Fate Rode the Wind An American Story of Hope and Fortitude by Larry D.Quick

Fate Rode the Wind An American Story of Hope and Fortitude by Larry D.Quick has been one of the most desired and wanted book for a lot of time. I loved the cover, and I knew that I would have loved the story as well.

I obtained a physical copy from iUniverse more than a month ago. The big heat forced me to interrupt my reading. I didn't want to lose any word of this book. 

Let me start to saying that I found this book a real jewel. Intense, real, felt, passionate, beauty, the story is set up in the rural countryside of Illinois, in a crucial moment for the USA, 1941: there is the Second World War and the USA are still undecided. What to do?

To the USA, the second world war appeared like a distant war, after all the country still untouched. Better to see what it was going on. The story follows the adventure of a farmer mr. Milbur Quinn and his numerous family for three years, ending it in 1944 with new re-starts and some good-byes.

The story is very positive, without too many tragedies, but true in every detail and fact reported, with a healthy optimistic vision of life and that's why I strongly suggest this book to you. History repeat itself and countrysides in moment of big stress, can be the most positive answer for everyone.

There is optimism in the Quinn's family. Milbur decides to buy a pony to the children in particular to Marianne, as a distraction but also a responsibility and for keeping the children closest to that life and that farm, and plus he decides to renovate the house, adding more comfort for everyone with warm water, and a better heating system.

Marianne although also all the other characters are developed wonderfully well, is the central and main character of this story. A teen-ager with  problematic with her mom, misunderstood by her, new desires and expectations and at the same time a good girl like all the rest of her brothers. They all work very hard in the farm, feeding animals, cooking, baking, cleaning up the house, going to school and being responsible.

This book takes the perfect picture and atmosphere of a rural place where people are connected, they work together for bettering places, houses, there is generosity and desire of going on peacefully in this world.

Milbur was interested to hearing what it was going on in Europe about war reading the newsmagazine and listening the radio and when Japan attached Americans to Pearl Harbour President Roosevelt was constricted to enter in war against that State, setting free, the Americans were called the allied, at the same time the rest of the world, mainly Europe from the messes caused by Hitler and Nazis. No one still knew the proportion of hate and horror caused by Hitler, with more than six million of people killed in various camps like the one of Auschwitz.

The war changed the habits of the American families and food was rationed like also shoes and other items. There was more work for people and men in particular in factories producing guns.

The farm where Marianne and her family lived didn't experience a terrible impact about food because of the war, because in most cases they were independent and they had most of the ingredients used in the kitchen for the various meals.

Marianne in the while with his pony named Rocky lives her adventures going to closest houses of her girlfriends and starting to learn from her body and mind that she is changing and she is becoming a little woman. Her first dates with various boys, like also the love-story of her friends are analyzed with great precision, love, punctuality and understanding giving to the reader the exact impact that every news, fact, has in a little community and how devastating can be gossip.

A healthy family this one of the Quinn where people, children included are serious with themselves and the others considering what an action can means in life.

I suggest to everyone this beautiful book, written with great intensity, extremely detailed, where every aspect of rural life is analyzed, from religion, to the farm-life, passing through the various friends of Marianne, the town and the meaning of the town for a rural family, food, customs, friends, relatives, feasts, celebrations. Nothing is left out and the book is realistically a vivid account of a portion of History, modern History of the USA seen through the perspective and eyes of a farmer's family.

Beautiful!

I thank iUniverse and Authorhouse for the physical copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori