On the journey she has to contend not just with the hardships of picking cotton for pitiful wages, but with the weaker wills of the men around her, who abandon family or run ruthless corporate farms that exploit their employees. Hannah’s writing is at its strongest when she takes us into the vivid hardships of the drought, as overuse of the land results in storms of topsoil that flay skin from muscle and fill the bellies of staggered cattle with dirt.ĥ books not to miss: Kristin Hannah’s ‘The Four Winds,’ 'Mike Nichols: A Life'Įlsa 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.

Meanwhile, her parents-in-law sweep and sweep, trying to rid the house of ever-accumulating dust. 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. Martin’s Press, 464 pp., *** ½ 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. There are greater forces in the world than love and dedication, however. She moved in with his family, and together they made a healthy living, raising two children while they worked the earth. Unlike any other person in her life, he made her feel valued.

After a rough childhood with parents who didn’t love her, she met Rafe Martinelli, the soulful and handsome son of Italian immigrants. Kristin Hannah’s absorbing new novel begins just a few years before, when it seemed as if Elsa Wolcott might finally have a peaceful, fulfilling life ahead. Watch Video: Priyanka Chopra Jonas fought for involvement in 'The White Tiger'Ĭorrections & clarifications: A previous version of this story misidentified a 2018 film titled “The Nightingale.” The adaptation of Kristin Hannah's book of the same name has not yet been released.Īs the Dust Bowl ravages Texas, one woman must make a choice: Leave the farm that has been her family’s livelihood or stay and risk succumbing to cyclones of dirt.

The four winds novel