The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah-464 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Goodreads Synopsis: From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone comes an epic novel of love and heroism and hope, set against the backdrop of one of America’s most defining eras—the Great Depression.

Texas, 1934. Millions are out of work and a drought has broken the Great Plains. 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. One of the darkest periods of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, has arrived with a vengeance.

In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinelli—like so many of her neighbors—must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west, to California, in search of a better life. 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.

Thoughts: This is such a good book. It has really opened my eyes to the experiences of those who went through the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression simultaneously. Elsa and her family's experience was harrowing. I had only heard about Kristin Hannah and I have been highly anticipating reading many of her books. This one is heavy, but really good. 

Violeta: A Novel by Isabel Allende

 

Violeta: A Novel by Isabel Allende-322 pages

Violeta is telling her life story in the form of a letter to someone she loves.  She is born in 1920, the youngest of 6, the previous 5 being boys.  Her mother is sickly and spends most of her time in bed throughout Violetas life..eventually succumbing to consumption.  Her father dies when she is fairly young.  The Great Depression has a lot to do with his death and between the two events the family is forced to live in the country with some distant relatives.  They ride a train into the countryside with as much as they could pack from their previous lives.  Violeta goes from a life of privilege to one of hard work.  But she realizes that this is the best time of her life and will reflect years later on how she came of age and how it taught her valuable lessons that will see her through the hard times. 

She lives through a Great War and the fight for women's rights.  She survives not one but two pandemics.  She is married, and yet has many passionate affairs.  She experiences love and tragedy through her two children.  Through it all she is strong and a survivor.

I enjoyed it very much.  Though I must confess I got lost with all the different names because I was not familiar with any of them.  I like to think about all of the changes that people who lived during these years went through.  They truly were the toughest generation.

  

A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck - 160 pages

Mary Alice is spending the year with her Grandma Dowdel while her father looks for work during the Great Depression.  She's spent summers there before with her brother, but now it's by herself for a whole year.  She's not sure what to expect from the hick town and her outspoken, one-of-a-kind grandma.

I enjoyed the audio version of this book.  It reminded me of the books by Kirkpatrick Hill which I love.  This is actually the sequel to the Newbery Medal book Long Way From Chicago.  So I guess I really need to go back and read that book.

The Year of Fear by Joe Urschel

The Year of Fear by Joe Urschel -290 pages

"Machine Gun Kelly and the Manhunt that Changed the Nation," is the somewhat misleading subtitle of this book, whose scope is the crime wave of 1933 that gave rise to the F.B.I. Kelly owed his nickname to his ruthless wife, Kathryn, who pushed the former bootlegger and robber into an ambitious plot to kidnap respected oil businessman Charles Urschel. The sensational crime gave J. Edgar Hoover the opportunity to expand federal law enforcement authority at a time when local police were either unwilling or unable to pursue kidnappers across state lines. The author uses some purple prose in the first chapter, but provides an enlightening view on the end of Prohibition and how desperate outlaws turned to more serious crimes.

The Mighty Miss Malone by Chistopher Paul Curtis, 320 p.

The Malone family is an extraordinary family. Deza (pronounced dEza, NOT dEEza) is too smart for her own good. She wants to be a writer, and with the family she's got, it's no doubt she'll succeed one day. But their family definitely isn't without their struggles. In Gary, Indiana during the depression, Deza's father can't find work no matter how hard he tries. After an incident that changes his life forever, he decides to seek work in Flint, Michigan, where he grew up. Deza, Mother, and her brother, Jimmie decide to try to go to Flint to find him. The struggle to find food, safety, and family is a story not to be missed. The Mighty Miss Malone is a book that is important for anyone of any age to read.

Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde by Jeff Guinn

Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde by Jeff Guinn - 480 pages

This most recent account of the Bonnie and Clyde story was originally published in 2009 and has since served as the historical backbone for the History Channel's recent Bonnie and Clyde two-part movie/miniseries.

Everything seemed well-researched and vast amounts of details were provided.  The book began with Bonnie and Clyde's early lives and the economic situation in their home state of Texas, which suffered a widespread crop failure before the Depression hit.  In fact, this crop failure led directly led to Clyde's start in crime, as his family has many children and not enough money and they were living in a West Dallas slum after their farm failed.   The bulk of the book chronicled the crimes Clyde pulled off before meeting Bonnie, Clyde's crimes before Bonnie was an active participant, and their combined crime spree.  The conclusion focused on Bonnie and Clyde's impact, including how laws were changed, the creation if interstate police cooperation, and how pop culture has portrayed them.

A Star for Mrs. Blake by April Smith

A Star for Mrs. Blake by April Smith - 352 pages

A Star for Mrs. Blake is a novel set in the middle of the Depression years, but focuses on a lesser known piece of its history.  Cora Blake is her town's librarian who also sidelines as a fish cannery worker.  What makes Cora significant is the fact she is a Gold Star Mother, one of the many who lost her son in the Great War.  When she receives an invitation to join the Gold Star Mother's Pilgrimage to the graveyards in France, she does not hesitate to say yes.  Soon she finds herself en route with four other mothers, their soldier escort, and a nurse.  Cora finds instant companionship with Bobbie Olsen, an upper class woman, who also a widow and lost her only son.  Two of the other mothers, Kate and Minnie, grouped together and do not get along with the elderly socialite.  The final mother in the group, Wilhelmina, is the eccentric one who bonds with all.  Adding to the relationships, the solider escort, Lt. Thomas Hammond, and nurse, Lily Barnett, begin to grow close.  Once in Paris, Cora accompanies Bobbie to visit an old friend and meets journalist Griffin Reed, a man who becomes loyal to Cora and provides a gift that made the trip more than worth it, especially after a tragedy strikes their party.

While the book begins to an iffy start, once the journey begins the novel becomes much better and we understand this is a book about relationships and the power of love.  The historical aspects align to drive that home.  The mothers still hold close the memories of their lost sons and sharing those memories and the pilgrimage experience with the other mothers bonds them together.  We also see a unique bond formed between Cora and Griffin, but I cannot explain that one here without exposing one of the story's main conclusions.

A Secret Gift: How One Man’s Kindness – and a Trove of Letters – Revealed the Hidden History of the Great Depression

A Secret Gift: How One Man’s Kindness – and a Trove of Letters – Revealed the Hidden History of the Great Depression

By Ted Gup

364 pages

The Christmas of 1933 was a trying time for many families. America was in the midst of the Great Depression. The economy had grinded to a halt. Unemployment appeared to be everywhere. However in Canton Ohio, a newspaper ad offered a glimpse of hope in a small financial gift, to families in need. The sponsor called himself, Mr. B. Virdot. An alias, so the benefactor could remain anonymous.

These letters written to Mr. B. Virdot has surfaced after seventy-five years. In these letters are stories of suffering and grief as residents of the city and surrounding area wrote to Mr. B. Virdot hoping and praying for some relief.

The author, Ted Gup, is the grandson of the sponsor, Sam Stone. Ted was given the hidden letters by his mother in 2008. Ted investigated each family who received a five dollar check from his Mr. B. Virdot and wrote an inspiring account of these ordinary people during an era full of hardship.