It was pretty interesting reading Kristin Hannah's latest, The Four Winds, so soon after reading West With Giraffes by Laura Rutledge. Both historical fiction novels deal with the Dust Bowl. Both have main characters who are looking for the Land of Milk and Honey in California. Their backstories are somewhat similar. But that's where the similarities end.
Elsa Martinelli always felt as though she didn't belong. She never quite fit in. The Martinelli farm is failing. The land has dried up, the town is in the midst of The Great Depression. Eventually, Elsa needs to decide if she is going to stand by the land or travel west to California in search of a healthier, better life.
Hannah says that she has taken some liberties with some of the historical content of the novel, but I believe it is a fairly accurate portrayal of Texas and a part of California in the early 1930s.
This is a novel about overcoming obstacles and finding your voice. Elsa's beloved grandfather always told her to be brave, and if she couldn't be brave, she had to fake it. As life becomes more and more difficult, Elsa is really challenged to be able to do so.
The Four Winds was very well written, harrowing at times, but a book I couldn't wait to get back to each night.
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