Audiobook Review: The Four WInds, by Kristin Hannah

The Four Winds was a mesmerizing book about the Dust Bowl, once it got going.

The characters were amazing, the setting -- well -- unbelievable. The Four Winds puts you in the middle of the dust bowl, but also in California, where thousands of people went to find work during The Depression. As you can imagine, it didn't work out well for them.

It's one of those "I can't believe this happened in the USA" stories. And they keep bringing up that point as they are living through the horrors. You get an interesting take on Communism and the Red Scare, as these "Communists" tried to unionize the workers to help them get a living wage. I mean, they literally could not survive on what they were paid, even when the men, women, and children were all picking. The huge growers would cut wages on a whim. They had their own company stores where people could get credit, and of course, they could never get out from under the debt.

Elsa was an amazingly strong woman and no one could not become attached to her and her family. My only complaint is that the beginning was slow. There was too much time spent on Elsa's childhood and life with her parents. I get that her background makes her who she is, but I still thought it went on too long. So the message is:  don't give up. This is a minor complaint, and it is well worth the effort to get through that part. I also would have rather had a different outcome for Elsa. That's all I'll say.

I would recommend The Fours Winds to anyone. The audio version is excellent, although my listening kept getting interrupted by audiobooks that I had on hold at the library. (You only get them for three weeks.) So when another one became available, I borrowed The Four Winds book from my sister and read the last 60 pages.

Published by St. Martin's, 2021. Audio by Macmillan
Audiobook purchased from libro.fm
464 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

---

Back to Annette's Book Spot Homepage Copyright © 2022 Annette's Book Spot. All Rights Reserved

Book Review: Midnight at the Electric, by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Midnight at the Electric is a uniquely written story, narrated by three women in three different time periods.

Adri exists in the near future.  She has been chosen to go to the colony on Mars. (Don't worry, this book isn't science fiction.) As part of her final training, she will go to The Center in Kansas where the rocket will be launched.  She finds out she has a cousin, Lily, who is 107 years old and lives close to the Center.  Adri will stay with Lily while in her final preparations.

While Adri is staying with Lily (who is in the early stages of dementia), she finds letters from someone called Catherine, who is writing in 1934.  They are in the middle of the Dust Bowl, and Catherine, her mother, and her little sister are barely surviving. Ellis is their farm hand, who they hired after Catherine's father died.  Catherine is secretly in love with Ellis.

Catherine finds letters that were sent to her mother, Beth, by someone named Lenore.  When Cathy asks her mother about Lenore, all she gets is silence. It seems Lenore was Cathy's best friend when Cathy's parents decided to leave England to avoid the war.

Lenore is writing in 1919 and has lost her brother, Teddy, in the war.  Her entire family is in mourning.  She longs to go to America to be with Cathy and is saving her money to do so.  Lenore finds an old shack in their woods and begins to clean it up.  It is a place she can go for peace and quiet.  And she can pretend that Cathy is there.  Soon she realizes that someone else has been using the cabin.  And she meets James, who is a severely deformed veteran of the war who has left civilization and is surviving in the wild.

There are secrets, friendship, hardship, and a lot of soul-searching in Midnight at the Electric.  It is interesting how the stories finally fit together, and we find out, along with Adri, how these people are connected to Lily's house.  Oh, and there's a Galapagos turtle, who is probably older than Lily, that plays an important part in the story.

Midnight at the Electric is a mellow story that I got wrapped up in quickly.  The changes in time and perspective are easy, and with all the jumping around, the story flows well. I'm not sure which teens to push this one to -- I've already recommended it to some of my adult friends.  I think it will need to be pushed, but it's a wonderful story.

Published by HarperTeen, June 13, 2017
Copy obtained from the library
257 pages

Rating: 4/5

---

Back to Annette's Book Spot Homepage Copyright © 2017 Annette's Book Spot. All Rights Reserved

Book Review: All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky, by Joe R. Lansdale

When I first read this title I wondered why someone would name a book All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky. When I began reading and realized it's about the dust bowl, it all made sense.

All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky is a book about three kids who, because of circumstances beyond their control, end up escaping Oklahoma and having quite an adventure while trying to find a life for themselves.

Jack has lost both of his parents. His mother died of respiratory problems, and his father committed suicide because he couldn't handle it. So now Jack is alone, in the middle of Oklahoma, with dust storms occurring more and more often and no means of support. When two neighbor kids, Jane and her little brother Tony, make it to his house, he allows Jane to talk him into leaving. They take a car from another neighbor, who has died on his porch.

The adventures they have keep the pages turning quickly. They face danger and also encounter great wealth. But nothing ever stays the same for long. While somewhat far-fetched, it does make for an interesting tale. And that's what All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky is. An entertaining tale. Jane is a creative liar, and makes up a different story for every person they meet. These were some of the most humorous parts. Yes, it's historical, but we really don't learn much about that period except what the dust storms and locust attacks were like. And, how everyone, pretty much everywhere, was poor.

The ending is satisfying. Not everyone gets what they want, but it stays true to the characters. All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky is a quick, easy read. Those who enjoy some adventure with a little historical bent will enjoy it.

Published by Delacorte Press, 2011
Copy obtained from the library
227 pages (qualifies for my Books You Can Read in a Day Challenge!)

Rating: 3.5/5

---

Back to Annette's Book Spot Homepage Copyright © 2013 Annette's Book Spot. All Rights Reserved