Life for Elsa Martinelli has never been a fairy tale. As a young woman, she was considered plain and dull, too tall to be attractive and too sickly to do much outside the family home. But when she gets tired of conforming to her parent's wishes, she escapes for an exciting night on the town. There she meets a handsome young man who makes her feel alive for the first time in years. When she becomes pregnant, her parents leave her with the father of the unborn child and completely cut her out of their lives. Through this heartbreak, Elsa gains loving in-laws and two wonderful children, making her feel complete and happy. But this all changes when the Great Depression hits and the Dust Bowl follows soon after. Texas farming is nearly impossible and many are becoming sick and are dying from the extreme conditions. Elsa learns how to survive in this horrible surrounding, but after her husband leaves their family and her youngest child becomes ill from the dust, she decides it's time to head out to a new state. California becomes their home like it does for many other farmers searching for jobs. Elsa finds that life isn't much easier in this state with it's hatred of "Okies" and lack of relief for unemployed citizens. She and her children must persevere and continue to find ways to survive the winds of change.
This book was an insightful glimpse into the life of Dust Bowl farmers and how deeply they and their land were hurt by the disaster. Elsa's life demonstrates the resilience the people needed to survive. Through much of the story, Elsa is a single Mom and the sole source of income for her family. Kristin Hannah does an amazing job of telling her story and creating a unique point of view. I would recommend this book to those interested in the Great Depression or Dust Bowl and those who are fans of her other books. This book is available here at Walnut Grove and throughout the Azalea Regional Library System.
~Abigail C.
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