Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

The Four Winds tells the gut-wrenching tale of farmer Elsa as she navigates through the anguish, uncertainties, and life threatening decisions of the Dust Bowl era. Elsa’s tale is ultimately a story of the undying love of a mother and survival.

Readers meet Elsa as a lonely, neglected, sickly teenager desperate to live a little. When her choices have great consequences, she finds herself banished from her family’s wealthy life and married to a farmer. Though it is not the life she ever envisioned, she finds herself well suited for the hard work and structure of farm life. But, over the years life is far from idyllic with the country deep in the depths of the Great Depression and the Texas Panhandle farmers facing unprecedented drought and dust storms. After her husband abandons her, his children, and his parents, Elsa, desperate for a better life for her children, sets out on the harrowing journey across the country to California. However, California is not the great land of opportunity it was promised to be, and Elsa and her children face discrimination, homelessness, and starvation. Ever hopeful that their circumstances will improve, Elsa shows incredible inner strength to carry on.

This is obviously not a light, breezy read. It is heavy and relentless. Intentionally relentless so that readers feel the desperation to the breaking point of the characters’ plight. I did not simply read The Four Winds but endured all the trials alongside Elsa, felt the suffocating gritty dust, the hunger, the loss…one defeat after another…the hope that things will at last get better. Poverty, despair, and even the dust, are characters in their own right. I could not help but think of my grandparents and their own journey from Texas to California. Author Kristin Hanna’s words made their experience all the more real for me. My admiration for them has grown because of Elsa’s story. Hanna’s words stay with you long after you read the last page.

The Four Winds is an immersive, important read about a devastating time in American history that we should always remember. Highly recommend.

I loved Kristin Hannah's "The Nightingale" so much that I figured I'd like pretty much anything else she cared to write. I was mistaken. "The Four Winds," which is set primarily during the Great Depression, reads in part like a book report about the Dust Bowl. The last part of the book takes on the flavor of a social studies presentation on the plight of California farm workers in the 1930s. Hannah clearly did a lot of research about the time period. Unfortunately, that research is dropped into her narrative in large clunky blocks rather than appearing to be interwoven seamlessly with the story. I cannot recommend this book.

It took me a long time to get into this Kristin Hannah novel, because it was SO sad. Over and over and over I just felt like it was just yet another thing to be sad about vs. root for the characters. I never got to the point where I was excited to pick up the book. I had to put it down and exchange with happy books just to get through. Maybe it was the year? Maybe it was that I didn't connect with the relationships between the characters and her love for her children? Not sure! Wished I loved, it but LIKED it.

3/5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this e-arc!

It was....fantastic! This was my first book of the author's and I'm glad to not be disappointed. Hannah did well with making me as a reader attached to the various characters and at the same time making them flawed and full. Elsa and Loreda contrasting is a great way of creating conflict without being unrealistic. But said conflict just comes out of personal disagreements. The rating is this low as I feel that the romance wasn't handled well. There were other moments that a specific scene could've been put in cause come on...a romantic scene in the middle of a revolutionary strike? It made me cry a few times and this being pro-communism is a definite plus!

Wow. Kristin Hannah does it again! This book made me feel so many emotions. I was quickly sucked into this book and could not put in down! Definitely a great read!

I have loved every Kristin Hannah that I have read, and The Four Winds was no exception! Hannah's writing is so atmospheric, I felt like I really knew what it would have been like to live throught the Dust Bowl. Not only is the writing excellent, but the book also gives the reader lots to think about; specifically how people treat one another, especially in the most difficult of times. I still think about this book and these characters! I will read anything Kristin Hannah writes! 5 stars!!

An absolutely wonderful historical fiction novel. Loved the character development in the story. Learned a tremendous amount of what life was life for women during the Great Depression. Although the ending had me in tears I would highly recommend this novel.

I'm going to be an outlier for this one as everyone seems to be loving it. Very bleak read with few high points. Had a strong start and the time period was super interesting but the book quickly lost steam. Reading this truly felt like a slog and I didn't want to pick it up. The positives of the book: it made me more curious about the Dust Bowl and I admired the strength and resiliency of the characters.

I really don't think KH is for me. There's something about the writing that just irks me. Maybe it's the constant reframing and repetition of scenery descriptors or conversations - it drives me crazy and makes me crave tighter editing.

This is a captivating story about the dust storms in Texas and the treatment of migrants in California in the 1930’s. By 1934, drought and dust storms destroy the Great Plains. The Martinelli farm is in ruins.
The story focuses on the resilience of the Martinelli family especially Elsa, abandoned by her husband, who tries to lead her family in search of the “American Dream”. I was astonished at what the people of these times endured in order to survive. It’s a heart wrenching story.
I received a free arc from Net Galley for an honest review.

🌾On our recent live, @jordys.book.club mentioned how I used to write a lot of detailed and insightful reviews. And I did! And then life got in the way (or at least that’s what I tell myself). We then reflected on my rage reviews of days of yore. Oh man, how I loved to write them. Welp- today I’m bringing back the old days and delivering a rage-heavy review for your enjoyment!!! Are you sensitive to rage? Then DONT read this. Will you get angry at me for having an opinion? Then DONT read this. If you need a whole lotta bookish angst...then read away!!!

🌾REVIEW- 2.49863 stars. I’m sorry. But what wassss this that I just read??? This was legit Kristin Hannah on crack...the most depressing crack everrrr.

Listen- I love me a good cry. I rocked in a corner weeping after finishing The Nightingale for daysss. But this? The Four Winds was literally a master class in taking every bleak and sad and god awful thing that could possibly happen to you, and throwing it all in a book and hoping and praying that it would make you weep. It did not.

Set during The Great Depression in Texas, the story did in fact open my eyes to things I truly didn’t know or understand. I do have to admit that this piece of history was not ever taught to these depths and it was quite enraging and I was flabbergasted at how wretched our country was during this time period. Alas- that is really the only positive thing I have to say about this book.

The main character and mother, Elsa was basically a walking talking Eeyore. Good lord. How many times can someone say “but I’m not pretty”?!? Even well into her 30s and 40s she was yammering about her ugliness. Get a grip woman! Grow up! She was meek, whiny, a pessimist, had zero backbone and was just not someone I could root for. Her son Ant- I’ll give him a pass. He was sweet. The daughter Loreda needed to be blown away in a dust storm. She was legit every mother’s greatest fear when raising a daughter. She was just an awful creature that just needed to always get her way, and when she did...she still complained. Blah. The men in this story. Whatever. One was a nobody disaster mess that was basically given no depth and the other was painted as the bad boy heroine that also was given no depth. The only redeeming characters were the grandparents Tony and Rose.

So back to the bleakness and depressing plot lines...
In one book you have: verbally, emotionally and physically abusive parents, teenage pregnancy, homelessness, abandonment, relationship strife, mother/daughter strife, more emotional abuse, more abandonment, dust storms x 8273882 (why so many? We got the point after the first 75), poverty, hunger, The Great Depression, homelessness again, more poverty, more hunger, more emotional abuse, a giant flood, more homelessness, abuse, more emotional torment, child loss, death, more poverty, more death. This is not an exaggeration. By the end of this book I was just numb and unfazed. Speaking of the end...

The ending was trash. I minused 1.5 stars simply bc of the ending. The super obvious attempt to make the reader cry only made me cringe and dry heave a bit. Super spoiler ahead-
The fact that little miss dormouse Elsa finally decides to speak and be a normal human in the last five pages, only to end up being shot is RIDICULOUS. And not only that- but the hospital scene...I’m still cringing. The woman was shot once, the doctors can do nothing to help her bc the olden time bullet that was used apparently shattered and minced her insides and her heart is suddenly now not working (but it had no prob working when she was picking cotton for 12 hours a day and malnourished), but alas Elsa wakes up from her death bed to utter her goodbyes. It was like the movie Stepmom...but not sad. And then she croaks. And then in the epilogue the shitty daughter finally now loves her mom and talks about how brave she always was?!? Ummm what? Sister- all you did the entire book was tell your mother that she was a dipshit. Whatever.

This was an epic disappointment. It felt rushed, embellished, silly and just not wrought in true and genuine emotion. Ugh.

Reading THE FOUR WINDS by Kristin Hannah brought back memories of Clan Of The Cave Bear a favorite from several years ago. Rich details spanning hundreds of pages set the stage and scenery for wondrous pages to follow. Details that required years to develop and research. That is what kept coming back to me.
I guess I am a lover of details. And that is why I highly recommend THE FOUR WINDS by Kristin Hannah. Simply put THE FOUR WINDS is that good. Enriched with engaging dialog between characters that are vividly real. Situations that candidly break your heart. Belief that it takes almost ungodly strength to survive in the world Kristin Hannah recreates for this story.
Recreates is the central point. This really happened in the glorious world of America where people strive to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, to follow dreams. Sometimes flighty, others drastically real. In THE FOUR WINDS we see characters just trying to survive. Survive in harsh times, on land beaten by natural causes and ultimately in the company of harsh people.
Sometimes we almost excuse bad behavior as a flaw in character. But then it could be explained as fear. Fear of being in the shoes of someone who but for the grace of god could be yourself.
The world is a scary, inhospitable and at times inhuman place during the time period described in THE FOUR WINDS. Viscerally difficult to fathom. We keep waiting for a respite but then it would not be in keeping with the reality of the world created by Kristin Hannah.
Elsa and her family did all they could to keep themselves from giving in to the despair watching all they worked for getting destroyed by the one thing totally out of their control, weather. In truth the land they coveted was killing them. One kind of storm after another. If THE FOUR WINDS teaches us anything is that there are all kinds of poor. Sometimes dreams just do not stand a chance. If one choice seems too good to believe then follow your instincts because it surely is.
The background for THE FOUR WINDS is based on events from the great depression and destruction of generations old farms. We follow the path of Elsa Martinelli and her children as they face an uncertain future. Unfortunately staying on the family farm is no longer a choice. It cannot support them all. It is dying and will certainly take them all with it.
Elsa considers herself the least strong person she knows and yet it is her inner strength and love of her family that learns how to manage in this scary, unfathomable situation she finds herself in. There is no shortage of burdens facing them in their travels. They cross paths with folks of all kinds. There is no class structure among the folks that are crawling along looking for something better than they left behind. They are all in the same proverbial boat. And Kristin Hannah brings us along as witness to their willingness to do and face anything in the name of survival. Kristin Hannah creates amazingly real complicated characters that strike at your heart on every page. From beginning to end the author puts you in the action. THE FOUR WINDS is another must read tale brought to us by the amazingly talented Kristin Hannah. We have come to expect nothing less and THE FOUR WINDS is further proof of her intelligent writing and research.

The Four Winds by Kristian Hannah is absolutely phenomenal. This historical fiction read made me feel as if I was there living through every heartache and overcoming every obstacle of the Dust Bowl of the 1930's. I believe that Kristian Hannah did an excellent job highlighting the injustices of the time period as well as the struggle for survival and perseverance of the main characters Elsa, Lorena, and Ant.

The character development was one of my favorite parts and I fell in love with each of them, their stories and their charted paths. Their strength, resilience and fighting spirits for justice and equality for all is an important message that still rings true today.

If you enjoy historical fiction this book is a MUST, but even if you have not previously been a fan of historical fiction I would encourage you to read the Four Winds. It is a beautiful story that is rooted in history and shares a glimpse into the lives of those who were impacted so harshly by the Dust Bowl of 1930.

Think you NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC for The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah.

"The Four Winds" by Kristin Hannah is a novel of hardship, isolation, despair and courage. Through Hannah's descriptive prose, we are transported to a time in American History where the "Dust Bowl" and "Great Depression" converged to create intolerable living conditions for millions of Americans.

The protagonist of the story is Elsa Martinelli who grew up in a home where her parents deemed her too frail and unattractive to marry. Because of a dalliance, she is forced to marry a man who doesn't love her. Though her husband ultimately leaves her, she is blessed with two children and in-laws who become like parents to her. But Elsa's inner turmoil of self doubt continues to churn inside her. "The things your parents say and the things your husband doesn't say become a mirror..."

In 1935, Elsa packs up her kids and leaves Texas in search of a better life in California. Her son suffers from a breathing ailment because of the unrelenting dust storms that have wrecked havoc on their livelihood and living conditions. Her in-laws decide to stay with their farm and so Elsa must try to embark on a new life as a single mother with no family or friends.

Unfortunately, Elsa and her children join thousands of migrants in search of limited jobs while dealing with prejudice and distrust. They are forced to live in a migrant camp with filthy living conditions. The migrants are exploited by wealthy land owners who pay a pittance for long hours of picking cotton and fruit. The stark reality of the migrants' plight is often hard to read, but ultimately "The Four Winds" is about courage, perseverance and hope. Elsa finds inner strength through her children and friendships that she develops.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. After I turned the last page, I'm still thinking about it. Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this one just fine - as my first book by the author it wasn't what I expected. I love a good historical read, but I just couldn't connect with this one, as it was much darker and depressing that I considered. I knew the ending before I got there, and found myself skimming whole chapters. I just couldn't love it like I really wanted to.

AMAZING. I’d expect nothing less from Kristin Hannah, but she really knocked it out of the park with this one. It takes a special book to make me cry as I empathize with the characters.

5 stars are not enough for this book. The Four Winds made me want to learn more about the Great Depression and what they went through. I loved the characters and the progression of the story. Being so involved in the book, I was not prepared for the ending.!

This is the story of one woman’s struggle in life. Having decided she is too old to marry at a time when marrying was a woman’s only option, Elsa Wolcott sees only bleakness in her future. One night she meets Rafe Martinelli and decides change is in order. However, in due time, with her reputation in shambles, she does the only respectable thing she can do, marry a man she barely knows. Thus, begins her story. In a few short years, things have gone from okay to bad. There is little work, dust storms and drought have dried up what was once the prospering Martinelli farm. Elsa has to make a difficult decision, to stay and hope for the best or to go West looking for a good life. Thus begins the story of this strong woman, as she and her family trudge on forward West to what they hope will be a better life.

I always enjoy this author’s work. However, I have some real misgivings about this book. I felt depressed every time I picked it up to read—it is not a happy story. There are some happy moments, but mostly it is a slow, tedious slough through one’s miserable life where things seldom go right and never seem to turn out for the good. It did show the determination and earnestness of the American soul to keep going forward, putting one foot in front of the next, hoping for the best—and sometimes turning the bad things better. The challenges, the pain, the heartache we feel today has not changed, as I could feel and understand it throughout the reading. The book provided an excellent picture of just how tough life was then, and just how resilient people could be to survive. I just wish it had not been so tedious and so full of bad things happening. This is a book for someone who enjoys reading through history wither in history books or in novels like this one to get a better feel for what life was like. Perhaps I am just not ready for this, with the pandemic and all it has brought recently. Still, it is worth looking at and reading if you are interested in the history or in seeing just how strong and earnest people can be (especially a woman). I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

Okay...this book punched me right in the gut from the start. Prior to this one, I have never read a story written about this particular time in history. The writing was so rich that I could feel the dust settling onto every surfaced. I could feel the fear and hopelessness starting to suffocate me. It was all so vivid that I contemplated setting the book down because it felt too heavy for the headspace I was in. However, the characters were so compelling that I had a desperate need to see their story through. Ultimately, I’m so glad I did. I can’t even begin to count the number of times I cried while reading this book. By the end, I was a puddle of emotions. This book brought me on a journey, not only through these characters struggles and pain, but also through a journey of self discovery. I saw so much of myself in Elsa. It was like holding a mirror up to myself and damn if it wasn’t hard to see my true self staring back. This is a book that will stay with me for a long, long time. I highly recommend it!

Hannah's writing style propelled me easily through this depressing tale of hardship set during the 1930s, though I don't think it's anywhere near as solid as her two last books, The Nightingale or The Great Alone.

The ending was quite abrupt and there were too many dropped threads (what ever happens to Rafe?), though the mother-daughter relationships might have been the best part, both the challenging one between Loreda and Elsa, and the sweet one between Elsa and Rose.

I loved this book. Besides reading Grapes of Wrath in high school, I have read very little about the dust bowl era, and I found this to be a fresh take with characters I really cared about.

I'm a fan of Kristin Hannah in general, but I think this might be my favorite of hers so far.