I initially did not like this book. I thought that the writing was too simplified as was the storyline. I was disappointed with this as the author had written several other books that were so good and that I did not feel this way about this one. I liked the story more as it went on. The closeness and perseverance of the main character and her family was really shown in the writing. I also enjoyed learning more about the Dust Bowl.

A sweeping epic novel of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl and the brave souls who ventured west to find a new life. Elsa Martinelli is an unlikely heroine who found her voice during a time of great oppression and tragedy. A true captivating story by Kristin Hannah.

Don’t worry about dying... worry about not living ✨

I felt this story and I felt it HARD. This is a tragic story that will wreck you. It is not an easy read by any means so come prepared when you are ready to lay your eyes on this one. Be ready to have your heart ripped out and stomped on and cue the ugly tears. However, this novel is stunningly written (I wouldn’t expect any less from Kristen Hannah), and I could not recommend it more.

This book was about holding on to dreams and doing whatever one can to save loved ones, while providing love to others in a way one never knew existed. You will be taken on a journey through time being immersed in the Great Depression, dust bowls, farmers broken by drought, 1930s California overpopulation, and riots.

I absolutely loved the characters and the growing bond between Elsa and Rosa who becomes the mother Elsa never had. Elsa will stay with me for years to come. Elsa’s daughter, Loreda, was a force to be reckoned with and a very relatable character to me. I can completely picture myself in her if I was around during this time. The storytelling is firmly set in its historical context and this poignant, emotional and soaring tale seems especially relevant as we fight a different battle against the ravages of the current COVID pandemic. 

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the eARC copy in an exchange. for an honest review. Pub Day is 2/2 so be on the lookout to snag this one up!

I've read several Kristin Hannah books and this one, like the others, did not disappoint. Hannah is a master of historical fiction as proven with The Nightingale, and, now, with The Four Winds. The character of Elsa reminds me, of Vianne and Isabelle, of The Nightingale, in her strength and determination to take care of her family and survive in a man's world and again all odds and all danger. The character of her daughter, another strong female character, is typical of the women Hannah creates: survivors and leaders. Hannah recreates the horrible dust storms and stark poverty of the the 1930's with frightening clarity. As I read I was not sure what Elsa should do. I felt as torn as she must have. Stay and subject her son to the damaging, life-threatening dust or take off into the unknowns of California to do what? Starve? Find a new life? Die? Live? As a mother I felt so much fear for her and her children and as a woman, nothing but anger at how she was treated by her family and the world and at her lack of options.
Another hit from Kristin Hannah and another wonderful choice for readers of historical fiction.

A fan of Kristin Hannah's last couple of books I was eager to read her latest novel. Set in a depression and dust bowl in Texas I was taken into a time and place I was not familiar with. I found myself googling images and history of that time period and learned so much about the dust bowl. While enlightening in time and place, the ending was not redemptive. I rooted for Elsa and her family, but found the ending a little disappointing. I'd still recommend it as an immersive setting and great character development.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, thanks to Netgalley for letting me read an advance copy.

This book was a wonderful, historical fiction read. I really enjoyed the timeliness of the content as well as the strong character-driven plot.

Kristin Hannah has a unique ability to bring out the struggles of womanhood and motherhood that eclipse time. Through the lens of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and its aftermath, Hannah grows Elsa's character from naive and neglected child to heartbroken and struggling mother to proud and passionate woman. Hannah does not sugarcoat the hardships and discrimination of the times and in fact, this intimate portrayal of class warfare is well-timed. It is not difficult to draw parallels to current struggles of "otherness" in the limelight today.

The Four Winds written by Kristin Hannah is an engrossing story of the depression era Dust Bowl. Elsa, the main character, is a heroine for all times! I am embarrassed to admit that this is the first book that I have read by Ms. Hannah. She has gained a new fan. I intend to read more of her work, as her writing is eloquent and her stories are told from the heart. Thank you NetGalley for ARC!

The Four Winds was a story that spanned a period of years during one of the dark times of the nation's history. I felt as if I absorbed more history about the droughts of the Great Plains than I ever did sitting in a history class. I learn best in fiction. I admired Elsa for being so strong without realizing how great that strength was. I found this to be an emotional journey as I thought about the horrific situations she found herself in and how her will to keeping going carried her on. The thing I love about reading Kristin Hannah is that no two books seem the same - she manages to capture an entirely new world with each one.

I just finished Kristin Hannah’s forthcoming novel The Four Winds, and it was a riveting read. I have to admit, it took its toll on me emotionally because it’s a sobering look at the realities of families that survived the Dust Bowl years of the 1930s. It also feels extremely timely with the global pandemic we’re facing — the dust storms seemed to come out of nowhere and affected so many people (with rippling effects on the economy as the disaster occurred during the Great Depression). We have yet to determine the lasting effects of COVID-19 on our economy and the emotional trauma wrought upon families across the nation.

In The Four Winds, Elsa Wolcott never felt like she belonged in the small town of Dalhart, Texas–at age 25, she felt unattractive and unloved by her family, and she had also never experienced first love. That all changed when she met Raffaello (Rafe) Martinelli. Immediately charmed by him, she falls quickly in love and they get married when Elsa realizes she’s pregnant. While she doesn’t have a happy marriage (and is disowned by her family), she discovers a deep love for Rafe’s parents, their land, and her children, Loreda and Anthony. But after suffering five years of drought and devasted by the Great Depression (and abandoned by Rafe), Elsa and her children set out in 1935 for what they hope is a better life in California. What follows is an epic tale of love, loss and ultimately redemption. While parts of the book felt bleak, that is only because this era was bleak for so many people. Elsa tries again and again to make life better for herself and her family, and it was impossible not to be moved by Elsa’s journey and to feel hopeful for a brighter future for all of us.

I have to admit this is the first book I have ever read set in this time period. Starting in the late 1920's, we meet Elsa who has basically been forced into becoming a spinster. Her family claims she is too tall, not pretty enough and too frail. But Elsa doesn't want to settle into that life, she wants more for herself. Unfortunately, the times dictate her father is still in charge when she finds herself pregnant, and suddenly she is married. For a while that works, but then the rain stops and the troubles really get started. This book shows the impact of the Dust Bowl, the migration of the farmers to California, the Great Depression, and the beginnings of the labor movement. This heart wrenching novel was at times depressing leaving me to wonder how much could this poor woman take but at the same time you just had to keep reading and wondering would things get better. Even though the book did make me shed some tears, I highly recommend it. The amount of research that Kristin Hannah did was evident throughout the story without bogging down the narrative. I particularly liked the author's note where she tried to relate the historic events to the current Pandemic.

Kristin Hannah is well-known within the realm of literary fiction for her tales of love and loss. Her newest historical fiction, The Four Winds, is the first I’ve read from her, and her reputation for gripping and heartbreaking stories held true…for the most part.

I will start by saying that although I am not predisposed towards the Dustbowl/Great Depression era (or much of American history in the early 20th century), I did end up appreciating the insight as to how life would have treated someone during this time. Similar to pandemic circumstances, there was the constant loom of uncertainty and fear as people struggled to feed their families. For that reason, I think this book is a particularly timely release that may shine some hope upon dark times.

To me, the most interesting part of the story was seeing how those who had lost everything to the environmental ruin of the Dust Bowl reacted to the apathy and greed of wealthy Americans. Their struggle for survival was fascinating to read about, especially since the events are historically based. This story would have been a great supplement to learning about this era from a textbook, and Hannah clearly did her research.

Unfortunately, a large chunk of the story is focused solely on the childhood/early adulthood of our protagonist, Elsa. Hannah’s goal was clearly to show a strong arc of her character development, but I could not stand her for half of the book. I understand that how she was treated bred trauma that she couldn’t shake, but I was too frustrated to sympathize. That, combined with the repetition and slow pace of the first half of the book, made it a chore trudging through.

That being said, I do think the ending was good enough to make the slower parts of the book feel rewarding. I do realize that there needed to be buildup to reach the conclusion that The Four Winds came to. The last fifth of the book was fast-paced and absolutely heartbreaking, which is why I am bumping my initial review of 3 stars up to 3.5.

Another thing I really appreciated was that the relationships focused on motherhood and the bond between siblings (with a tiny amount of romance in between). The love that I could feel through the pages made me want to call my own mom and remind her of how much she means to me. I think that Hannah’s ability to convey strong emotion speaks volumes about her skill as a writer.

TLDR; starts out slow, ending is worth it, you’ll probably learn something, you’ll definitely cry.

“The four winds have blown us here, people from all across the country, to the very edge of this great land, and now, at last, we make our stand, fight for what we know to be right. We fight for our American dream, that it will be possible again.”

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press for gifting me a copy of The Four Winds to read and review.

Kristin Hannah is one of the most incredible authors that I’ve read. She has this extraordinary ability to write a book that brings me in and immediately connects to my heart. I am slowly making my way through all of Hannah's novels, but I have to give myself some time between each one, as her writing always leaves such a deep imprint on my soul. I’m honestly still recovering from reading The Nightingale.

I never wanted this book to end - I wanted to continue to follow the characters and see what happened in their lives. I would love to tell you that this story is full of hope and wonder, but there are very few moments of happiness in the lives of the Martinelli’s. But, this was an accurate portrayal of the heart of America during this time. If anything, it gives you hope at just how resilient a person can be.

“We fought, we struggled, we hurt each other, so what? That’s what love is, I think. It’s all of it. Tears, anger, joy, struggle. Mostly, it’s durable. It lasts.”

The Four Winds will easily be a favorite of mine for 2021 as I finished reading it just two weeks ago and have found myself thinking of Loreda and Elsa on several occasions. I knew that Hannah would write an incredible book but, I wasn’t prepared for just how memorable it would be. My review won’t do this story justice as describing the impact that this book had on me is near impossible.

There are several of you that this is high up on your reading list, and I hope you love it as much as I did. The Four Winds will publish on February 9, 2021. I encourage you to pre-order it today.

Also, do yourself a favor and read the author’s note at the end.

This book took me directly to the 1930s dust bowl, so much so that at times I felt like I could taste dust. Elsa strikes out from Texas to California as a single mom with her two children when the dust storms threaten her youngest child's health. She is faced with terrible poverty, loss, and hardship, but she also finds friendship and hope, and most of all, she finds her voice. Her 13 year old daughter Loreda is also coming into her own voice, and her fierce determination is inspiring. When Jack, a man trying to organize the migrant workers into unions, befriends Elsa, she also finds love and desire for the first time in her life.

This book completely captured me as I read late into the night and then right away the next morning. For those who love Kristin Hannah and for those who have never read her, this book will delight them all. The themes also overlap with those in The Cold Millions, which I also recently read.

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah broke my heart again and again. But the strength of the characters was inspiring. This is a story about surviving unbelievable hardship, of creating and maintaining relationships under unusual circumstances, and of the love between a mother and her children. It is a lesson in the history of the Great Depression in Texas and California but has relevance today. It deals with homelessness and poverty after circumstances beyond the characters’ control cause them to lose most everything. It deals with how farm workers are mistreated by large farm owners. It deals with how people who have to start over in an unfamiliar place are mistrusted and judged unfairly.
This moving novel has a plot-centered, issue-oriented, linear storyline. Hannah describes the farms of Texas and the tent camps of California vividly but not so descriptively that it slows the pace of the story. The story is told from different characters’ perspectives. They are authentic and sympathetic.
This was the first novel by Kristin Hannah that I have read. I will read more because I enjoyed this book so much.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the eGalley.

Loyal fans of KH will likely love this one, but I wasn't blown away by Hannah's latest. While the subject matter was new territory in the historical fiction realm focusing on the Great Depression / Dust Bowl, it was a very depressing read (understandably as those were depressing times) and I trudged through this one. The novel begins with an unrealistic one night stand, turned forced marriage into an Italian farming family during the 1930's. From there, the book gets depressing and goes into great detail of the effects of the dust bowl. The novel then turns to migration to the West for work and better conditions and by the end of the book becomes a debate of communism vs. socialism and the development of a pro Union workforce. I felt the ending was sad, abrupt and rushed. I felt all over as far as story setting with this book, but it overall it was very eye opening of the times.

I am very late to the Kristin Hannah party - this was my first foray into her fiction, though will not be my last! Her writing style gripped me from the first chapter, and I devoured the first 75% of this book. The two main characters we well-developed and consistent, without sacrificing good establishment of secondary characters. Good bad or indifferent, there will be no avoiding comparisons to Grapes of Wrath, though there are worse comparisons to be made, and it was refreshing to see the Great Depression viewed from a woman's perspective; seemed to cover much more ground about the challenges the Dust Bowl faced, making the move West necessary for survival. The research was impressive - I'd never heard about the devastation of the dust storms that caused further insult to injury, or much detail before about the government and employer-induced challenges faced when arriving to California hoping for a new life. While set 90 years ago, the fear of "other-ness" and layers of hardship on certain segments of the population felt ironically current. Overall, 4.5 stars- it might have benefitted from a little tighter editing; found the back quarter of the book a little repetitive and dragged a bit. The ending, without spoiling, came as a surprise yet rung realistic, but felt a little rushed. I'll admit I've gotten away from historical fiction as a genre of interest lately, though this opened the door back up for me. Received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have some questions for Kristin Hannah. Does she enjoy making readers cry? Does she enjoy crying? Does she cry when she writes her books? Because this is NOT the first time she's made me cry, and i'm sure it won't be the last.

The Four Winds is just stunning. Even if you're not typically into historical fiction, i'd highly recommend this book. In an industry that's oversaturated with WWII stories (but hey, I love those too!) it's so nice to read historical fiction set during a different time. The Four Winds starts in the early 1920s, where we meet Elsa. Elsa suffered an illness as a teen, and her family has treated her like glass ever since (and boy, are they RUDE AF to her! It's so frustrating).

We spend a brief amount of time there before moving forward into 1934. Elsa lives on her in-laws' farm with her small family. She has changed a LOT and definitely for the better. She's strong and capable, but she's also dealing with some pre-teen drama from her daughter and a prolonged drought that's proving to be catastrophic for the farm (and the farm animals...oh, my heart). On top of that, we're also right in the middle of the Great Depression which is, well, upsetting to say the least.

After a series of unfortunate events (SERIOUSLY) Elsa packs up her kids and heads west to California, where things are supposed to be better. But...they're not. I'm sure you could figure that out for yourself. What happens from there is brutally, dismally sad. This book will break your heart. Don't say I didn't warn you. Also, read the Author's Note at the end - it's amazing.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the NetGalley ARC.

The Four Winds is the new book from Kristin Hannah.

"Elsa's family believes that she is plain and will never be married. She hides in her room reading her books and waiting. She meets a boy, Rafe, and becomes pregnant. Her father dumps her at Rafe's doorstep - an Italian immigrant family that are wheat farmers, like everyone in that part of Texas. The Depression hits and the rain stops - dust storms hit the state hard. The Dust Bowl is making life difficult for everyone. Rafe abandons Elsa and his two children and heads to California looking for a better life. Elsa eventually takes her children and sets out for California in search of Rafe and opportunity for herself and her children. But there are dangers along the way and in California that Elsa can't even imagine and she wonders what kind of place has America become..."

This book is beautifully written by Kristen Hannah. She describes the desolation and heat of the Dust Bowl. You can almost taste the dust. But it is bleak and depressing. Elsa is hit hard by life over and over again. You wonder just how much she can take. You hope that Elsa will find some happiness and eventually she does, but it's a long time before it happens. It's amazing that anyone could survive any of the situations that Elsa went through. It's an amazing moment when she finds her voice but the moment is short. And then it's tough again. The grit and determination of her daughter, Loreda, is fun to read. You probably know a kid like that.

This novel is bleak and at times was tough to read. But it's beautifully written about a part of US history that I didn't know much about.

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah is a much anticipated book by the readers in our Library community. Her recent few novels have provoked a great deal of discussion and interest. The Four Winds is no different. The novel brings us to the Great Plains of Texas during one of the most difficult times in American history: The Great Depression. We come to empathize with, and root for, the main character Elsa, as she navigates many trials and tribulations. Hannah adeptly provides a realistic setting for the story as each character comes to life. I highly recommend this novel to fans of Kristin Hannah, Jo Jo Moyes, Jodi Picoult and Chris Bohjalian.