Elsa is 25 and gets pregnant by Rafe. Elsa’s dad leaves Elsa at Rafe’s families farm and Elsa and Rafe must marry. From there, Elsa learns to love farming and hard work. Years later, the depression occurs and they are in the dust bowl. Her husband, Rafe wants to go to California, but Elsa says no, so Rafe leaves her and their two children. Fast forward a bit and Anthony, the youngest son has dust pneumonia and that makes Elsa pack up and leave for California with her children. She finds that life is even harder in California.
This story is told in dual point of views from Elsa and her daughter Loreda. The only other Kristin Hannah book I’ve ever read has been The Nightingale and that was sad and I was scared this would be sad. I did enjoy The Nightingale though. This was still sad, but I highly enjoyed it and loved it. I sympathized so much with the characters. My heart broke a million times with this story. The prejudice was just awful and it was so awful what they all had to face in California. It’s so hard to imagine. This book will stick with you for a long time. Pick it up.