We also see Rafe’s parents’ rigidity to staying on their dying land dying with it, which drives Rafe insane till he up & leaves them after which follows the dust bowl era. We see a dreamer in 12-year-old Loreda & some fun in the toddler Anthony. We see the loveless life between Elsa & Rafe. The second part set in 1934 is Elsa’s life on the land of the Martinellis. She decided to be a rebel for one night to end up pregnant by her one-night stand.

The first part set in 1921, is about Elsa & how she was unloved in her own home & rejected by her family every day. I wouldn’t say there was no story progression, but I can also say that I can write the entire story in less than 10 sentences. This dull lifeless portrayal of characters was my main problem with The Four Winds. Also, all the characters were too stuck up with closed minds & no imagination. The major aspect was absolutely no character development for any of the characters. If it is all depressing & miserable, why would I read it, in a pandemic no less? Because there wasn’t a balance of happy-sad, good-bad & so on, it felt like the story was dragged too much. In a novel, if you want to keep the readers engaged, you must create some sort of semblance. But, we are still living & most of us are probably doing it better than Elsa Martinelli in this book. We are all entirely helpless, many of our dear ones have lost their lives & there seems no end in sight. A thing like that can take the life out of you leaving you bereft of emotions & purpose. I understand the kind of appalling situations that the farmers faced during the dust bowl & the Great Depression. Rigid & unlovable characters for an outstretched & tormenting story did not sit well with me. Loreda’s character also does not have a lot of growth, but it definitely spikes higher than Elsa’s.

Her practical approach to tragedy frictions with Elsa’s dull optimism. Loreda is the colourful & full of life daughter who has dreams & aspirations. The other protagonist is Elsa’s daughter Loreda Martinelli, who is naturally the opposite of Elsa. The only rebellion we see is in the last 48 pages. It stays the exact same from page 1 to page 400. There is absolutely no improvement in her character. Be it the dust bowl in Texas or the ditch-bank living in California or the Welty Farms. For the entirety of the story, Elsa is showed as someone who lives by the day, from one problem to the next. This combination of tragic circumstance & lifeless characters is what made the story very difficult to read. In addition to this, we have our main character Elsa who is a soul-less mush of a person with no hope or dreams. This story is inspired by real events which were tragic, life-wrecking, soul-crushing & inhumane. Elsa Martinelli is the heroine we did not ask for & did not deserve.

Kristin hannah the four winds review