She feels strongly enough in her opinions and in her sense of self to fight not just for her own children and herself, but for others as well, Hannah says. For more detail, see the full Chapter-by-Chapter Summary. He has dreams of moving to a big city and having adventures but is forced to give up his chance to attend college in the city after Elsa becomes pregnant. She and Jack fall in love as they help to plan a strike. I think thats when it really became the story I was meant to tell, and the story I want people to read.. Ant Martinelli is Elsas son and Loredas younger brother. Her love of the Martinelli farmas well as the Martinellis themselvesbuttresses her in times of hardship. 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. You can order the book on Amazon here. Why do you think Loreda decides to decisively shoot Milo, a horse that she loves? However, Tonys tenacity eventually proves fruitful, as the land recovers with the help of the new farming techniques instituted by the Conservation Commission. Why is it a risk to associate with them and what is Elsas hesitation? After trying to convince Elsa to leave behind the farm, Rafe eventually leaves the family behind. I really enjoyed this novel. Expectations for their future were sharply defined. Chapter-by-chapter summaries and multiple sections of expert analysis, The ultimate resource for assignments, engaging lessons, and lively book discussions. Her daughter, Loreda, returns home to Texas. Poor simplistic review. Although the story dragged along, the ending was abrupt and I felt, cobbled together. Kristin Hannahs absorbing new novel begins just a few years before, when it seemed as if Elsa Wolcottmight finally have a peaceful, fulfilling life ahead. Through that door, Elsa saw whole other lives, other futures. When Jean falls ill with typhoid and eventually dies for lack of medical care, Elsas anger at their inequitable treatment reaches a tipping point. 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. Why do you think that is? Free shipping for many products! After the family arrives in California, Elsa feels a mounting sense of guilt as Ant is continuously forced to take on more adult responsibilities, including picking cotton instead of attending school. What do Jack and the Communist union organizers offer the migrant workers, and Loreda in particular? Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as the crops are failing, the water is drying up, and dust threatens to bury them all. What would you have done if you were in Elsas position? Elsa is 25, and her parents, wealthy members of the local social scene, consider her too old and too plain for marriage, relegating her to the status of spinster. WHEAT GRAPHIC BY MARCO GALTAROSSA FROM THE NOUN PROJECT. Elsa is a dutiful, hardworking woman who always does her best for her family. Life was very different for unmarried young women in earlier generations. Why did Elsa initially refused to move away from the farm? Rafe's father. 1934: 6: Milo : I really loved Elsas finding her strengths & the relationship between mother & daughter, throughout the story is fascinating, touching & heart braking, but hopeful! 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. The death of the baby is the last straw for Loreda, who hates their life there. I just found that journey of a woman finding her voice to be incredibly powerful.. Despite Loreda's interest in the cause, Elsa firmly resists. Their relationship, though short-lived, makes Elsa feel truly loved by a man for the first time in her life, and she acknowledges that Jacks passion and desire for her have made her a stronger person. The Four Winds is also a true historical fiction novel, bringing in bits and pieces of historical facts from the time periods it covers. Elsa grieved daily for the loss of that closeness with her firstborn. While Rafe runs away from those responsibilities, Elsa faces them head-on. Already a member? They have a complex relationship that develops and changes as the story progresses in ways that will challenge you to think about your own relationships. As the drought continues, their animals die and supplies run out. The story is set during the Dust Bowl period a few years after . Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. I belong to a book club, run by a dear friend. What does she learn about motherhood from Rose? If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original And you couple that with the reality of the impacts of climate change. Cora will do anything for the man she loves, even if means following him into the unknown. One note the pronunciation of drought as drouth is deliberate and the reason is addressed in the story. Does anyone know where that may be on the web? How is it the same? In short, thats how the locals pronounced it. He took off his cap, twisted it in his hands. With her reputation in ruin, there is only one respectable choice: marriage to a man she barely knows. In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinellilike so many of her neighborsmust make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west, to California, in search of a better life. 1. By 1934, the world has changed; millions are out of work and drought has devastated the Great Plains. When Elsa gets pregnant, her father disowns her, and Rafe's parents (Tony and Rose) tell him to marry Elsa. Loreda climbs the windmill to grieve, and when Elsa tries to comfort her, Loreda won't accept her love and sadness. Eventually, Elsa finds work picking cotton, and between the work and government relief money, she is able to eke out an existence. How do the characters in the book react in the face of poverty? She is enthralled by Jacks charisma and the devotion of his fellow organizers to the cause of fair pay. 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. During the Dust Bowl, while many families went west in search of work and a better life, most of them stayed behind on their parched farms. Mr. Welty is a wealthy plantation owner in the San Joaquin Valley of California. 2 . 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. Note: When citing an online source, it is important to include all necessary dates. He is a cheerful, playful boy who helps maintain his familys spirits with his carefree innocence. What lessons can be learned from this time in history. How does the Great Depression setting of The Four Winds compare to America during the pandemic? With your friends? Unlike Elsas birth mother, who only viewed Elsa as sickly and deficient, Rose teaches her how to be strong and capable, instilling in her the importance of hard work and family. Rose Martinelli shows Elsa to her new roomRafe's bedroom; he will sleep in the barn until they are marriedwhile Rafe vows to try to be a good husband. She becomes a farmer with her husband's family, though he leaves them, and they struggle with the unending drought. The Four Winds Characters - eNotes.com Although the darkness that is present in much of America literature e.g. How do we face our own dark times? Tony is proud of his land, and he is convinced that it will provide for him and his family so long as he continues to nurture it. In 1935, the three of them embark on the ride towards California. Unhappy with farm life and his marriage, Rafe runs off in the middle of the night, leaving a distraught family behind. The main characters in The Four Winds include Elsa Martinelli, Loreda Martinelli, and Jack Valen. How difficult is it to defy both family and society in a small town? Do you think it would have been the same for her in New York City? With the extreme poverty conditions, theres often remarks about how its inconceivable that this is taking place in America in the 30s. Comparing the devastation of the farm to the hardships of the camps, what do you think was harder for Elsa and the family? Would you have had the courage to do the same? Somehow managed to get a lovely lady to marry him, and with her have two daughters. Jack eventually finds Elsa and her family a permanent residence on Welty Farms, but Elsa soon discovers that its not the boon she expected. 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? If you'd like me to review your book, contact me! The two protagonists of the book, Elsa and Loreda, are both fully drawn and compelling characters. As a professional organizer, Jack knows that his job is dangerous, and he does his best to protect Elsa and her family. However, after Rafe abandons his family, it becomes clear that he is a cowardly man who does not know how to put his dreams into action. Did you feel compressed by expectation when you were growing up? A big theme of the novel is obtaining the American Dream whether its through financial independence of owning a farm or traveling to California in search of a better life. 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.. (Photo by Kevin Lynch). Why does Rafe leave and what is he chasing out west? They stop off at a meeting, and Loreda is inspired by the cause. But these ninth inning fumbles do little to diminish the overall power of this majestic and absorbing story that turns attention to the unsung women of the Dust Bowl, who worked from sunup to sundown, too, toiled on wheat farms until we were as dry and baked as the land we loved.. Hannah mixes in a variety of historical facts as she tells this familys story and show the technology progressing in that era. [Scheduled] The Four Winds, chapters 8-15 : bookclub - Reddit What do you think prompts the changes in her behavior or in their relationship? Stella's uncle. It is a triumph of storytelling both timely and timeless, from a masterful writer at the height of her powers. And Im glad that wasnt a big focus of the novel. It is Rafes closeness with Loreda that turns her against her mother, as she comes to view Elsa as the one holding her father back from achieving his dreams. How do you see Loredas life being like her mothers? Do you think the American Dream is a reality or a myth? Thirteen-year-old Leni, caught in the riptide of her parents passionate, stormy relationship, has little choice but to go along, daring to hope this new land promises her family a better future. When he loses yet another job, he makes the impulsive decision to move his wife and daughter north where they will live off the grid in Americas last true frontier. Is it simply sex and loneliness? In 1920s America, there was significant prejudice against Italians; we see that prejudice in Elsas own family. Anyway, not a big deal, just wondering. Did you identify with Elsa and her journey throughout this book? Rafe dreams of leaving for the big city, but does his duty. Disowned by her parents for casting shame upon the family, Elsa marries Rafe and is taken in by Tony and Rose Martinelli, Rafes parents. The ending was terribly sad, but true to life. Eventually, however, even Elsa is forced to admit that the way the migrant Okies are being treated is unjust. Do they intend to exclude Elsa, whom they perceive as just a workhorse? Overtones of America's present political struggles echo throughout the novel's events. The last date is today's 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? There is a strong thread running through this novel about mans connection to the land. Why do you think theyve gone unreported for so long? Hannah is the author of more than 20 novels, including the bestsellers Winter Garden, Night Road, and Firefly Lane. Rose Martinelli is Rafes mother and Elsas mother-in-law. One day, Rafe abandons them with only a note. There are greater forces in the world than love and dedication, however. She wished shed never read The Age of Innocence. These indomitable female characters foreshadow the nation's sweeping change through their fierce commitment to each other and to a common, timeless goal. The doctor says he must leave to survive, so Elsa packs up the household into the car. THE FOUR WINDS DISCUSSION GUIDE Book Club Collection (630) 232-0780 x366 bookclub@gpld.org . The Four Winds Themes - eNotes.com 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. Spoiler Alert:Please note that the discussion guide below contain spoilers to the book. Loreda longs to leave as well, and she prefers her father's dreams to her mother's dreary, joyless work ethic. "The Four Winds" (St. Martins Press, 464 pp., *** out of four stars) plays out against the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl that together gutted the American economy and turned beloved farms into ruins.