for me to focus but the further I got into the book the more I just really loved it. It’s a really good story. 
So slow...lead character can't catch a break. Took me multiple checkouts to get through this terribly depressing book.
I really liked this book, but the first 1/3 of the book was long & drawn out. Could definitely skip a lot of the detail in that part, seemed very repetitive & depressing. Definitely explains what life was like during the Dust Bowl & The Great Depression though, which is important. But overall, was a good read!
Very slow book but good for describing a mothers unconditional love and hardships. Mostly for female readers.
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