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In The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, Elsa Wolcott is a woman trying to raise two children on farm in the Great Plains during the Dust Bowl following the Great Depression. date the date you are citing the material. Chapter-by-chapter summaries and multiple sections of expert analysis, The ultimate resource for assignments, engaging lessons, and lively book discussions. It is likely that readers of The Four Winds, which arrived on Feb. 2, wont be able to imagine this story told any other way, so strong a character is Elsa as she fights for survival and finds her own strength in a tale that reaches from the Dust Bowl to the migrant camps of Californias Central Valley in the mid-1930s. Discuss the shift in thinking that happens between generationsthe freedoms longed for and the sacrifices required. 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. In short, thats how the locals pronounced it. Do you think these societal mores were designed to keep women in their place? Download the entire The Four Winds study guide as a printable PDF! An armed guard fires through the teargas and hits Elsa in the abdomen. Hope you enjoyed book club questions for The Four Winds! By 1934, the world has changed; millions are out of work and drought has devastated the Great Plains. In 1921, Elsa Wolcott is a 25-year-old unmarried woman who is not particularly pretty and too tall for most men. The Greatest Generation was shaped by the Great Depression and World War II. How will it be different. Check out my book club questions here. They are disheveled and unkept by the time they arrive, and people are rude to them. Hear a sample of The Four Winds audiobook on Libro.fm. Book review and synopsis for The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, a tale of one woman's courage during the Great Depression. How does Elsa remain herself after giving birth? Why do you think Loreda decides to decisively shoot Milo, a horse that she loves? Was there anything surprising about the audiobook edition? The "four winds" encompass all directions or the " four corners of the earth ": north, south, east, and west ( Jeremiah 49:36; Matthew 24:31 ). Whats the definition of a warrior to you? In turn, Jack inspires Elsa to find her own voice and fight back against the injustice faced by the migrant workers. What choices do they have, and what might you have done during the drought? 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. How well does the narrator, Julia Whelan, fit the characters personas? How would you describe the Texas landscape the author paints? 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.". How are womens stories different? She is sustained by her fearless aunt Yaltha, who harbors a compelling secret. She is eventually picked up by Jack Valen, a union organizer who takes Loreda to a union meeting. One of Tony's friend and neighbor. The accent she does for the dialogue parts is more southern than Texan (where the characters are from), and it slips in and out at times, but I cant imagine that most people will notice or care. They might have come off the boat as Anthony and Rosalba, but hard work and the land had turned them into Tony and Rose. What does the Martinellis' lucky penny represent in The Four Winds? Theyd sewn their lives together in the silent way of women unused to conversation. How have the Dust Bowl and going west been treated by the American imagination (perhaps in song or cinema)? Jack Valen is a member of the Workers Alliance, a Communist Party organization dedicated to improving conditions for workers across the country. Rafe opened the door and stood in the opening, his face dusty. How does motherhood strengthen a woman? Why do you think Elsa is reluctant at first to go to the relief office or stand in the food line when they arrive in California? 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. Rafe likes to dream big, and he constantly talks about moving to Hollywood or traveling the world. 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. WHEAT GRAPHIC BY MARCO GALTAROSSA FROM THE NOUN PROJECT. Her deep-seated insecurities make her eager to please others, and she is quick to ingratiate herself with the Martinelli family. 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. Or losing their land? Did they impact your perception of the characters? Ant represents the thousands of children who were forced to endure the hardships of hunger, poverty, illness, and prejudice during the Dust Bowl migrations. Did you find the end of Elsas and her familys journey satisfying? Through that door, Elsa saw whole other lives, other futures. Describe that unique and complicated connection. She dies giving a voice to the workers. 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? 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. How did the story work for you on audio? If youre looking for a feel good type of book. He regularly covers the Oscars and the Emmys, goes to Comic-Con and Coachella, reviews pop music, and conducts interviews with authors and actors, musicians and directors, a little of this and a whole lot of that. Rafe is unhappy, drinks heavily and dreams of going West to pursue new opportunities. 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. It had resurrected all the insecurities of childhood.". Did you identify with Elsa and her journey throughout this book? Books became Elsas escape, and she carries a deep love of reading with her throughout her life. He's taught one or two classes a semester in the journalism and mass communications department at Cal State Long Beach since 2006. He brings Elsa and the children to an abandoned hotel where he provides them rooms for the night. An encounter with eighteen-year-old Jesus changes everything. Never forget the dog. With her reputation in ruin, there is only one respectable choice: marriage to a man she barely knows. Why do you think Loreda became so resentful of Elsa? What on earth happened to Rafe and Ellas family? Hope is a coin I carry. In her mesmerizing fourth work of fiction, Sue Monk Kidd takes an audacious approach to history and brings her acclaimed narrative gifts to imagine the story of a young woman named Ana. Peter Larsen has been the Pop Culture Reporter for the Orange County Register since 2004, finally achieving the neat trick of getting paid to report and write about the stuff he's obsessed about pretty much all his life. How is it the same? "The Four Winds" (St. Martin's 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 . Elsa compares them to the early pioneers in their covered wagons. I highly recommend it! A gangly, awkward spinster with no self-confidence, Elsa is forced by her circumstances to find the strength and courage she never knew she had and confront a life marred by seemingly endless tragedy. . Sam Shepherds work or Truman Capotes work denies the power of the kindness of strangers you may want to read Cold Millions by Jess Walters and then be that kind person who reaches across to do great good work. Im trying to get a description of the characters for this book. It is men like Mr. Welty that Jack and the Workers Alliance are attempting to stand up against. Roses dreams for the next generation are ultimately obtained through Loreda, who will be the first Martinelli to attend college. Weltys company store overcharges for food and supplies and keeps its workers forever in debt. Rose is a woman of strong Catholic faith, and she prays often, especially during the drought. Elsa finds that the hard work of farming agrees with her, but Rafes dreams lie elsewhere. Its a book about determination, love for ones family and for oneself, the fight to survive and the American Dream. 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. How do Elsas and Loredas actions embody this idea? How do we face our own dark times? All of that hardship, its remarkable and its inspiring, Hannah says. We plant, we tend, we harvest. All 68 characters in The Four Winds are listed by chapter with character descriptions included. If this summary was useful to you, please consider supporting this site by leaving a tip ($2, $3, or $5) or joining the Patreon! Elsas character arc follows a well-worn path, although no less engaging for its familiarity. By 1934, the world has changed; millions are out of work and drought has devastated the Great Plains. The Four Winds tells the story of Elsa Wolcott, a young woman born and raised in Texas during the boom years of the 1920s.
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