publication in traditional print. Did they impact your perception of the characters? Why? 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? She sees early on that the land is dying and tries hard to convince her family to leave for California, though much of this desire is based on the fanciful notions that Rafe has instilled in Loreda about living in a big city and becoming famous. Stella's uncle. Thats not to say this book has no substance, its just that its not that kind of book. I belong to a book club, run by a dear friend. Thank you Kristin for hours of enjoyment while listening to The Four Winds! A first-person narrator announces, "Hope is a coin I carry.". Kristin Hannahs The Four Winds, 'Mike Nichols: A Life', Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. And so Ive always been fascinated by this idea of the people who stay on land for generations and pass it down, and for whom that land is a big part of their identity. 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. What lessons can be learned from this time in history. Lets discuss Loredas new found activism and how that carried on to every decision she made going forward. The Martinellis farm, which previously yielded plentiful supplies of wheat, dies under the scorching sun. Back home, Elsa tells Tony & Rose first, and they blame Rafe. "The Four Winds - Characters" eNotes Publishing But she is shot and eventually passes away. She understands the impossible odds her mother faces and the sheer tenacity it takes to simply keep the family together and put food on the table. The Four Winds is also a true historical fiction novel, bringing in bits and pieces of historical facts from the time periods it covers. As a professional organizer, Jack knows that his job is dangerous, and he does his best to protect Elsa and her family. Millions are out of work and a drought has broken the Great Plains. It is Jeans memory that inspires Elsa to commit to going on strike. They lived in a dugout shelter for several years as Tony learned how to work their land (implied to have been obtained via one of the Homestead Acts of the early twentieth century), eventually becoming successful farmers. In this uncertain and perilous time, Elsalike so many of her neighborsmust 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. Prior to his work with the Okies, he tried to help organize undocumented Mexican laborers. Do you think the way Elsa sees Loreda is accurate? It is changing, slowly, and womens courage and determination and victories are being brought to light. Despite Elsas promise that their stay in the camp is only temporary, the scarcity of work and the meager wages force them to settle in for the long haul. How did this treatment impact her later relationships and her search for love? What do you think about Rafe? 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. Would you have had the courage to do the same? And restarted the book as Elsas story. He's taught one or two classes a semester in the journalism and mass communications department at Cal State Long Beach since 2006. There are greater forces in the world than love and dedication, however. Along the way, Elsa develops a greater consciousness of the plight of laborers in Depression-era America, joining them in protests against the larger political and economic engines that exploit people and land alike, leading to the Dust Bowl in the first place. By 1934, the world has changed; millions are out of work and drought has devastated the Great Plains. For more detail, see the full Chapter-by-Chapter Summary. Do you have a favorite quote or scene in the story? Rafe's fianc. The Four Winds Themes - eNotes.com The events in the book reflect a sense of pioneering spirit and resilience that is bespoke with determination, love for self, love for family, survival, and the American Dream. In a very real sense, its sort of the core of it, she says. When she's finally able to leave with her kids, they become migrant workers in California -- which she quickly realizes is an exploitative system. Was there anything surprising about the audiobook edition? In my travels after that book and talking to people, I really began to understand how much that story of female courage and womens lost history resonated with people, Hannah says. 1. PDF THE FOUR WINDS DISCUSSION GUIDE - Google Is this some type of pronunciation that Im not aware of? At first shed tried to scale the walls of her daughters adolescent, irrational anger; shed volleyed back with words of love, but Loredas continuing, thriving impatience with Elsa had done worse than grind her down. When Elsa gives birth to Loreda, Tony and Rose love their grandchild immediately and eventually accept Elsa as the daughter they never had. Its a book about determination, love for ones family and for oneself, the fight to survive and the American Dream. One of the darkest periods of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, has arrived with a vengeance. Aka: Rose. His efforts seem largely inspired by the memory of his mother, a single woman who died in a factory fire after her employers locked the factory doors to prevent employees from taking smoke breaks. At 18, Loreda prepares to return to California to go to college.). Embittered by their terrible luck in California, Loreda resolves to take her mothers body back to Texas and bury her on the farm, in the land she grew to love. What does Rafe represent to Elsa on the night they meet? She has traveled west in search of a better life, but her American dream has been "turned into a nightmare" by poverty . What did you think about the ending and Loreda returning back to California to attend college? What on earth happened to Rafe and Ellas family? Despite Loreda's interest in the cause, Elsa firmly resists. How does Jean Deweys death affect Elsa in The Four Winds? Rafe opened the door and stood in the opening, his face dusty. The death of the baby is the last straw for Loreda, who hates their life there. Books became Elsas escape, and she carries a deep love of reading with her throughout her life. Hannah is the author of more than 20 novels, including the bestsellers Winter Garden, Night Road, and Firefly Lane. But we women of the Great Plains worked from sunup to sundown, too, toiled on wheat farms until we were as dry and baked as the land we loved. (1) The stories of women have largely gone undocumented throughout history, and this era is no different. After Elsas death, Loreda returns to the Martinelli farm in Texas. An encounter with eighteen-year-old Jesus changes everything. Everything on the Martinelli farm is dying, including Elsas tenuous marriage; each day is a desperate battle against nature and a fight to keep her children alive. The Four Winds was published in February of 2021 and immediately hit #1 on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Indie bookstore's bestseller lists. She feels restless and destined for spinsterhood. Im also guessing that this will be a hit with book clubs, given that its accessible and tells a relatively fast-paced story. How will it be different. Another small defiance against her parents small-mindedness? Why does Rafe leave and what is he chasing out west? This may not be the book for you. This strains their marriage, and Elsa acknowledges that Rafe never really loved her in the way that she came to love him. 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. How do you think these perceptions have changed over time? Elsa finally releases all of the pent-up anger and grief she has held in for the sake of her children and decides to commit to helping Jack Valen organize the migrants into a strike. If you listened to the audiobook, did anyone else notice how the narrator pronounces drought as DROW-TH a bunch of times? Her family also instilled in Elsa the belief that she was unattractive and undesirable, which, combined with her health, prevented Elsa from finding a husband and marrying at the typical age. How is it the same? Do you think it would have been the same for her in New York City? Its been a while since I read it, but I recall finding The Great Alone a little dreary, preferring mostly the beginning parts before the book really gets underway. Elsa is likewise drawn to Jacks forceful personality, but she sees his ideas as dangerous. Although she is initially ambivalent about Elsa, she comes to genuinely care for her, viewing her as the daughter she never had. THE FOUR WINDS - Reading Group Choices Do you or your family have any keepsakes that represent your familys hope for the future? Elsa dies, surrounded by Jack, Loreda, and Anthony. I love to read and review various genres with a focus on contemporary fiction, historical fiction with some mysteries/thrillers and also select nonfiction and memoirs. Never forget the dog. There will be spoilers so for more context about the book, check out my spoiler-free review first. 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. (1) What is the significance of the fact that it is an American penny? How does Elsa aim to fill his void, and why does she believe she loves him even after the abandonment? In Kristin Hannahs recently released The Four Winds (published February 2, 2020), Elsa is a woman trying to raise two children on a Texas farm as they watch the lands dry out and as relentless dust storms ravage everything in sight. And you couple that with the reality of the impacts of climate change. The Four Winds Characters - eNotes.com The Four Winds Summary and Study Guide | SuperSummary After a week-long dust storm, Ant is severely ill due to inhalation of dust. How have the Dust Bowl and going west been treated by the American imagination (perhaps in song or cinema)? Americans. At times this book feels a little too ready for Hollywood. By 1934, the world has changed; millions are out of work and drought has devastated the Great Plains. She runs away and hitches a ride with Jack Dewey, who works for a Communist organization, Workers United. It binds us, one to another, as it has for generations.

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