Wow, this book I could not put down! Reliving in a fictional world what farmers and their families endured during The Great Depression, The Dust Bowl, and The Migrant Worker strife brought me to tears. Especially seeing parallel instances that are occurring right now during the pandemic as it is very heart wrenching to read about. Kristin Hannah's writing is addicting and I love that she brings us real life historical events to capture our hearts and minds to show us what her characters must do to survive even if it isn't entire real. Thank you Kristin Hannah and St. Martin's Press for this advanced reading opportunity, I will definitely be purchasing once it releases in February along with recommending it to my friends and family.

This was another great historical fiction read from Kristen Hannah. Set during the Great Depression The Four Winds tells a story of Elsa and her children was they suffer through the dust bowl in Texas. She goes into great detail about the hardships and horrors of drought, starvation and dust. Elsa eventually reaches her breaking point and take her children out of one disaster or a journey to a better life that proves just as hard if not worse than the one she left behind. The details and research bring the hardships to life and are unfortunately relevant to life today. Than you NetGalley for letting me have an early chance to read this novel!

I am a huge Kristin Hannah fan. I have loved so many of her books. This one is an achievement in the technical aspect of writing. I felt every wrenching emotion I was meant to feel. But at this point, I must tell you something. This is not an uplifting book. Occasionally (very occasionally), there's a beautiful interlude thrown into the midst of despair. But that doesn't happen often. At first, I was disappointed because it felt like this story was a rewriting of John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath." Why was this very capable author rewriting a classic (that most of us have read) about a subject that in and of itself is so depressing and sad? Finally, in the last half of the book, I understood. It took a different turn than Steinbeck's did. And while some people might not appreciate the message, it was apt for the time and circumstances. America has a history that we sometimes can't be proud of. We always look back from the distance of time and think, "We will learn from this. We won't treat people like that anymore." And yet so often, we are doomed to repeat history in ways we later wish we hadn't. There were a couple of implausible things in this story, especially toward the end, that brought my rating down to four stars. But I can recommend this book easily. Just be sure to read it when you're in a good mood. And let's try to learn from the mistakes that were made during an unfortunate time in our history. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read an advance reader's copy. I'm impressed.

I love historical fiction, but I tend to stick to my favorite go-to time period which is the WWII. Sometimes I may veer out of this era to something interesting that grabs my attention but I will admit the last time I remember reading a book set durng the Dust Bowl/Great Depression era was in high school for my senior research paper when I very begrudgingly read The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. I haaaaaated it. I don't think I even finished it and because it was such a long project it turned me off of books set in that same era. I figured if anyone could write a book about it that would hold my attention it was Kristin Hannah and I was right. I couldn't put it down. The book was interesting from start to finish. It was set in Texas (which may have been more interesting to me than Steinbeck's novel set in Oklahoma, because I am a Texan) and California and deals with not only a family's particular struggles but also protests about unfair wages and living conditions. I found it to be such a great book that all these many years later it made me feel like maybe I should give The Grapes of Wrath another chance. Kristin Hannah's historical fiction is always excellent. I recommend it to anyone who loves history.

In 'The Nightingale' Kristin Hannah takes us to the mountains between France and Spain where the brave traveled to escape the travesties of WW2. In 'The Great Alone' we learn about the harsh reality of life in Alaska. In 'The Four Winds' the author takes us back to the 1920s and 1930s, to the great plains, in north west Texas, and we are transported to life on farms in small towns, following the lives of the Martinelli's, Italian immigrants. The reader follows this family through prosperity, then the great depression and what came to be known as 'the dust bowl.' The author's descriptions are so vivid the reader feels what it's like for these people. living and breathing dust. From here, we follow the family as they migrate west towards California to escape the dust and survive. A running theme of this novel? You are brave because of your fear, that is courage.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

"Texas, 1934. Millions are out of work and a drought has broken the Great Plains. In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinelli must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west, to California, in search of a better life."

Good story. Like most good historical fiction, reading this had me looking for more information about the Dust Bowl. Incredible, almost unbelievable, what these people endured.

"Dust pneumonia. That's what they called it, but it was really loss and poverty and man's mistakes."

4☆

I was so excited to read this book. I’ve loved numerous other books by Kristin Hannah and the dust bowl is one of my favorite historical events to read about. There aren’t nearly enough books set during this time. This book was a tremendous disappointment to me. The ugliness of the main character was emphasized so much it was distracting. I felt like it was shoved down my throat, constantly. In fact, there were multiple times I quit reading simply because I couldn’t handle being reminded, repeatedly, that she was ugly. I wanted to love this book but ended up having to force myself to finish it. I never looked forward to picking it up. Very disappointing.

This is an amazing historical fiction story about the hardship of farming life during the 1920s and 1930s. Also, including life in The Great Depression of the United States. It focuses on the struggles of one family, but knowing there were so many others like this one, made it heartbreaking to read. At the same time, the story is lifting, that people will push forward in the most difficult situations to strive for a better future for themselves and most especially their children.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

You will be parched yet thankful for running water as you read this book. The misery of the Dust Bowl for individuals and communities unfolds for a young mother. I admired her courage and kindness despite the odds. Scenes still turn over in my mind.

One of my favorite Hannah books. A memorable and character-driven story highlighting a struggling American family led by a strong, amazing workhorse of a woman named Elsa. The setting takes place during the Great Depression, merging with the horrific dust storms of the Great Plains and one of the largest migrations in American History. Parched land, ruined crops and untold numbers of farm animals killed in the dust bowl states. The impact was devastating to hundreds of thousands hardworking Americans and migrants who lost everything and were treated with disdain by unsympathetic oafs who could not walk a mile in their shoes. Hannah’s portrait of Elsa, her tribulations and dedication to make a better life for her children was masterfully done. Children Ant and Loreda were lovely characters, innocents who had to grow up too soon and deal with things children never should have to deal with. Extraordinary story with well-drawn characters and brilliant writing.

4.5 stars

Kristin Hannah comes through again, and this time, it's in the Dust Bowl and on the California cotton fields.

This is my third Hannah read, and I have yet to find myself disappointed. The main character of this one, Elsa, is riveting from the start. She has a challenging family life, which is made worse through its visible and lasting impacts on her. The first signs of hope for her appear in her found family and carry on through additional found family members, as well as - especially - her own children. Her development and the growth of the people she encounters are what makes this novel great. I do think the California section of the novel is unnecessarily lengthy in places, but not in a way that degrades the overall quality of the narrative.

This is another solid product from Hannah, which incoming fans - and those new to Hannah's work - will equally enjoy. The author's note is not to be missed, by the way.

I love Kristin Hannah’s writing, and this story solidifies that even more. I found myself crying with, and rooting the Martinelli family and their friends. I found myself furious with the way they were treated. I absolutely loved the writing, and found myself re-reading passages over and over.

“The Four Winds” was a modern author’s telling of the struggles the South & West portions of the US during the 1930s. It provided a great historical perspective. Credit to Kristin Hannah for painting a clear verbal picture. Reading the account of the terrible conditions in Texas during the Dust Bowl left me feeling dry and dirty.
The first third of the novel evoked a range of emotions as it unfolded. I went from sympathy to frustration to admiration for Elsa’s early years. As tough decisions had to be made, I finally found a comfortable view of her which lasted through the novel.
Some of the characters seemed contrived but it kept the story from being a completely dark story.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early release in exchange for an honest review.

Elsa is a character for the ages! Not since Grapes of Wrath have I read something that touched on the Dust Bowl and that era of American history with the sensitivity and heart that this subject sorely needs. I could taste the dust in my mouth and felt it was not only a touching rendering of family life in that era, but also very timely as well. When so many are worried about where their next meals might come, this felt not as much like fiction at times. As a middle aged woman who sometimes worries about how effectual she is at parenthood, I identified with Elsa's great love for her family (and her inability to see anything extraordinary within herself).

Oh my, this book had me sobbing! Like for real tears and snot streaming down my face. I loved it, it was wonderful. 5 stars go pre order it from your local book store.
I'm not the kind of person that cries at everything so when I book makes me cry that's really powerful. To bring me to tears a book would have to be beautifully written and intricately crafted, and as you would expect if you are familiar with Hannah's work, it was. The descriptions are so vivid that you feel transported and the characters are so well written that they feel alive. But ultimately Hannah has a gift for exposing her readers hearts through her writing.
I loved reading about the dustbowl and the great depression because it's a time in history that I haven't read much about. We studied it in Highschool but reading it now, from the perspective of a mother as well as through the lense of our current health and racial and political issues just brought it that much more alive. Honestly I know this review is barely even making sense and I'm sure I'll come back and rewrite it when I come out of my book hangover, but bottom line this this book is amazing and you better go preorder it.

Kristen Hannah is one of those authors whom you don't question if you are going to buy her books - rather, you just DO. In this case, I was lucky enough to get an E-galley of her newest book, The Four Winds. Breathless and full of excitement, I downloaded it and raced through it in one day. It was an amazing work.

This book takes place during the Great Depression, more specifically, The Dust Bowl era.

I didn't know too much about The Dust Bowl era. This book was very informative, while also being extremely interesting to read.

Highly recommended.

I was super excited when I was approved. I savored the read, anticipating it. I began reading and it stalled. I finally finished it, but it’s not what expected. Every two years I eagerly await Hannah’s newest book. This one began with such promise. I hair had difficulty sticking with the story. It’s not my favorite and while I didn’t dislike it I didn’t love it either. There are many parallels with contemporary times: economic uncertainty, fear, and loss. I guess I’ve had my fill of all those things and didn’t want to read about endless loss and tragedy. Hannah does an excellent job of recreating the barrenness of the Dustbowl, people’s fear, desperation, and poverty, the choices and sacrifices they were forced to make. I think if I had read this book in a good year, any year besides 2020, I would have liked it better.

3.75/5 Right now may not have been the best time for me to read this one. I'm grateful to the publishers and netgalley for the opportunity to read an early copy.
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It's getting lots of 5⭐ reviews on Goodreads so don't let my lack of enthusiasm deter you, especially if you're a Hannah fan. For me, it was sad and frustrating and hours of desperate, hopeless reading.
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I appreciate that Hannah took on a different era of history than we've seen in popular historical fiction but it felt flat and drawn out to me. I was skimming by the end. I think this one will strike the heart and emotions for many. To me, the story is desperate in many ways - both good and bad. It follows one woman, Elsa (it took me a while to get Frozen out of my head and take her seriously), as she navigates adulthood in the midst of the 1920s-30s, a victim of the devastation wrought by The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. I honestly know very little about this aspect of those days and for that reason I appreciate her use of fiction to add humanity back into history.
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Read it. Think about the many ways it can relate in our modern lives and mindset about how we view others. In my own personal desire for hope and joy and positivity right now, it was too much, well, Life. It's why it's good and also why I didn't love it.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

This is a retelling of the dust bowl era as with the classic Grapes Of Wrath. This is a story of one woman Elsa during the dust bowl era in the Panhandle of Texas. A unloved abused daughter languishing away in a life where she does not belong hides in her books. When she steps out for one night and then becomes pregnant her life changes in unexpected ways. She leaves her parents abusive household and enters into a marriage with a man she does not know yet comes to love. She eventually has two daughters and is sustained by her marriage and her in laws who treat her as family. .She begins to value her own worth for the first time in her life and know her own strength. Through her growth into a young wife and Mother the dust bowl hits the Panhandle and Elsa has to make the choice to take her family to California.

The author does so deftly portray the hardships of Texas Panhandle in the dust bowl and the great depression. She vividly describes for the reader the lack of food, the dust storms, the heartbreaking loss of precious. crops , The reader has a sense of their desperate lack of hope and tenacity of the dust bowl Americans. How they survived on so little and kept their faith throughout the hardship. Elsa and her young family decide to move to California and endure new hardships during that trip. Once the difficult trip to California is over Elsa and her young family endure many more unforeseen hardships which mirror the truth of this time in history . Throughout each period of time Elsa grows into a women of strength and charcter.

I was pleased to read this for review. It is a wonderful telling of American history . This is a very talented author and I look forward to her next work.

As the Great Depression racks America, a broken family fights to regain hope and opportunity- this is America after all.

Elsa Martinelli was unloved by her parents, abandoned by her husband, forced to leave her ravaged home in the Texas Panhandle with her two children during the worst economic depression American had ever seen. With a heart full of determination and love for her family, she will work and fight for a better life in California. At least that was the idea. She arrives in a camp of dirty, poverty stricken migrant workers, living in tents, barely able to feed and care for her children. What will it take to fight the farmer owners, coppers, and state officials that need to hold their power over these workers and give her children a fighting change. With ten workers for every one job, their progress seems impossible.

In the heart-breaking emotional struggle to take back their humanity from the powerful people who treat them worse than dogs, Kristin Hannah awakens our humanness and hope for a better tomorrow. Staggering and often painful, the experiences her characters endure at the hands of those with money- awaken our own sense of right and wrong in the upside-down world we are currently living in.

Poignant. Timely. This book will open your heart, increase your awareness, and break down your personal boundaries with the battles inside poverty and the idea of hope in America!