Important subject matter, giving interesting insight into the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl and the California migration of the 1930s. It also provides a disheartening reminder that we as humans don’t really change or learn from our mistakes. It is clear that Americans will always fear “the outsider,” even if the outsider is American as well.

This book is absolutely amazing. I had so many emotions. It’s depressing, but I found myself totally immersed in the story. The author is really able to bring the setting to life through her beautifully descriptive words.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. I'll be posting my full review a little closer to its pub date!

Thank you in advance to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for this eARC of The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah.

Kristin Hannah has once again woven a historical fiction with a setting that feels so real that you are tasting the dust and the dirt that suffocated everyone and everything during the Dust Bowl. I found myself even taking notes to further research this challenging time in American history. As a mother, I can't imagine worrying about your family's next meal and the air that you will breath in the swirling winds of such a devastating ecological and economical disaster. Hannah always has a knack for creating memorable and relatable characters, and I found myself shedding tears for their losses. I'm thankful to have read this book, and can't wait to discuss it with my fellow Kristin Hannah fans once it is released.

In a way, "The Four Winds" is an antidote to this grim year. If we think these times are hard, read this. If we think there's no. more work to be done, read this. If you don't believe in climate change, read this.

The remarkable courage of these people, particularly women, is almost hard to believe. And here we are, with armed groups threatening to kidnap a governor because gyms can't open in a pandemic. What's happened to this country?

"The Four Winds" is a tough read, but a good one. Kristin Hannah is developing into a very interesting writer!

~~Candace Siegle, Greedy Reader

Set during the Dust Bowl in the Panhandle of Texas, Kristin Hannah’s novel, The Four Winds, tells the story of Elsinore Wolcott Martinelli, a woman driven from her in-law’s wheat farm in Lonesome Tree, Texas, by the dust storms, crop failures, and financial hardship. When Elsa’s young son’s life depends on moving out of the Dust Bowl because of his dust pneumonia, she and her two children migrate along Route 66 to California in search of The American Dream. Like the classic novel The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, this novel explores themes of poverty, discrimination, social justice, and sacrifice.

Both novels are social commentaries on the experience of migrants struggling to survive in their historical moment. Like Steinbeck before her, Hannah has done considerable research including a visit of the FSA “Weedpatch” camp in Arvin, California, where she also spoke to former residents of the camp. She reviewed the same interviews conducted by Sanora Babb, whose own novel Whose Names are Unknown was put aside for the release of Grapes.

The four winds blew people from all across America into California, where they were not wanted and were labeled “Okies” by the residents. Elsa had not always been poor. She came from a wealthy family in Dalhart, Texas, who disowned her when a shotgun wedding to Rafe Martinelli was warranted. As times got harder and harder on the Martinelli farm thanks to the drought and the dust storms, Rafe abandoned his family to pursue his own dreams.

On their own journey to a second chance, Elsa imagined a new home and a new job in California. She had not pictured a “ditch-bank camp” for a home, nor had she expected poor pay for long hours doing menial jobs. Even her children ended up picking cotton to make ends meet, which never happened, as the company store prices gouged their little earnings.

A devastating flash flood took what little they had and left them with nothing but their truck and its contents. They could not go back to the Panhandle because of the son’s health, but it hardly seemed they could succeed in California where they were not welcome.

Communists who are trying to organize workers to unite and to strike where pay and work conditions are lacking come to the forefront at this point in the story. While Elsa’s teenage daughter realized the validity of the concerns of the would-be strikers and wants to take up their cause, Elsa remained fearful about getting involved in the work actions. At a pivotal moment, Elsa’s decision and its consequence drive the story to its climax.

Hannah echoed Steinbeck’s unforgettable closing scene in The Grapes of Wrath in her novel as she brought it to a mighty closing. I found myself thinking back to Steinbeck’s powerful novel at various points throughout this book.

Kristin Hannah, one of my favorite authors, is the bestselling author of The Nightingale, Goodreads best historical fiction novel for 2015, and The Great Alone, Goodreads best historical novel of the year in 2018.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting December 10, 2020.

I would like to thank St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an early reader copy of The Four Winds.

In this book, Kristin Hannah introduced me to a part of American history I knew very little about. The hardships of the Dust Bowl & Great Depression era were quite heartbreaking as seen through the eyes of her characters. Hannah is very talented at creating characters to root for, and fans of her work will certainly be drawn into this latest release.

As the author’s note says at the end, this was at times a difficult book to read given the parallels to the havoc from the coronavirus, economic recession, and unemployment many face today, but at the same time it was a great homage to strength and resilience that I appreciated.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me early access to Kristin Hannah's The Four Winds in exchange for an honest review.

I have recently become a new fan of Kristin Hannah's work. I was introduced to her when I read The Nightingale after it was recommended by a fellow book club member. She has a distinct way of building characters that are simultaneously strong and vulnerable. The Four Winds was a novel that certainly did just that. We are initially introduced to the main protagonist, Elsinore Martinelli, or Elsa Wolcott as she is introduced to us. She is a young woman by today's standards, but by the standards of 1921 a woman on the brink of spinsterhood, living with her wealthy parents in a small town in Texas. She has spent her entire life being told that she was fragile due to a childhood illness that left her with a weak heart. Thus, she was also considered not worthy of marriage or husband. One night, in a fit of rebellion, Elsa meets Rafe, a young italian man of lesser means, at a local dance. It is not long after that Elsa finds herself in the motherly way. As a result Elsa is banished from her parents' home and brought to Rafe's home where she is left. Stuck in a loveless marriage, Elsa finds herself once again struggling to make a place for herself in the world. As the story progresses Elsa is faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles as she and her little family struggle to stay alive during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression. Abandoned by her husband and feeling as though her only choice to save her children, Elsa makes the difficult decision to pack up her entire life into the back of a pick up truck and head west for California.

Historical fiction is one of my most widely read and preferred genres. I love a book that can give me an inside look into a different time and teach me something that I did not already know. Hannah was successful in recreating the world in which the people of the Great Plains lived and struggled in with such vivid detail that there were times where I felt like I could look out my window and see a dust storm blowing in. You really feel the character's sense of despair and hopelessness every time a crop failed or an animal died due to having dirt in it's lungs. Hannah definitely did not shy away from the tough realities of life on the plains during that time as well. I will always remember the scene where Tony and Elsa are forced to euthanize one of their last cows due to it's declining health. It was scenes like this that really made this book and built that atmospheric tension that runs so thick from start to finish. I actually found myself having to put the book down at times because it felt so heavy. This is by no means a criticism of the author or the book. In fact, I mean it as a compliment. That was an indication that Hannah had accomplished what she set out to do, which was to draw the reader into the story and make them feel the fear, hunger and downright oppressive worry that the characters were feeling.

What really made the book for me were the characters of Elsa and Loreda, her young daughter. Their relationship was so relatable and will touch a wide audience due to how real and raw it was. Both women were so headstrong and stubborn at times that it created this palpable tension between the two that it will be hard to find a female reader that can't relate in some way. One of the most striking aspects of Elsa and Loreda's characters were how similar they were within once you got past the differences displayed on the outside. Loreda acted, in many ways, as the foil to Elsa's character. Elsa had always been a strong woman, but she needed that extra push to believe it herself. She spent most of her life being told that she was ill and fragile. That she would never be a "woman." When Rafe leaves her, she is forced to pull herself back up by her bootstraps and become a leader for her children. Without Loreda constantly challenging her and pushing back against her, I do not believe that Elsa would have blossomed in the way that she did in the end and found her voice. There were a lot of characters in this story, but they were so well developed that I did not feel that any of them were lost in the story. You feel a connection to each and every one of them. Even the unlikeable ones.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel immensely. With the exception of Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath, I have never read a book set in this time period, but if I were to be asked to recommend a novel on this topic, The Four Winds would be at the top of the list. You will feel every emotion from sadness and anger to overwhelming joy. It certainly is not a happy feel good read on the surface, but once you dig underneath and connect with the characters and their stories, you will find it hard to put this novel down.

Kristin Hannah's, "The Four Winds," introduced me to a time in history that I knew very little about. We begin in Texas, 1934, during one of the darkest periods of The Great Depression. Hanna's descriptive language gave this novel such a strong sense of place...helping me gain some understanding of a time where many feared for their lives yet refused to leave the land they owned, worked, and loved. It was their legacy.

My emotions moved with Elsa Martinelli and the desperate choices she must make not only for herself but for generations to come. Truly excellent!

Kristin Hannah's newest book is another period drama, but this time it's set in the 1930s Texas panhandle. It follows the life of Elsa Martinelli, a young woman who finds herself thrown into precarious situations both in her personal life and as her family tries to survive both the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. As someone who knows very little about the Dust Bowl, the descriptions are so engaging/horrifying. Reading this book now, during another American crisis certainly puts another spin on the trials the characters go through and the refusal of both local and federal governments to help their own people.

My only complaint about the book is that the pacing felt a little off to me. There's a lot of time spent discussing the dust storms on the farm, but then the end in California on the Welty farm felt super rushed. However, it's a really engaging story and fans of Hannah's other novels will love this one.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of the book.

Kristin Hannah is an automatic-buy author for me so I was so excited to read this. And it did not disappoint! I loved it! It tells the harrowing tale of a mother struggling to keep her two children safe during the Dust Bowl and as they move West to find a better life in California. This book is trademark Hannah: great characters, and writing set in a fascinating historical context with lots and lots of emotion. I could not put it down!

In her usual exception way, Kristin Hannah presents a wealth of information about our history in The Four Winds. This book pulls at your heart as a mother and an American.

Despite an early impression of generalized description and dialogue, I came to like this book a lot. Set in Texas just before and during the drought and Dust Bowl conditions of the 1930's, we follow the life of Elsa, who has grown up in a prosperous home where love is in short supply, for her at least. The only person who seems to have any encouraging words were her Grandfather, years passed.
When circumstances force her to leave this home, she is taken in by the Martinellis, immigrant Italian farmers, and learns there the true meaning of family.
After some years of real prosperity, more fulfilling than any her rich merchant father could provide, the onset of drought, and sheer human weakness, conspire to send her west in order to save her son from sickness caused by the ever present dust.
Faced with deprivations, bigotry, diminishing prospects, and unimaginable loss, Elsa must now draw upon strengths and courage she never believes she has. Despite the increasing hardships Elsa must endure, she and her children also encounter friendship, community, and compassion. One of my favorite characters is a town librarian.
The Four Winds is a timely novel, based on accounts of Americans who, having had their livelihoods ruined by drought, find themselves refugees in their own country, unwanted, and ultimately exploited. I ultimately found it compelling, provocative, and emotionally engaging.

Oh goodness. What can I even say about this book?

In my opinion, KH is not renowned for her elaborately crafted syntax or her beautifully lyrical sentence structure. Her writing could actually be described as simple or even pretty basic. However, the masterpiece that all of those "simple" sentences create is what makes her books SO GOOD. No hesitation FIVE STARS good!

From my first tears 25% through to my sobs reading the author's note in the back, I cried several times. It has got the KH signature stamp of emotion, let me tell you.

Elsa is a CHAMP of a character and I loved getting to follow along with her journey. She is probably one of the realest, most kick-butt characters KH has written.

I think readers will find this book eerily similar to the times we currently live in. To issues that (still) exist among society right now. The Martinelli family represents many things--loyalty, dreams, courage, perseverance, HOPE... but above all, it is a story of family, those we share blood with and those we do not.

5/5

It is the 1930s and Elsa Martinelli is living through the Dust Bowl in the Texas panhandle. Despite her love for the farm on which she lives, she recognizes that she must leave to "go West" like so many of her neighbors, for the health and safety of her children, Loreda and Anthony. Unfortunately, life in California is not what they had hoped. Living in tents, being shunned by Californians as "Okies," and scrounging for work.

I remember reading The Grapes of Wrath in high school, but I don't remember it hitting me as hard as this book did. This is my first read by Kristin Hannah and it blew me away. Initially, I struggled to like Elsa (she didn't make the best decisions in the early parts of the novel), but watching her grow as she lived through hardship after hardship...I felt my heart break with hers each and every time. I'm usually not big on historical fiction, but this is a must-read.

A well researched historical fiction book. This story is set in the time of the "Dust Bowl," a time that is rarely written about anymore. Outside of The Grapes of Wrath I don't think I've read any books that take place at this time. One can almost taste and smell the dust that invades everything. Kristin Hannah always writes about strong women and this book is no different. A well written story and researched story.

During the Great Depression, it's up to Elsa Martinelli to keep her family together. They have no choice but to flee the Dust Bowl and go to California, but they find that life isn't easy there either. Hannah paints a vivid picture of the anti-migrant discrimination and unfair working conditions the Martinellis face and the strength that Elsa and her daughter Lorena show in the toughest of circumstances.

Kristin Hannah is a wonderful writer, and I was so excited to receive an ARC of this book! From the first few pages, Hannah drew me into Elsa's world. I loved her writing style and attention to research - they really created the world of the Depression. As in Hannah's previous work, the strong female characters of Elsa and Lorena were truly inspiring. The story was well-paced, with some surprises and conflicts to keep the reader's attention.

As we struggle through the hard times of the COVID economy, I know that this story will resonate with readers, as it did with me. I hope it will motivate readers to support their communities and neighbors rather than making the same selfish mistakes of the past. If you enjoy historical fiction, this book is not to be missed.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am speechless over what I have just finished reading! This is Author Kristen Hannah at her finest with a captivating story that covers a wide range of emotions and family dynamics that takes place in the panhandle of Texas beginning in 1921.

Elsinor "Elsa" Wolcott grew up in a wealthy family with two older and much prettier sisters and her parents never let her forget it. Elsa stood 6 feet tall, was very thin and considered herself very unattractive. Elsa was sick with a fever when she was a young teen and her parents turned her into an invalid and never let her do anything. Elsa marries Raffaello "Rafe" Martinelli and begins life as a farmer's wife. Life on the farm is a struggle with the depression and then the dust bowl era which forces Elsa to make a decision about staying there or heading west. That is all I will say because I do not want to reveal any spoilers.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this truly remarkable and unforgettable book in exchange for an honest review. I predict that this will be one of the top reads for 2021.

It took quite awhile for me to get into this one. Once she leaves home I cared a bit more. Although she goes through many hardships the main character is Not a sympathetic one. I cared about the Martnellis and her little boy the most. This seems very well researched. The details during the devastation brought by nature and living in tent city were very well done
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

It’s quite possible that my favorite book of the year is one that doesn’t release until next year, but I’m so excited to share this touching book with you!

As soon as I saw that Kristin Hannah had a new book coming out, I knew it was one that I wanted to read and then when I saw that it was set around the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl I wanted to read it even more.

SUMMARY
The Four Winds is set in Texas in 1934 when millions of people are out of work and a drought has broken the Great Plains. Farmers are struggling to survive as the Dust Bowl, one of the darkest periods of the Great Depression has arrived.

Elsa Martinelli was the sheltered daughter of an upper-class family of prominence that does not accept her and quickly disowns her when she becomes pregnant. She marries Rafe Martinelli and finds acceptance and love with his parents on their farm. Eventually life becomes unbearably hard and uncertain as the farm struggles when the drought hits. Elsa is abandoned once again and eventually has to decide if she should fight for the land she loves or go west to California in search of a better life for herself and her children.

California turns out to be far from the perfect land it was promised to be. It is ripe with its own struggles, especially for migrant families looking for a better life. Elsa and her children face prejudices and injustices as they struggle to survive and eek out a meager living.

Elsa proves herself to be a loving, compassionate mother and a courageous, indomitable woman who will stop at nothing to provide for her children.

WHAT I LOVED
Honestly, I loved everything about this book!!

Most of all, I loved the characters, who are flawed, but so very strong.

I love that I learned a lot about this period of time that I didn’t know about before. Reading The Four Winds made me want to research and learn more about the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl and the migration of farmers to California and how they were treated.

I love that I could see so many parallels to struggles that many people are facing today.

I loved that I connected with the story and the characters in The Four Winds on an emotional level.

I also loved reading the note from Kristen Hannah at the end of the book. It was truly touching.

THEMES
The themes addressed in The Four Winds include the resilience of the human spirit, self-acceptance, inner courage and strength. It also addresses love and self-acceptance and the importance of family.

MY ONLY REGRET
My only regret is that I read The Four Winds on my kindle. This is a book that I would have loved to have held in my hands. In fact, I’ll probably re-read it when it comes out in print just so that I can do just that.

This beautiful, heartfelt book belongs on my bookshelf among my favorites!

QUOTE
“She’d rather reach for love and fail than never reach at all.”

RATING
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
I received a copy of The Four Winds through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to the talented Kristin Hannah for this opportunity.