The Four Winds(136)

In writing this story, I tried to present the history as truthfully as possible. The strike that takes place in the novel is fictional, but it is based on strikes that took place in California in the thirties. The town of Welty is fictional as well. Primarily where I diverged from the historical record was in the timeline of events. There are instances in which I chose to manipulate dates to better fit my fictional narrative. I apologize in advance to historians and scholars of the era.

For more information about the Dust Bowl years or the migrant experience in California, please go to my website KristinHannah.com for a suggested reading list.





ACKNOWLEDGMENTS


I’d like to thank Sharon Garrison, who took me on a lengthy, personal tour of the “Weedpatch” camp in Arvin, California, which was built in 1936 by the Works Progress Administration to house migrant workers. Thank you, Sharon, for sharing your memories with me. Thank you, also, to the many volunteers who keep the era alive in the yearly Dust Bowl Days celebration. I am grateful to have met with and spoken to so many people who lived at the camp.

Thank you to the University of Texas at Austin and the Harry Ransom Center. The original papers of Sanora Babb were invaluable. Her novel Whose Names Are Unknown is a must-read for anyone interested in the time period.

A big shout-out to my creative “village.” I couldn’t do this without you. In no particular order, thanks to Jill Marie Landis, Jennifer Enderlin, Andrea Cirillo, Jane Berkey, Ann Patty, Megan Chance, Jill Barnett, and Kimberly Fisk. Sometimes I lose my mind during either the editorial or writing process (sometimes both), and I am grateful for the smart women who keep me on track and make me laugh.

Thank you to the crack team at Jane Rotrosen Agency. This year marks twenty-five years of us working together. It’s gone by in a flash, and I couldn’t imagine better partners on the roller-coaster journey of publishing.

To Matthew Snyder, who is an absolute blast to work with and guides me through the inexplicable world of movies and TV with steadiness and good humor. And to Carol Fitzgerald, who does her best to keep me in the virtual world. Thanks to Felicia Forman and Arwen Woehler for help in researching the era, and Cindy Urrea for her invaluable advice.

To the people who really bring it all together at St. Martin’s Press, I love working with all of you: Sally Richardson, Lisa Senz, Dori Weintraub, Tracey Guest, Brant Janeway, Andrew Martin, Anne Marie Tallberg, Jeff Dodes, Tom Thompson, Kim Ludlam, Erica Martirano, Elizabeth Catalano, Don Weisberg, Michael Storrings. And, of course, to the captain of the ship, John Sargent. I am more grateful than you can know to be a part of the team.

Thanks to my godmother, Barbara Kurek. I love you.

And this year, a special thanks to the people on the front lines of the pandemic—the first responders, the healthcare workers, the essential workers, and everyone keeping our communities safe. You are rock stars.

Thanks to Tucker, Sara, Kaylee, and Braden. And last but not least, to my husband, Ben. For love, for laughter, for keeping me steady. For everything.