The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah is an absolute masterpiece. I'm not going to sugar coat it, my heart ached and ached hard for this one. Kristin Hannah brought forward the heartbreaking story of The Great Depression through the eyes of Elsa Martinelli and her family. I held back tears on several occasions in between strong feelings of anger, sadness, joy, and hope. I kept wondering how it was that I just met these characters through the simple words on a paper because I honestly felt as if I knew them my whole life. And then Kristin Hannah brings about Jack Valen and my heart burst. His genuine love for Elsa radiated off the pages and oozed all over. While the ending was anything but what I expected (and trust me, I wish it turned out differently), I still loved every word. I only hope that one day I can meet a warrior like Elsa and that just maybe my daughter will be as fierce as Loreda. Highly, highly recommend.

Another wonderful book by Kristin Hannah, I really enjoyed this one! Must read if you liked her previous books.

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, originally a complimentary ARC courtesy of NetGalley, has been out for a while but I just got to it. It is one of Hannah’s best, in my opinion being both captivating and heartbreaking. I couldn't put it down- it was a moving glimpse into the survivors from the Dust Bowl and Great Depression told from a woman's point of view, highlighting the plight of the migrant worker, the fight for fair wages and better working conditions, and the strength of a mother's love.

It's 1934 in Texas and drought has devastated farmers and their families. Elsa Martinelli has to decide to stay and fight or take her children west for the possibility of a better life.

The Dust Bowl is admittedly not something I know much about but while reading this book I kept thinking about how much has changed in our country since then but also how much hasn't. My heart constantly broke for this family and everything that is happening that is out of their control.

This may not be a fast-paced book but at no point will you want to put it down. It's a beautiful story of strength, resilience, and the lengths we go to protect our family. You'll go through a whole slew of emotions from beginning to end. Anger for how they were treated, happiness to see the friendships formed, and hope for their future. It's not an easy read but fans of Kristin Hannah probably knew to expect that.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for my eARC of this book.

By my count, exactly 5 happy or uplifting things happen in this book, so at 464 pages, it's a very depressing read. Interesting history told with strong emotion, as can be expected from Kristin Hannah's books, though. More political than the average Hannah tale.

*soft spoiler(s)*

This is a book that I literally couldn’t stop hearing about – it seemed like every time I opened an email in early 2021, it was touting this book. (For the stat nerds, see short list below.) Maybe it was a case of too much hype, but it just, sadly, really didn’t do it for me.

The characters had good depth and the scenes throughout the novel were well written, but the tale didn’t overpower me with emotion, which I would have expected for a story smack dab in the Dust Bowl era of the 1930’s depression and intra-country migration.

There was a ton of backstory to read through before Elsa’s story really got going (her teen years, early married life, quite a bit of time in Texas before moving to California). While I love good backstory, as it provides character motivation, in The Four Winds it merely seemed to bog down the narrative, and underscored the novel with a rambling train of thought.

I also felt let down that Elsa didn’t get any resolution with her runaway husband, which I was eagerly awaiting, but it never came.

The good news, however, is that Elsa, through her ordeal(s), finds her self-worth, beauty, and voice.

Recommended for those who love historical fiction and who are eager to know about this period of American history.

Of note, too, is that handy book club kit from St. Martin’s Press is available at https://kristinhannah.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/FourWinds_BookClubKit.pdf for our book club lovers out there (you know who you are – ha ha). You may also read an excerpt of the novel at https://kristinhannah.com/books/the-four-winds/the-four-winds-excerpt/.

A big thank you to Kristin Hannah, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for providing an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for this honest review.

The Four Winds brought in a boat-load of accolades, from such sources as:
• Barnes and Noble Book Club Selections
• Book Club Chat Best Book Club Pick for February 2021
• Book Clubbish New Releases for February
• Book of the Month Club February 2021 selection
• Jenna Bush Hager Book Club list from the Today Show February 2021 selection

A big thank you to Kristin Hannah, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for providing an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for this honest review.

If you’re looking to buy a copy of The Four Winds, please consider purchasing from https://bookshop.org/lists/bloggers-to-watch-with-a-book-in-our-hands - the online bookstore that gives 75% of the book’s profits to your local, indie bookshops.

#TheFourWinds
#KristinHannah
#StMartinsPress
#NetGalley
#GeneralFiction
#LiteraryFiction
#HistoricalFiction
#WomensFiction
#BookClubs

Why is this not a time period that we see very often in the publishing world? It is such a devastating and heartbreaking period of history that is rife with stories of families being torn apart. What made the journey in the Four Winds so devastating was that you can see these kinds of things happening in modern society as a result of the recession and the pandemic. One moment everything is going well and then, of no fault of your own, you are plunged into deep and bone-chilling poverty. No amount of planning and scrimping could have saved the Martinelli family from the false hope, discrimination and circumstances into which they fell. Humanity is once again reflected in Kristin Hannah's writing.

I was given access to a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Elsa is a 25 yr old “ugly duckling” living in the Texas panhandle - she meets Rafe who gives her hope of a different life. Fast forward, she and Rafe have two kids living on his family’s farm. Enter: the Great Depression. Rafe leaves his family behind for the west, and after months of sticking it out amongst wind storms and slim pickings, Elsa decided that’s what she and her two kids needs to do too. What follows is a journey from Texas to California, and what awaits them when they arrive.

I know this book was highly anticipated for 2021 given Hannah’s smashing success w The Nightengale & The Great Alone. I really like how Hannah is able to adapt her storytelling to various parts of history — contemporary Alaska & WWII France felt so different from this 1930s Depression-era dust bowl time period. One of my biggest critiques of the Nightengale was historical accuracy & this bothered me less in this book (but maybe it’s because I know less about this period). She repeats herself fairly often (re: Elsa not thinking she’s brave or pretty, Lorena thinking Elsa is annoying), but honestly in true KH fashion, this was a page turner. I love her ability to do that - her books are so easy to read and they suck you in. I was rooting for this down-and-our family for all 500+ pages…and even though the ending was DRAMA (of course for KH), I really enjoyed reading it.

Yet, there was very little joy in this book — a lot of hardship and sadness. I kept waiting for a win.. but then the book kept getting fewer and fewer pages 🥺 I loved the ending, especially after Lorena’s stunt at the general store and using being a woman to her advantage (for once).

Overall, what I generally expected but a bit drearier - still couldn’t put it down though. Thank you Kristen Hannah for re-kickstarting my 2021 reading w this one!

I had to take a break from this one roughly half way through. It is SO WELL written that I found myself worrying about the characters like they were members of my family. I'm glad I picked it back up and finished it, but some of the scenes feel so bleak that it was overwhelming for my anxious self.

ARC from the publisher via NetGalley, but the opinions are my own.

This is a hard hitting historical fiction book. This is the third Kristin Hannah book I have read, and this is was not my favorite one. I really enjoyed this book a lot, and it was very well written like all the other Kristin Hannah books. Kristin Hannah books are not for the light hearted because they are hard hitting and goes into the dark parts of the subject the book is covering. This one takes place during the great depression it starts in Texas. I have to say the characters are well developed, but they are strong hearted women that does not takes crap. I loved the characters. This book made me call my Grandmother who is the strongest women I know, and she was born in 1935. I loved books that makes me really think, and I also love when they show us how much the world as changed. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (St. Martin's Press) or author (Kristin Hannah) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

As if the Great Depression of the 1930s wasn't bad enough, America's farmers had the additional indignity of dirt flung in their eyes by way of the Dust Bowl. It was a time of little ... little prosperity, little sustenance, little hope. Author Kristin Hannah puts pen to page to recreate this unforgettable period of time in her new novel The Four Winds, a story about a formidable, resilient woman who fights against all odds to keep her family alive during one of the darkest periods in American history.

Elsa Walcott was born into a life of privilege on the Texas Plains, but has always been treated as the black sheep of her family due to the fact that she is just not beautiful. At the age of 25, she is considered to be a spinster by the day's standards, with little hope of ever marrying and having a family of her own. Nor will her parents entertain her dreams of going to college and having a career. So Elsa decides to rebel, and heads out one night to paint the town red in a scarlet dress to match.

Little does she know that the course of her life is set to change that night in ways she could never imagine. For it is then that she meets the handsome Rafe Martinelli - a local farmboy with big dreams. She marries Rafe and the two start a family, living on his parents' farm and working the land. Life on the farm is prosperous at first, but when hard times hit, everything that Elsa counted on in her life changes. With things growing more dire in Texas by the day, Elsa has to make a life-altering decision. Should she keep her family in Texas amid the wildly volatile and unpredictable dust storms, with no food on the table and little chance of hope, or should she head out to the "land of milk and honey" - California - and the promise of the American Dream?

Admittedly, I did not expect to love The Four Winds as much as I did. Hannah has managed to take dark and depressing subject matter and fill it with heart and hope. To me, the hallmark of a memorable historical fiction novel is one that inspires me to dig into the actual events behind a story - to peruse the history and study photos of the times, learning as much about the time period as I can. Such was the case with The Four Winds - I pulled up pictures of the horrific dust storms that loomed over the Great Plains, I examined images of the squatters' camps in California, and I learned about the blatant, biased discrimination brought upon Americans by Americans during the migrations to California. I was able to draw parallels between now and a time nearly 100 years ago, pondering the ways our country has changed and stayed the same. The Four Winds was as much an educational journey for me as it was a way to enjoyably pass the time. Thus, I can say with confidence that Hannah has done a stellar job in both entertaining and inspiring her readers.

As for The Four Winds' writing, storyline, and characters, none are to leave me anytime soon. This novel is bleak and gritty, yet at the same time full of perseverance and hope. Be prepared to root for the Martinelli family and see them through to the end of this heartwrenching novel. Hannah's descriptions of life on the Plains and in the camps of California are so evocative and imagined, you will feel like you are seeing it all through your own eyes; that you are on this journey right alongside the Martinelli family. By the time you are finished with this novel, you will be frustrated and in tears for what Elsa and her family went through, and for what all of the brave American men, women, and children faced and fought during the time of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. Hats off to Kristin Hannah for vividly bringing to life the people and places of this somber time in American history.

Devastating to read but so well-written. It's a story about the tragic period of time during the dust bowl and Depression in the southern plain states. You will love her characters and weep with them and for them.

What a strong woman! Very good description of the prejudice immigrant families endured during the dust bowl. I was cheering Cir her to succeed throughout the entire story. Very readable.

It is 1921 and twenty-five-year-old Elsa Wolcott feels her life slipping away from her. She is a spinster with no prospects in her small Texas town. Until the night she meets Rafe Martinelli. He is eight years younger than her, with hopes and dreams that are beyond Texas. Elsa makes a decision that will destroy her reputation and change her life forever. The only thing she can do is marry Rafe and move in with his family on their farm. Thirteen years and two kids later, Elsa's marriage may not be the happiest, but the Martinelli's feel more like her family than her own family. But the summer is hot, the rain is scarce, and the wind is plentiful. Their Texas home is in the middle of the Dust Bowl. With the crops drying up and jobs disappearing, people are desperate for food and rain. The dust storms are relentless and Rafe when Rafe up and leaves in the middle of the night, Elsa is determined to keep her family together. But when the dust nearly kills her young son Elsa has no choice but to leave the only home she has ever known and go west. Where the jobs are plentiful and the dust won't kill them. Elsa and her children aren't in California a day before she realizes that life in California will not be any easier than it was in Texas. Will Elsa be able to give her children the better life that she desperately wants them to have in California?

The Four Winds is one of the most gripping novels I have read in a while. Kristin Hannah paints a bleak picture of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. But it is not all that different than what our country has been experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions of people out of work, standing in long lines for food and help from the government. Absurd amounts of people dying by no fault of their own. It was a tragic time in our country's history and The Four Winds will take you there and immerse you in the misery. I liked Elsa Wolcott. She proved to be a strong character, willing to do whatever it takes to give her children a better life. The book is told in alternating voices. One chapter is Elsa and the next is Loreda, Elsa's teen daughter. It gives the reader the complete picture of what life was like during that time. And it was ugly in so many ways. I was so surprised by the ending. The author took the story in a way that it left me speechless. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS.

Bottom Line - I am so grateful that Kristin Hannah told Elsa's story. The bookstores are full of novels about World War 2, but very few historical novels about the Great Depression are available. The Four Winds is a story that will grip you and break your heart, but it is not to be missed.

Details:
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
On Facebook
Pages: 464
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 2.2.2021
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Kristin Hannah never disappoints. The story flowed great, had me on a roller coaster of emotions but in the best way

4.1 - outstanding historical fiction; Elsa's perseverance and grit were inspirational; the vivid imagery of the Dust Bowl was excellent

Hannah makes the Dust Bowl and the plights of migrant workers during the Great Depression come alive in this enthralling historical fiction.

Elsa and her daughter Loretta and son Ant make the difficult decision to leave her in-laws’ farm in the Texas panhandle for California, where they hope to make a living. But California is not what the flyers, sailing in on the winds carrying away dirt and dreams, led them to believe. Instead, California is prejudicial, back-breaking, and demoralizing. And yet Hannah presents a story that is not dissimilar to 2021: (im)migrant distrust, big farmers’/corpotions’ greed, hard work, unionization and political unrest, and the little people just trying to get by. This historical fiction novel will hit you hard, and you will think about it for days and weeks after you finish the last page.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance read copy of this book in exchanged for an unbiased opinion.

This book touched me. Once I really start to read it, I couldn't put it down. I haven't been readying for the last 4 months at all but this book brought it all back to me.

The characters were real. They were strong. They faced challenges and didn't just win the day. But in the end, they did win because they had enduring love. And not romantic love, but love of each other and the land. The writing so eloquently made you feel the characters emotions. You felt the despair, the sadness, the fear, the anger, intense love and deepest grief.

This is not a book tied up in a pretty bow. It's real and honest and inspiring. Once again, Kristin Hannah has made me fall in love. This time with a family from Texas in the 30's.

This book follows Elsa and her family who live in the panhandle of Texas during The Dust Bowl. You see their struggles of the time there, and then their life and struggles as they become part of the migration to California.

I love Kristin Hannah’s historical fiction because she can weave such an emotional story while teaching us about history. How she is able to evoke so much emotion from her strong characters is amazing at times, although I did find some smaller scenes in this book just a little melodramatic for my taste,

It is still expertly written and is obvious how much time the author put into researching the topic for this story. I learned a lot from this book and it made me want to research and learn more, which to me is the goal of a well done historical fiction novel in my opinion.

4.5 stars

The Dust Bowl era of the 1930s, coupled with the Depression, were crippling times for many families in America's Heartland. Overused, their farms suffered and the families lost their livelihood and their own sustenance. Lured by hopes of jobs in California, thousands of families traveled west in the hopes of new agriculture jobs. Land barons, who did need their help, often treated them poorly, still giving them insufficient wages, excessively demanding conditions, and discrimination over the "Okies". In their hometowns, many were farmers but others were white collar workers from banks, schools, retail, etc. The stress was unimaginable and families accepted the picker jobs for pure survival. Kristin Hannah follows a family on their desperate trek to find a better life.