Another beautifully written novel by Kristin Hannah. This one is set in the Depression and Dust Bowl eras and follows a young woman named Elsa. She marries, has kids of her own, and gains a new family. Living through these economic and environmental hardships, Elsa has to make many big choices about what she believes is best for her family. Her determination and strength never falter as she keeps pushing on.

This story is full of heartbreak, hope, courage, and love. Once you finish, you won't be able to forget Elsa or her family.

The Great Depression and the Dustbowl is the backdrop of a story of one woman's search to find love and worth. Elsa has always felt unlovable to her family but a chance meeting one night leads her to a handsome young Italian man Rafe. When she ends up pregnant, her family kicks her out and Rafe's family (and Rafe) reluctantly take her in. As Rafe's wife, Elsa bonds with his mother and grows their family on the farm with his parents. But as times get harder, rain stops and crops die, Rafe grows more distant and even her young daughter pulls away. Elsa will soon be tested by the elements and abandonment and must find a way for she and her children to survive in the harsh world. This is a well-written story and Elsa is a very sympathetic heroine. It seems like everything happens to her, and given the time period, it's not a light reading kind of story. It's good historical fiction, but depressing.

This is very nearly a 5 star novel.
It was an intense read about the Dust Bowl, the Great Depression, and migrant workers in California. At the core of the plot was a woman and her two children. I am not going to summarize the story. However, it was depressing and emotional. I actually had to take a break for a few days before I finished it. It just became overwhelming. These poor people's lives were absolutely tragic with no relief in sight. I felt so sorry for them all. I experienced anger and frustration on behalf of the characters. It was absolutely heartbreaking. The author created an atmosphere that sparked intense emotion in me as a reader. This is definitely 5 star caliber writing and storytelling.
The only reason I would knock it down a fraction of a star is because of the ending that (for me) felt unfulfilling. While the novel is supposed to be about a woman and her family, at times it seemed to be much more focused on migrant workers and workers' rights. The story culminated in the last 30 to 50 pages with a dramatic situation involving violence, courage; and, of course, love. However it left the bigger picture unresolved. At least, it was not resolved in a way that satisfied me. There was some resolution among the characters but not the historical situation. This type of book motivates me to research the historical events to find closure to that aspect of the story. I believe the book would have felt more complete had the author provided some historical closure, even if it had been in the author's note.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

*I received an e-galley from NetGalley/St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest review.*

The Four Winds is the fictional story of Elsa Martinelli, and her family, and their journey through the devastating and hopelessness of The Dust Bowl and The Great Depression.

I’ve heard high praise for Kristin Hannah’s novels for years, but this is the first one I’ve read, and I’ll definitely be reading more in the future.

This book resonated with me greatly as a mother- and that willingness to do anything to keep your children as safe, happy, and innocent as possible. I found myself often thinking of my beloved grandmother, who was growing up during this time period.

While so much of this story is heartbreaking (seriously- this book had me in tears, and I haven’t cried while reading a book since I was 14), the underlying theme is truly one of hope. How amazingly beautiful it was to read about the sadness and despair all these characters faced, and yet, they never gave up hope.

I truly loved everything about this book- the writing, the characters and setting, and I feel like it was painstakingly researched and presented as accurately as the narrative would allow.

This story was achingly gorgeous- tearing my heart out at moments, only to have me smiling through my tears at others. It made me respect even more the people who lived throughout these hardest of times.

This is a book that I will not soon forget, and I cannot wait for its release so I can buy a physical copy for my shelves.

Please do yourself a favor and read this book. Even if you don’t typically read historical fiction, I truly believe that this book will resonate with something inside of you.

Elsa has never had it easy; a loveless childhood was followed by a loveless marriage. She thought she had just found love and comfort in her growing family, but then the Dust Bowl struck. Forced to make some of the biggest decisions of her life, will Elsa find the courage to protect her family?

Wow. This one was a doozy. The last 5% of this novel had me very teary eyed. Here is the historical fiction novel I had been waiting for since <u>The Nightingale</u>. I was so very unimpressed by <u>The Great Alone</u> but <u>The Four Winds</u> did not disappoint! An interesting storyline, lots of action, compelling and lovable characters. I was very pleased with this novel overall, in spite of the heartbreaking conclusion.

The Four Winds is my first Kristin Hannah book and I really need to get to her other ones! This was such a great book and such a hard book to read. I have kids the same ages as Loreda and Anthony and I found myself wondering over and over again about how we would react if we were faced with the same struggles.

The language and dialogue that Hannah uses does such a great job of bringing the reader into a heartbreaking time in American history. The added themes of poverty, immigration, and “us vs. them” are all too timely these days and reading the book during the pandemic really added to the weight of the novel. I wish the book were released early so we could get more minds thinking about these things.

The Four Winds will definitely stay with you; I highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Let me preface this review by saying that I’ll read anything Kristin Hannah puts out. Grocery list? I’ll be first in line. So I was ecstatic to get my hands on her newest book, The Four Winds. I immediately dropped everything to read it. Sorry, family! As always, the author weaves an emotional, harrowing, gripping tale. She is a phenomenal author and The Four Winds, as her other books, was exceptionally written.

During the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, Elsa Martinelli fights for her family’s survival during one of the bleakest times in US history. As farmers, their crops are failing. Their livestock is dying. And their family is being crippled physically, mentally, and emotionally. This is a story of courage and tenacity in the face of extreme adversity.

I loved this book. The setting is set so vividly I could feel the grit of sand in my eyes. I adore how the author portrays strong, independent women. Elsa’s grit and determination was fierce despite the never ending struggles. Make no mistake though- this story is bleak. Despair runs rampant throughout the book. This is definitely a book you have to be in the right mood for! I was surprised and disappointed by the conclusion. But after mulling it over, I can see what the author was doing. And now I want to re-read it, knowing what I know now. This book was phenomenal, gritty, and poignant. Its equally hopeful and bleak, which is not an easy balance. It made my angry. It made me cry. It made me hopeful. It made me frustrated. I ran the full gamut of emotions in this book! This just highlights the authors amazing talent. I loved The Four Winds and give it the full 5⭐️. My sincere thanks to @stmartinspress for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

{In her author note, Kristin Hannah writes what comes off as sort of an apology. Stating that this book has been in the works for years and that nobody could have predicted a global pandemic. To be clear- this book is full of despair. If this year has been hard for you it’s probably best to wait on this one. You definitely need to be in the right mindset to read and appreciate this book.}

This book touched me and broke my heart! It was absolutely incredibly written and I found myself waking up in the middle of the night to read it. This is a story of mothers and daughters, of survival and greatness. I will absolutely be recommending it to so many library patrons.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Kristin Hannah for allowing me to read this ARC. I just finished this book and I am stunned at how good it was.The book spans 15 years in Elsa’s life during the Depression and the Dust Bowl days. It’s a long book, but kept me intrigued and wanting to know what happened next, so I finished it quickly. The writing drew me into the story and I could not stop reading. The characters were well-drawn and I was rooting for Elsa the whole time. She goes from an unloved but spoiled daughter to a mother of two. Loreda changes from a spoiled teen to a strong, smart, brave young woman. I love reading books where the characters grow and change.
The story was heartbreaking and sometimes painful to read what the characters go through. I couldn’t help but draw parallels to all of the people currently out of work now due to the pandemic. But what an epic saga and what a great read. I highly recommend this book if you are a historical fiction reader and even if you’re not if you like good books.

Thank you Net Galley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

It’s not often that a book can bring its reads to have such strong emotions & reactions to the words. This is a book that at points had me in tears the pages became blurry.

Kristen Harris takes her readers on a journey with men, women, and children living in 1930’s Texas; and their struggle to survive to Great Depression.

While the happy moments in this novel were few and far between- Elsa’s journey from was one of growth and strength for what she’s endured.

This is quite a harrowing tale. I actually had to take a pause from reading it at about 50%. Had I been reading this in any moment other than the middle of the dumpster fire that is 2020, I think I could have read it straight through. At this moment, however, it was a lot to live the pandemic and terrible unrest and then pick up a book and read about another time in American history where things were also awful.

Pretty much every moment of Elsa's life is TOUGH. She starts off with a terrible family who doesn't like or support her. They quickly disown her when she seeks affection from Rafe and ends up pregnant. There's a quick blip where she finds a stable, home living with Rafe and his family and has her children, but then the dust bowl starts. If you know anything about this period in history, then you know what follows is a life-or-death struggle. Elsa has a fraught relationship with her daughter who blames her mother for all of her issues. Elsa also has a really poor self-image and often doesn't believe in herself. Elsa's marriage to Rafe is also lonely and one-sided. Rafe eventually abandons the family. The family almost starves on the farm. Elsa's son gets dust asthma an almost dies. Are you sensing a trend? Finally, the family makes the dangerous and difficult journey to California to escape the dust where they experience discrimination, abject poverty, and severe labor abuses by the big farmers and corporations where the migrants are forced to work. It's literally one horrible thing after another.

However, as is typical with Hannah, you can't stop reading. I read late into the night, literally biting my nails, wanting to know what would happen next. My favorite Hannah book is still The Great Alone, but this is a strong addition to her catalog. This is a stark, vivid account of the depression and the Dust Bowl. There was so much excellent historical detail that I loved. The ending was NOT what I wanted at all, but I appreciated it all the same. The last 20% is the weakest part-- it devolves a bit into what feels like propaganda for unionized labor and workers' rights which I support but it felt a bit like a different book. Until that point, it had really been the story of Elsa and her family and their experiences during this really horrible moment in American history. During that last 20%, it was more about how the communist party in California was fighting for workers' rights and Elsa felt like a vehicle to inform about that moment.

"The Four Winds" tells the story of Elsa Martinelli and her family as they live during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl in Texas. Elsa, while born into an upper middle-class family, is unloved due to her looks and health issues. She becomes pregnant and is forced to marry into a poor farming family. There she finds the love and acceptance that families can provide. However, her marriage to a young dreamer fails as he abandons the family. Elsa is left to raise and support her two children along with her supportive in-laws.

Eventually, Elsa has to decide between staying in Texas or journeying alone with her two children to California, the land of promise. Once in California, she discovers the huge number of Texan and Oklahoma migrants have flooded the area driving down the wages and raising housing costs. She joins the many migrant farm workers barely making a living and becomes involved in protests to unionize the workers.

Kristin Hannah developed an interesting group of characters and portrayed the U.S. as it was during this time period. This book reminded me of "The Grapes of Wrath", telling the heartbreaking story of determined Americans desperate for a way to make a living and provide for their family against the harsh realities of life and those in power.

This book is the story of Elsa’s journey to believe in herself and allow her courageous spirit to surface. I recommend this book if you like multi-generation sagas or are interested in this challenging time period in history.

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah is a heartbreaking beautiful story. The Four Winds takes us back to the 1930's in a time that seems eerily similar to current time in America. It tells the story of Elsa a young woman that has never known what it is like to be loved. Her family doesn't want anything to do with her and her husband leaves in the middle of the night, all during one of the hardest times in America. The dust is killing Elsa's young son, so she must leave the only place that she knows as home and head west in hopes of a better life for her children. Full of heartbreaks and hope this book will make you feel all the emotions. I can not recommend this book enough, I absolutely loved it.

I received an ARC digital copy of Kristin Hannah’s The Four Winds directly from NetGalley and offer my unbiased review. My thanks to NetGalley, and to Kristin Hannah.

I’ve been to Dalhart TX. I know how the wind whips through the land and puts a sting on your face. Dalhart Texas the birthplace of Elsa Martinelli, farmers wife, daughter and mother, friend and rabble rouser for Fair Pay.

This novel brings the story of the Dust Bowl, the Great Depression and the migration of the American workers to life through a story of one girl and how the consequences of her actions shape the “Warrior “ she becomes.

The story of Elsa Martinelli, begins as a young teen , trying to make sense of her adolescent self and relationships between her privileged family as a child and the farming family that envelops her after childbirth. Her journey to California with one child recovering from dust pneumonia and the other, an angry teen.

It is filled with emotion and despair, courage and sacrifice. Elsa, determined to give her children a better life away from the dust bowl in Texas, only to fall into the never ending cycle the growers wanted the migrant farm workers in; living on credit, building it up, and never making enough, even with relief, to break out. They had to pick enough cotton to pay off this year’s debt for food and lodging, so they could start living on credit again in the winter when the work vanished. Competition so fierce for the work and the migrants owed too much to the grower to work for ever reducing pay.


This is the new American classic.

The author, in her Epilogue, offers the following:

For more information about the Dust Bowl years or the migrant experience in California, please go to my website www.KristinHannah.com for a Suggested Reading List.

I received an e-copy of The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah through Net Galley.
This is heartbreaking historical fiction set during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl era in Texas.
After Elsa is seduced by a local boy she is discarded by her family.. Fortunately she thrives on her new in-laws farm, finding her strength in caring for the land and her two children. But she witnesses the desperation setting in in the early 1930s'
There is talk that California is a promised land, with jobs available for those willing to work. Families pack up and flee, and finally Elsa sees it as her only option. Deserted by her husband, she and her children find themselves among thousands of other refugees, struggling to find work, shelter and food.
Hannah's writing evokes the desperate lives of the era in heart-breaking, often uncomfortable detail. Highly recommended.

In the past, I've enjoyed Kristin Hannah's books for their family drama. But her last 3 novels have been more historical fiction and I'm LOVING it! Her writing style just paints a mental picture for me, so much that by the end of this book I was crying!
Elsa lives in enforced solitude, an outsider in her own family. Shortly after her 25th birthday, Elsa's had enough. She goes against her parents orders and visits the speakeasy in town to listen to music wearing her new red silk dress. She meets Rafe, an Italian man who actually makes her feel pretty.
Soon after, Elsa is dumped on Rafe's doorstep, shamed, disowned, and pregnant. And there, with Rafe's parents on their Texas farm, she finds her true place...a family who loves her and a place she loves to call home. But then the stock market collapses and the nation falls into a Great Depression. The farm dries to dust as the rain refuses to fall. Starving and choking on dust Elsa refuses to leave for years, until she becomes forced to by her son's failing health.
Fleeing toward the promise of jobs and prosperity in California, Elsa again realizes she'll have to fight for the survival of herself and her children against the unfair practices of the landowners.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

"All my life I've been told to make no noise, don't want too much, be grateful for any scrap that came my way."

After some major health issues as a child, Elsa was deemed by her family to be too fragile and too ugly to be married. At 25, she is lonely, and longs to be seen. While sneaking away to find a little bit of adventure, she meets Rafe, a young Italian man and his attention buoys Elsa, and soon finds herself in the family way. After being forced into marriage, Elsa moves from her parent's wealthy home to the Martinelli farm where she learns the value and necessity of hard work and finally finds a place where she belongs and is loved.

Fast forward a few years, and drought takes hold of the south, forcing the Martinellis into impossible choices. Elsa decides to take her children and head to California, the "land of milk and honey" to try and find work so they can survive.

I loved this story. My eyes hurt so badly after putting it down from crying. I have been poor, with children and alone and sometimes faced with awful choices, but never as awful as the choices or conditions in this book. It also really put in to perspective how privileged we are to be living through the pandemic at this time in history.

However, if the book hadn't made me feel so much, I would give it 4 stars instead of 5, as some of the writing seemed a little forced, and was a little cliché at times, which is unusual for Ms. Hannah's writing, and sometimes the characters felt a little one-dimensional.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

I’m not sure I have to words to do this novel justice. Kristin Hannah is such a force, and this novel will be such a smash hit in 2021.

“Texas, 1934. Millions are out of work and a drought has broken the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as the crops are failing, the water is drying up, and dust threatens to bury them all. One of the darkest periods of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, has arrived with a vengeance.

In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinelli―like so many of her neighbors―must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west, to California, in search of a better life. The Four Winds is an indelible portrait of America and the American Dream, as seen through the eyes of one indomitable woman whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation.”

I don’t really like historical fiction- I’m just being honest, but Hannah is one of those authors that I can’t resist because her novels are so rich, and so real, and Four Winds is amazing. This story touches on family, on perseverance, and I don’t want to say much more for fear of spoiling it.

Just read it. It will bring you to tears. Absolutely amazing.

If my gushing hasn’t given it away, this is a five star read. An absolute must. Curl up with this book, your favorite blanket, a mug of your favorite warm drink, and a box of tissues.

*Many thanks to NetGalley, to St. Martin’s Press, and Kristin Hannah for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.*

While not my favorite from Kristin Hannah, this was an engrossing novel with all the typical Hannah feels. It’s a bit slow moving, but the setting (Texas and California during the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression) was one I did not know much about and found fascinating and eerily similar to our current climate. Ultimately the novel is one of hope and female empowerment, and it’s worth the read.

This is Kristin Hannah's best novel yet. It was so incredible from start to finish. I immediately cared about Elsa because of how her parents and siblings were treating her, like she didn't deserve to have happiness and good things. There was almost a V.C. Andrews feel to the beginning of the novel.

Then we get to the meat and potatoes of the story (or lack thereof, given the situation). I felt for Elsa and her family with everything they were going through. I couldn't imagine living the way they had to, but Kristin painted a vivid picture throughout. The dust winds sounded horrifying! I felt like I was right there with Elsa, toiling to earn very little money. There were some really great moments full of love and redemption to outweigh the horrible moments that could easily happen even nowadays. I like that Loreda's voice and perspective were included throughout the novel, as well. She was also an amazing character and I was impressed by her bravery.

Kristin Hannah makes a strong statement with this novel and it's one I won't easily forget. It was very powerful and also sad at times. I highly recommend picking it up as soon as it hits shelves in February. You won't be able to put it down at all!

Movie casting ideas:
Elsa: Marin Ireland
Loreda: Soni Bringas
Rafe: Marco Dapper
Rose: Greta Scacchi
Tony: Tony Danza
Jean: Elizabeth Reaser
Jack: Ryan Hurst
Welty: John Slattery