Last night, I finished THE FOUR WINDS. I have several observations.
First, thank God for historical fiction. Without it, I never would have learned how it might have felt to have lived through The Dust Bowl, FEVER 1793, the Salem Witch Trials, and of course, slavery.
As I read, I realized there is a terrifying similarity to how migrant workers were abused in the 1930's to the way they are abused today. Discrimination, segregation, otherism. Low wages and minimal protections for body breaking work while big farm owners get rich. What also infuriates me is that in my 16 years of education, I don't recall any of these abuses being taught in the curriculum.
I love to read, so I'm always seeking out stories, but what about the people who don't read? How will they ever know history is repeating itself?
How will we ever get out of this mess?