Surrendering to a Great Story
This past weekend I had the pleasure of reading a book that picked me up and swept me along as only the best fiction can.
Of course, this photo is misleading. I was listening while knitting, not reading a paper book. The novel was delivered to my ears by the soothing and expressive voice of Julia Whelan, one of my favorite narrators.
The book that so captured me is The Four Winds, by Kristin Hannah.
This the story of one family's struggle and survival in the Texas panhandle during the environmental crisis known as The Dust Bowl. In1934, Elsa Martinelli is living on her husband's family farm with his parents and their two children. Persistent drought has devastated the wheat fields on which they earn their livelihood. The well is drying up, the earth has cracked beneath their feet, and relentless dust storms turn the once productive farm into a hellscape.
Elsa's husband abandons the family, leaving in the middle of the night without a word, but Elsa and her in-laws struggle on, reluctant to give up the land they love. Her 8-year-old son ends up hospitalized with silicosis (aka dust pneumonia). The doctor tells her the only way her son will heal is if she gets him out of Texas.
Elsa and her children join the endless flow of refugees from the Great Plains headed to California in search of work and the chance at a better life.
This book is packed with harrowing scenes of toil and suffering, along with moments of surprising grace. Hannah takes you inside Elsa's fear, desperation, and heartache. You'll be rooting for this fierce woman as she finds her courage and discovers just how far she'll go to protect the people she loves.
The Four Winds had me in tears more than once. Highly recommended.
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For an enlightening documentary take on The Dust Bowl, you can watch the 2-part film Ken Burns: The Dust Bowl on PBS Passport if you are a member of your local public television station. It is also available for purchase on Amazon Prime.
This hot summer is a reminder of the looming threat posed by climate change. The Dust Bowl era brought lessons that we simply can't afford to forget.
Some things that caught my eye
New York Times Opinion produced a thought-provoking video about the luxury of progressive beliefs. It is just under 6 minutes that made me take a hard look at my own beliefs and how I advocate for them.
Prompted by a newsletter from The New York Times about what paramedics wish we would do, I added my health info to my iPhone and made it visible from the lock screen. It took a grand total of 5 minutes. If it is ever necessary for medical responders to help me when I'm out and about, they can get critical medical information from my phone without using a passcode. If you haven't yet taken this potentially lifesaving step, here are the instructions for iPhone or Android.
IKEA is selling a knitted lampshade! It looks like grosgrain ribbon knit in garter stitch (yes, I zoomed in for a close look), and I love it. Unfortunately, it's made with polyester. I wonder what it would cost to source enough cotton ribbon to knit a lampshade "slipcover" to fit over a plain shade I already own. More research is needed.
Apple Tree Yard is a 4-part series from the BBC which I binged in one evening. Emily Watson is amazing in this role. The story is sexy, twisty, and emotionally charged, with an ending that shocked me.
That’s enough for today. It is a busy week. Next week, more knitting (hooray!) As always, thank you for indulging my meanderings.
Is there a book you’ve recently read that you think I’d enjoy? Tell me about it in the comments!
I agree The Women is a good read. I read 1 of the books she used for her research back in the 80s, Home Before Morning by Lynda van Devanter - also a good read. A couple others worth checking out are Amy Tan's The Backyard Bird Chronicles (fun to see the different kinds of birds she has in the west compared to what I see here in the east); My What If Year by Alisha Fernandez Miranda - through friends & friends of friends, she has the ability to take a year off to intern at 4 of the jobs she thought might just be her career; and The Night in Question by Susan Fletcher, This one's fiction about an 89 year old 1 legged woman trying to determine the causes of the tragedies happening in her assisted living facility. Ask for book titles & I'm more than willing to comply. lol!
Great post!