Tony and Rose pretend that they are going with them until the last minute, because they know that Elsa needs to go but will be reluctant to leave them behind. Unfortunately, Frank at the town speakeasy says her father wouldnt approve of him letting her in. They listen in on the meeting, but then the sound of truck engines and a spray of headlights cause the men to disperse. Loreda notes that Tony and Rose gave them most of the government money they received. Elsa is genuinely surprised to be pregnant since she doesnt know how any of it works, and the books of fiction she reads dont really cover the technical details of what happens after sex or the conditions under which someone gets pregnant. Rose Martinelli (Rafes mother) protests at first, but Tony puts a stop to it and quickly decides that Rafe needs to marry Elsa. When Ant wakes, Loreda tells him to help out, too. Sam and Dante will have to navigate the new reality of their relationship after what went down in Greece, while her ex-husband Drew winds up dealing with an unexpected rival. On Christmas morning, Elsa reveals that she has a letter from Rosa and Tony and small gifts for the kids. Kristin's highly anticipated new release, The Four Winds will be published on February 9, 2021 (St. Martin's Press). Loreda keeps an eye out for men that could be Rafe. Instead he shows her how to float in the water. Loreda and Ant head toward town along with Stella and her younger sister, Sophia. The school administration and other kids all notice how unkept the Martinelli kids are, but they are taken into class nonetheless. They know Elsa needs to leave, but they plan to stay and take the governments offer to plant grass on the land as part of the collective effort required to save the Great Plains. Elsa is taken aback by the low pay, vowing to search for better paying work tomorrow. I often read my book club selection as soon as it is chosen, then forget details by the time it rolls around. She feels restless and destined for spinsterhood. The man driving the truck is Jack Valen, who Elsa remembers. Rafe tells Elsa that he wants to leave to try to find a job in California. Rose helps Elsa move in, and afterwards Rafe promises Elsa that he will try to be a good husband. She gets inspired to sew her red fabric into a daringly modern dress. Ant (Anthony): Loreda's younger brother. Elsa is led into Welty and in front of a boarded-up hotel. The hit Netflix series has continued to explore more of its main characters' families as it has progressed. Jean senses that something is wrong, so Elsa drives her to the hospital. Soon, they are kissing and have sex but then he abruptly says he should get her home. They run into another farmer, Will Bunting, who says the bank has foreclosed on his land, and hes leaving for California in hopes of finding work and new opportunities. Doing stuff only out of responsibility and necessity is disheartening to him. Economically in these parts, times are good. She falls asleep freshly washed and sleeping on clean sheets. The novel is a sweeping, emotional story of love, family, and survival, set in Texas and California during the dark days of The Great Depression. Then, Rafe tells her he is leaving for college in August. They work all through the night, getting everyone to safety. He also offers to let them take a hot shower there. In June, Elsa goes off to work on the fields doing cotton tending. The next morning, Elsa wakes at nine to find everyone else has long started their workday. Once Loreda meets Jack, her mindset begins to shift quickly. Outer Banks season 2 revealed included the big reveal that Pope is a descendant of Denmark Tanny, making him Figure Eight royalty in a sense. For a non-spoiler version of the plot synopsis, see The Bibliofile's review of The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. Its empty. She doesnt realize her mother is only like that right now out of necessity. Hes not enthused about it, wanting to learn by doing instead. Spoiler warning: these summaries contains spoilers. They also gave Loreda a compass. In 1921, as a sickly, homebound teen, Elsa dreams big. She claims to be 13, but the truck driver knows shes lying. When Rafe asks Elsa how she is able to stay strong, Rafe is not comforted by her answer (she says its because of the children). Afterwards, they end up at a diner. (The one-paragraph version: During the Dust Bowl in the Texas Panhandle, Elsa Wolcott is a woman who dreams of going to college, but gets pregnant instead and has two kids. When Elsa comes to, she has a bloody welt on her head, and she is in an unfamiliar room with Jack next to her. Just because Rosa is right and wise about some things doesnt mean that she is right about everything. In late January, Jean shouts for help when she realizes the baby is coming. In the meantime, the attendant points her to the food line for support until then. I knew this would be a big hit for 2021 and that's why I included it in my huge must-read book club picks for 2021 list. In 1935, the three of them embark on the ride towards California. Hannah's 24th book tells the story of Elsa Wolcott. She talks to Jack and thanks him for his help, but she maintains her stance against communism. Elsa does the laundry even though it is blindingly hot and it seems pointless when everything gets dusty anyway. When school lets out, Loreda tells her mother that shes going to have to work as well so they can save money that theyll need when theres no work during the winter. On the way, Loreda sees a sign for a town meeting at the theater, and she ends up going in. Instead, she instructs Loreda to go boil some water and do the laundry to help her mother out. His eyes are red from the dust and his cough is still bad. Winter comes and goes. The librarian offers her a book on workers rights called Ten Days That Shook the World by John Reed, but she cautions Loreda about being careful about what she says to other people about this topic. Its 1921 in the Texas Panhandle town of Dalhart, and Elsinore Elsa Wolcott is turning 25 tomorrow. In the Welty camp, Elsa enjoys the convenience of having shopping and laundry nearby, but she notes that the stores prices are quite high. The Wolcotts are third-generation Texans, and Elsas grandfather, Walter, was a Texas Ranger. Loreda wants to go, but Elsa tells her she can only help with the cotton picking later in the year. Then, Loreda suggests they move West in the spring, but again Elsa says no. Before Elsa dies, she asks Jack to take her kids home to Texas. Moreover, Tony explains how he and his wife started out with only 17 dollars, and now they lead what he considers to be a good life. With her dress and makeup on, she walks down the stairs with confidence. In previous chapters, the last pig was slaughtered, then here we see as the pig pen gets used for firewood. They also receive gas masks donated by the Red Cross to help them cope with the dust storms. Jeb explains that his family gets work picking cotton on the farms, but theres no work during the winter. Elsa tried to do something for herself and to build up her own confidence, only to have her mother take it away was bad enough. In late December, theres a town meeting planned regarding possible governmental assistance. You could argue that he was being misleading, but given that hed just asked her if she wanted to do more than kissing, it seems like a genuine miscommunication. In 1921, Elsa Wolcott was a 25-year-old unmarried woman who was not particularly pretty and too tall for most men. Driving through the desert in the night to avoid the heat, the engine still overheats. As the people flee, Elsa turns back to get their truck. She keeps driving up a mountain until shes too tired to continue. The Martinellis have had to sacrifice in hopes of giving Rafe a better life than their own. Elsa says that they have no money for gas or even shoes if they wanted to walk, and then there was his parents. The Four Winds begins with Elsa Walcott in Texas in 1921. 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. The Four Winds are four entities that the Anemo Archon, Barbatos, entrusted the safety and protection of Mondstadt to before he disappeared a thousand years ago. The woman also says they dont rent to Okies, and instead, the woman directs her to a campground. Similarly both Elsa and Loreda are disgusted by the camp and the people in it until they realize they will have to be exactly one of those people. 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. He still longs for big-city life and his unhappiness over it likely drives his drinking. In July, the Martinellis head to Northern California with other migrant workers to pick fruit when there is little work in the cotton fields. Elsa notes that it was only possible to live without love when youd never known it. She is hurt by Loreda withdrawing and rejecting her because she recalls what it felt like to have that closeness. Rosalba: Martinelli: Rafe's mother. When Loreda assumes the worst about Ants diagnosis, Hannah illustrates how kids will imagine awful things if they know something is being kept from them or if they sense that something is wrong, but they dont know what the situation is. She writes that the four winds have brought people from all over to this place to make a stand in the name of what is right. She never saw them again, but their absence and knowing they didnt love her still bothers her. The next day, Elsa gets the kids ready for school a mile away. In the The Age of Innocence many of the characters sacrifice their personal freedoms and what their heart desires to their detriment, and they end up full of regrets. She tells him shes ready to help organize the workers. The Four Winds is an explementary novel and an excellent asset to the Kristin Hannah collection. Loredas closest friend is Stella Devereaux. Instead, she meets and sleeps with Rafe Martinelli. Her dreams of a better future are interrupted by the discrimination they face in the unwelcoming town of Welty, where they are . Similarly, she saw how Rafe tried to be happy at the beginning of their marriage, but has watched as he gave up in the face of poverty. The doctor recommends leaving Ant at the hospital for at least a week or two, but he also says that if they really want to save Ant, they need to leave Texas for somewhere with clearer air. She sees Loreda in a truck ahead and follows. pain are too much and too descriptive and colourful. short courses in singapore 2021; They pack as much as they can into the car. And when she gets home, Elsa tells herself to be brave before chopping off her hair into a chin-length bob. Elsa realizes that Welty purposely keeps them in debt in hopes that theyll overspend, need credit, borrow money, get charged interest and stay broke. The pandemic-fueled economic . Elsa debates what to say to the kids. She is quick to blame her mother for everything, including her fathers unhappiness and her own. When talking to Loreda, Rafe says that he made a bad choice which limited his options. Even as the migrants toil away providing cheap labor for the farms and other people, the citizens think that the migrants are a burden on the government services, and they associate them with crime and disease. As they work, Mr. Gerald, their banker, comes to deliver the unfortunate news that the bank is preparing to foreclose on 160 acres of their land unless theyre able to make some sort of payment to hold them off. As she does her chores, Elsa sees that a dust storm is approaching. She says that they want to help the migrants to organize, but theyve been met with a lot of resistance. In the back bay of the truck, they lay on quilts, watch the stars and talk about wanting more in life. A testament to hope, resilience, and the strength of the human spirit to survive adversity, The Four Winds . Follow along on Goodreads, or keep in touch via the newsletter. It was fortunate, then, for the agricultural industry that the dust bowl came along to provide new workers for the industry. The Four Winds is an immersive listenaward-winning narrator Julia Whelan offers a commanding performance, elevating the cinematic historical detail, wrenching drama, and moving portrayals of friendship and love. When the woman refuses, Elsa grabs a bat and smashes the door and the desk until the woman gives her the aspirin in fear. 5: Loreda: Martinelli: Elsa and Rafe's daughter. The Four Winds is divided up into four sections, each detailing events from (roughly) that year. They hear a noise in the barn, which turn out to be Milo (the horse), who is dying. Elsa and Rafe hurry inside as the walls shake and winds howl. Ten days after dropping him off, Ant is feeling better. 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.". Meanwhile, Loreda and Ant are hiding in the schoolhouse. We've been in dire straits before; we will be again. The depiction of the horrors of living through dust. It reminds us, says Hannah, that "so many of the things we're going through now are things that we have gone through before. Farmers are fighting to . Elsa talks to Jack and explains what happened. in CA. Jack explains that the barn was burned down and some arrests were made. When a flash flood hits the migrant camp, everyone there, including the Martinellis, lose everything. It was really interesting learning more about these historical events I might have to watch Ken Burns' documentary on . Elsa is someone who is driven by her survival instincts, so the idea that someone needs her and that shes doing something because she must is enough to motivate her. Jean lends her a pair of shoes for Ant, and she pushes Elsa yet again to register for relief just in case. They drive through Dalhart, and Elsa sees a foreclosure notice on the door of the Wolcott home and the family business is boarded up. Elsa rides her horse Milo into town. Mr. Gerald then informs him that the land will be auctioned off on April 16. Jean names it Clea, after her mother. With a new sense of direction, Loreda no longer wants to run away and goes home. Eugene Wolcotts is one of the wealthier men in town. The dust storm settles, but Ant now has a fever. Loreda, too, skips school during cotton-picking season to help, though Elsa's ardent wish is for Loreda to go to college. She becomes a farmer, has two kids, learns to survive as a single mother, and struggles with unending drought. Then, Jack admits his feelings for Elsa, which Elsa returns. One of the darkest periods of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, has arrived with a vengeance. At the same time, Loreda also has an unflinching boldness that continues to grow, as seen in her ability to scare off the attacker. The phrase "four winds" is used principally to describe the whole of the earth or heaven. They make love. There is a makeshift hospital set up, and Ant is given a bed that opened up that morning (meaning that someone else had died). She tends a flower in a small garden near the kitchen window. However, Jack shows up that night and tells her she needs to get out even before then. 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 . Elsa also finds out that if she leaves the cabin to pick peaches, then she loses the cabin and the cotton job. That morning she writes in her journal that she is in love. On the way back, with her relief money, Elsa gives two dollars to Jean. Instead, she meets and sleeps with Rafe Martinelli. Excerpt from Amazon: Texas, 1921. We see this period through the eyes of the Martinelli family who have a sizable piece of land in Texas. She assumes that worst that Ant is dying, but the adults dont want to tell her. Then, just as Jack announces the sixth as the day of the strike on fields across the valley, the sound of police sirens ring out. Aside from this, the month of March is Tony tells Elsa about the importance of . Contact: 917-880-9692. Welty instructs the police to arrest Elsa, but the police are hesitant. But when Loreda asks a question about unionism, she gets reprimanded by the teacher, who says that it is un-American. Nonetheless, Loreda does her part to spread the word about a meeting on Friday. She gives a overly-simplistic justification of it to her mom (that she just wanted to be pretty) likely because she has probably tried to explain her desires and dreams to her mother before and knows its futile, or perhaps she hasnt fully figured out how to explain herself yet. Before she could at least expend some of it by picking cotton and do something productive with her frustrations, but now that it is winter and she feels powerless, she does the only thing that she can which is to run away. Jack then explains that they need to organize to ensure that they will be paid a living wage and to be treated fairly, unlike the workers who came before them. Afterwards, the woman tells the security man to stop her, but he is also a former migrant and so he gives Elsa a five-dollar bill instead. Jeb and Jean Dewey and their children Mary, Buster, Elroy and Lucy: family that Elsa meets in the encampment. I have to admit that almost put this book down early on because Elsa and Rafe's romance felt flat but I'm so glad I didn't, because that lack of romance was kind of the . At the station, she recognizes the man she saw get beat up when she was waiting in the food line (Jack Valen). The story is set during the Dust Bowl period a few years after . But Loreda refuses it, saying she no longer believes in it because it failed to keep their family together. Loreda runs off. Millions are out of work and a drought has broken the Gre 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. After a week-long dust storm, Ant is severely ill due to inhalation of dust. She imagines that her father agrees with her on everything, even when he doesnt say anything, failing to realize his thoughts are probably more complex and involved than hers. The Four Winds is a deeply moving, powerful story about the strength and resilience of women and the bond between mother and daughter, by the multi-million copy number one bestselling author Kristin Hannah. Determined, Loreda grabs a shotgun, dons boys clothing, and drives the truck to the Welty store. Rage suggests leaving his parents behind. the four winds what happened to rafe. Elsa ends up doing seasonal field work for larger farms. Right before they depart, Tony and Rose announce that they are not leaving. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah will give the famous novel The Grapes of Wrath a run for its money. They take over, and together they travel into town. "The Four Winds" begins in northwestern Texas in 1921. Hannah also throws in various historical details. In California, Elsa is treated poorly because she is assumed to be poor and because shes assumed to an Okie or something like them. Jack reassures her that Natalia is with the children, watching them back at the cabin. . 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. The doctor says he must leave to survive, so Elsa packs up the household into the car. She suspects they knew all along that they werent going to be coming along. Elsa thinks back to leaving her parents house and how she was only able to pack a few belongings before starting off anew. Elsa thinks to herself that the cows will likely die after inhaling so much dirt. The Four Winds is a rich, . Aka: Lolo. The book ends with her about to return to California to become the first Martinelli to go to college. By giving her the penny, they are endowing her with their hopes and dreams as she takes their grandchildren to build a new life. Theres a steep learning curve, but eventually they are able to get to the point where they pick enough cotton to be earning around $4 a day between the two of them. What were the four winds referred to in the title? . In anger, she blames her mother for all that has happened to them. There are several mysteries Outer Banks still needs to answer, including what happened to Sarah and Rafe's biological mom. 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. Elsa misunderstands when Rafe says he wants to love her that he means he wants to have sex. In her restlessness, Elsa imagines herself as The Lady of Shalott, referencing the eponymous character in the lyric poem of the same name by Lord Alfred Tennyson. Seeing her upset, Elsa decides to give Loreda Rafes shirt (the one shes been using as a scarf). Then, she tells the kids. As it is our book groups choice for this month, it was helpful to have this recap and commentary. It is an erotic novel, indicating that Elsa has a freer, wilder side to her that yearns for fulfillment. Elsa and Loreda decide that they will both work instead of having Loreda go to school. Loreda interrupts their conversation and tells them that she thinks they should strike. Jack helps the Martinellis move into a cabin on camp for a large farming operation, Welty Farms, while also encouraging Elsa to unionize its workers. 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. Still, he gives the Martinellis some free licorice for the kids as a kindness. Was it human traits? The family (Elsa, Rafe, Loreda, Ant) head to the auction house. The Four Winds Book Spoilers & Overview. As Rosa is comforting Elsa, she mentions that she believes that Loreda needs to be taught to settle down, and that Ant will someday go to college. Her decision to cut her hair is likely because it serves as a loud signal to everyone else that they should look at her differently than before. Tony consoles her by saying that at least the government will give them some money for it. It is bitter and raw and that's how it should be. A testament to hope, resilience, and the strength of the human spirit to survive adversity, The Four Winds . The Four Winds is a beautiful work of historical fiction. When Elsa gets pregnant, her father disowns her, and Rafe's parents (Tony and Rose) tell him to marry Elsa. Loreda imagines herself leaving here for something bigger, like going off to Hollywood with her father. Afterwards, before Jack leaves, he lets Elsa know that hell be out of town for a while but that he wants to get to know her better. Loreda thinks about how she wants to be more of a fighter like Jack and less of a faithless dreamer like her father. Still, he offers to drop her off at a bus stop in Bakersville. The Four Winds, Kristen Hannah. In Chapter 18, we learn that the huge dust storm was on April 14, 1935, an event dubbed Black Sunday by the newspapers. Still, as the cotton picking continues, theres a tension among the workforce regarding the decreased wages. While Elsa accepted the Martinellis love for this land as her own, she sees that Loreda has adopted her fathers outlook. The death of the baby is the last straw for Loreda, who hates their life there. Elsa calmly tell her parents she wants to attend college and become a writer, but her father (Eugene Wolcott) says that she is being hysterical, and Elsa drops the issue. As she nears, she hears the teacher talk about the girls learning to make cosmetics for the day, and Loreda changes her mind and goes to the library instead. Afterwards, she discards the clothes, leaving her dress on instead. Elsa is initially too proud to want relief, but Jean and Jeb push her to sign up because she needs to wait a year from the date she signs up on. As they enjoy the spring weather, the rain finally falls. Still, they make plans to meet up that night at midnight. Texas, 1934. There, she also learns that the federal government has cut funding for the food line. Though Prohibition is now repealed, not many have money for drink. Instead, Elsa runs into a tall stranger, Raffaello Rafe Martinelli, who she flirts boldly with. He explains that it was what drove him to do the work he does. Elsa notes that the death of their son, Lorenzo, hadnt broken him the way that poverty and famine did. Afterwards, its decided its time to leave. Until the night she meets Rafe Martinelli and decides to change the direction of her life. Elsa oversleeps the next morning, waking to find the entire Martinelli family has eaten breakfast and is busy with farm chores. If my Twitter feed is any indication, THE FOUR WINDS is one of the most highly anticipated books of 2021, which is not surprising. Even better when it gets you interested in learning more . A world beyond this struggle. The kids also give Elsa a journal for her Christmas gift. Trigger warnings: racism, extreme poverty, murder. At the heart of the story is Elsa Wolcott, a tall, awkward girl who suffered rheumatic fever as a teenager. The Great War is over, the bounty of the land is plentiful, and America is on the brink of a new and optimistic era. Elsa unexpectedly gets pregnant and quickly marries. . He informs the farmers that in order to survive, they will need to alter their farming methods to employ soil conservation. In the camp, people are paranoid about who may or may not be reporting back to Welty. Afterwards, they see another dust storm headed their way. He says that the grass theyve dug up was holding the topsoil in place. Elsa rides up to take them home. She recalls her mothers final words, be brave. Elsa had rheumatic fever at 14, which cut off her studies. Loreda Martinelli is the result of Elsa's shotgun wedding, and Rafe's stories inspire her to become a dreamer like her young mother. Her mother asks if shes still a good girl (if shes still a virgin) and Elsa lies. The past few years have been difficult, with the Great Depression, an on-going drought and frequent dust storms ravaging the lands. Elsa knows that everyone has received instructions to go into the fields and sit, but no one moves so she takes her kids and they go first. Together, they block the road. They purchase supplies from Eugene on credit. They continue to drive west, but soon they reach a point where the Mojave Desert lays ahead. In total, she has 122 dollars. Loreda goes outside to find Rafe crying. She and Jack fall in love as they help to plan a strike. Later, Loreda notes that Elsa wanted them to go home to Texas, but there is an issue of money in order to make their way home. Ant likens them to an Explorers Club. When Loreda talks about going to Hollywood, Jean tells Loreda, in a nice way, that she will need to grow out of her childish thoughts. One day, Elsa gets dressed up to attend a PTA meeting at the kids school. The cabins have mattresses, concrete floors and electricity for 6 dollars a month, and the workers there get first dibs on the jobs at Welty farm. By late December, Elsa realizes they will not have enough money to get through the rest of the winter. The woman tells her to take some shoes and clothes, and she instructs Loreda to help pour coffee if she wants to help. 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