’If I close my eyes sometimes, I swear I can still taste the dust…

Born into a family who lived a comfortable life, if only financially, Elsa feels like an outsider inside these walls where words are spent only to diminish her, to tell her what she will never be - good enough, healthy enough, pretty enough, wanted enough. Any attempt to live a normal life is met with words of disapproval, disdain and disregard for what she wants, let alone needs – someone to show her that she has value, someone to love, and to be loved by in return.

Set in Texas, beginning in 1921, Elsa spends much of her time inside the pages of the books she has come to view as her friends. She dreams of a life outside these walls, a place that feels, to her, like a home where she is welcomed and loved. Soon she would be twenty-five, by the standards of the time, without a man, a husband, she would be considered a spinster. Too tall. Not pretty enough, too thin, too timid. Too much of the wrong things, as society dictated, and not enough of the right ones.

One night, Elsa goes out without her parent’s knowledge, looking for a night to experience life as others her age did, trying to imagine a life beyond this, a life that included love, a home, and children. A life with joy to balance out the sadness, a life with someone who loved her as she was, with all her faults. On her way to town, she meets Raffaello Martinelli, Rafe. Meeting him, her dalliance with this man will change her life forever. Soon after, she will be married and living on a farm, and working in the fields, cooking and learning much and finding a sense of freedom and love from her new family.

The Depression captured the attention and changed the life of everyone, and now drought is changing these small cities and towns dependent on farms, and farming. Farmers are losing the battle as the ground dries up and swirls away covering floors, cars, tables, windows – anything and everything in it’s path, crops are failing, and people are packing up what they can take with them, while others are holding on to the dreams that brought them to this land which is disappearing with the winds. In time, Rafe will begin to plea with Elsa to leave with him, to head west, but Elsa has never known love before becoming a part of this family, and is reluctant to leave, especially knowing his parents will never head west where Rafe wants to go. They own this land; it is the only life they have known since they arrived in America after leaving Italy.

Reluctantly, after the dust ends up creating life-threatening conditions, Elsa is forced into accepting that it is time to leave Texas with her two children and heads to California. Having been fed on the stories of the land of milk and honey, and the government claims of plentiful jobs that are waiting, they arrive to a life very different from the one they left, as well as the one they expected. While they are no longer inhaling dust, dirt with every breath, life here is far from the Promised Land they had envisioned. It’s hard, heartbreaking at times, and as outsiders, all those coming in from other states are looked down upon, and treated badly and told they are unwelcome, unwanted, called ‘worthless’ and told to go back to where they came from.

Kristin Hannah began writing this novel over three years ago, before the pandemic, before the skyrocketing unemployment that would follow. And yet, this story is so relevant to our current days, the isolation, dwindling funds, people, as she says in her note at the end, frightened for their future, men in power shushing voices in order to further their own desires, wanting us to pay attention to what they say and not what they really mean or what they show by their actions. Or, as the Wizard of Oz said: ’Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.’


Pub Date: 09 Feb 2021

Many thanks for the ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press

#TheFourWinds #NetGalley

Elsa Martinelli never expected to be the wife of a Texan farmer. She grew up in a wealthy family, but a childhood illness kept her isolated from her parents and siblings. Though she eventually made a full recovery, she was never allowed to socialize with other people and spent her teenage years feeling extremely alone. When charming, good-looking Rafe comes into her life and really seems to notice her, she can’t help falling for him. But an innocent summer of exploration leads to an unplanned pregnancy, and now Rafe and Elsa are tied to each other and to Rafe’s family land.

At first, it’s manageable. Elsa is a hard worker and finds a place in the family as a strong, reliable caretaker. But as the country heads into the Great Depression and the overworked farm land dries up with no rain in sight, Elsa and Rafe will have to decide if they should stay in Texas or head west to find jobs and, hopefully, a better life for their family.

MY THOUGHTS
It always takes me a minute to warm up to a Kristin Hannah novel. She’s a fan of the slow build, and I hate to say that I’m usually a bit bored at first. Elsa isn’t much of a character in the beginning—she’s extremely shy and demure, to the point of having almost no personality at all. But about 20% of the way in, the book really starts to come into it’s own—Elsa starts coming into her own—and I was hooked.

It’s crazy to think that Hannah began writing this three years ago because it is eerily relevant today. Watching the economic devastation and racial divisiveness unfold in the story feels painful and personal. We are living this. But I appreciated that, in the midst of so much despair, the focus is on love. And not just romantic love, though there’s some of that, too, but rather on love between women—between mothers and daughters, between mother-in-laws and daughter-in-laws, between friends. The women are the heroes of this story. They are the ones who keep families together, who keep food on the table. They are committed to their children and families. They support one another when all hope (like, truly, ALL hope) is gone. They are the glue, and their stories felt so right and real to me.

In short, The Four Winds is a lovely book. Probably my favorite from Hannah so far. There is no doubt in my mind that this will be another instant best seller.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for the ARC!

Kristin Hannah’s Four Winds is such a gripping and heartfelt story of resilience and courage in the face of tremendous adversity. The author creates a vivid picture of what the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl were like you can almost feel the heaviness in the air in her descriptions. The development of Hannah’s main character follows Rosa from her early years as a shy and somewhat weak young lady into her womanhood as she grows into a force of strength and determination. The discrimination and the treatment of the migrants seems to hit harder considering what is happening in our country today. A great read. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity for an early read on this couldn’t put down book..

Very good book! I loved that Elsa was considered a warrior and showed strength and passion to her children in their struggle to survive. Jack was inspiring as well - standing up for the american people in their right to earn a living wage. This was an amazing story and I didn't want it to end. Unfortunately the ending was not what I imagined but its part of life.

In the Four Winds, Kristian Hannah is, as always, a powerful writer and her ability to tell the tale of Warrior Women in different ages and places continues in this book. One might be surprised by her foray into the contemporary politics by comparing them to the situation of migrant workers during the Great Depression, but she is an award-winning writer who has earned the right to tell a tale of political relevance in these times.

THE FOUR WINDS is thoroughly researched and well written and should appeal to fans of women's fiction. The main character irritated me a bit at first with her immaturity, but I grew to like her and enjoyed watching her develop a tough skin as she endured the challenges of the Dust Bowl. Kristin Hannah really draws the reader into each scene and makes you feel as though you're right there with the characters.

Very heartfelt title that explores the ideals of the "American Dream. Elsa pulls on your heart strings again and again. Very descriptive of the era. Setting literally pulls you into the book. The book to read if your looking for a strong female lead!

This was a great story and even though it was fiction, I learned a lot about the Dust Bowl. The characters were great and I loved them all. The one thing I didn't like about it was the language. I don't like to read or hear "GD" and it was in there a lot. I think I would have loved it a lot more if that word was not in it at all because now I have to tell people that is does have language. Otherwise it was a beautiful story. I know it is not Christian fiction but I wasn't expecting that.

I am a huge fan of Kristin Hannah and was really excited to dive into her 2021 release. The story of Elsa, a woman, mother, wife, daughter, and friend, set during the depression in the middle of the dust bowl was an eye-opening look into a devastating time in American history.

As always with her books, I fell for the characters hard and found myself picking the book up whenever I could to find out what was going to happen to them. I am always amazed at Hannah's ability to whisk me away into another time and place with such ease. You can tell an incredible amount of time and research went into creating this beautiful piece of writing.

While I definitely wouldn’t call this a light or uplifting read, I genuinely enjoyed the look at history, the character’s strength and resilience, and the chance to reflect on where our country is today. The timing of this book during the current pandemic is interesting as well- as humans, we have and we can do hard things.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for a gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

I received a copy of The Four Winds in exchange for honest feedback, and this book is a solid five stars!

Kristin Hannah sweeps the reader through the Dust Bowl of the Great Depression and the migration of going West in order to survive. Elsa Martinelli is the central character of the story, and she develops true grit to endure environmental, financial, and family hardships. The dynamics of Elsa's family, both the one she was raised in and the one she married into, play a strong role in each character's thoughts and actions.

This is a can't-put-it-down story because both the setting and characters are fully engaging from the first page to the last.

I loved The Four Winds because it made me feel like I was living in the book, I could feel all the things the characters were feeling. At times it was so heartbreaking I had to put it down and come back to the real world. But that is the test of a great book, making you care about the characters and their situation. I felt like I was living through the Depression, the lack of hope and the perseverance was almost too much... Kristin Hannah knows how to immerse her readers into the story!

Wow! You can feel the dust and grit in your eyes and mouth, see the darkness of sand approaching, and feel every emotion, sorrow, sadness in this excellent offering. The story will passionately carry you through the realistic hardships on an unforgettable journey.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the opportunity to review this new novel.

This is my 3rd Kristin Hannah book - as I have read the Nightingale and The Great Alone. What Kristin Hannah does really well is to create a vivid place, strong characterization, good pace, and she knows how to end a book..

Set in depression era Texas, this has a distinct Grapes of Wrath feel to it. This cannot be an easy subject matter for any author to tackle but strangely enough it is completely relevant today. We are experiencing an economic crisis unlike anything in our recent times, and workers rights and protections are back in the news.
Elsa is a teenager looking for a little fun outside her dull family life and finds farmer Rafe at her personal crossroads. Welcomed into the Martinelli family, she is disowned by her own. So begins Elsa's challenges even before the dust begins to blow. Elsa moves with her children to California for work, and to hopefully find Rafe, but finds desperate hardships and threats of workers against big farming.

The subject matter itself is rather dull, with the day after day drudgery, but Hannah builds and builds her story to a great climax, as she does in her other stories. If you find yourself concerned by nearly half way there that this is all there is, keep going, as there is so much more in the second half that makes the book worth the ride.

This book didn't move me like The Nightingale or The Great Alone, during which I was moved to tears. This book was moving but not devastating, in my opinion. Nonetheless, Kristin Hannah is still one of my favorite authors and I have already heartily been promoting the book in my library and book clubs. Its a topic not oft discussed and I think my patrons will adore this book. Personally, I give it over 4 stars but not 5, but will round up for the sake of other Hannah fans.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review.this book finally pulled me out of my COVID slump and I will ever be so great full. Fascinating story and part of out history. Could easily be a movie. Kristin writes such beautiful stories.

I have read five of Ms. Hannah’s novels. I would give the read itself a 3* but the beautiful writing and the incredible research that went into this book definitely earns it a 4* rating.

This book was an incredibly depressing read. I felt so much for the characters that I really had to hold myself back from crying. Particularly when injustice after injustice was endured and things kept going from bad to worse. It made me wonder how much can a person really stand before their spirit is completely broken.

Elsa was born into a family of “means”, however she suffered from a complete lack of love, attention or any kind of affection. Elsa had two sisters who were considered pretty and married at a young age. Elsa’s mother had told her this when she was in her twenties, ”You are unmarriageable, Elsinore, even with all our money and standing. No man of note wants an unattractive wife who looms over him” This last a comment on the fact that she was tall for women then, about six feet tall.

On her 25th birthday she decides to go into town and celebrate. She meets Rafe who finds Elsa interesting and beautiful in her own way. When she tells her parents that she is in love, her parents want to know who the man is. Her father then forces the marraige between Rafe and Elsa.

There are a few good years when Elsa and Rafe are living with the Martinelli’s who have embraced Elsa and their baby daughter Loreda. They are very warm and caring people and Elsa at last feels a part of a family.

Then The Great Depression and the worst drought in the history of the Great Plains hits and it’s a double whammy for the US farmers and workers.

After years of near starvation on the family farm Elsa takes her daughter Loreda and young son Ant west to California. It is said that there is work there and money to be made. However as history has told us, both farmers from the drought stricken “Dust Bowl” and workers from the cities all converge on California looking for jobs. I had hoped that here at last would be a new beginning for Elsa and her children.

It would spoil the story to tell much else about the plot. In comparing Ms. Hannah’s novels, I felt that there was hope and more vibrancy in The Nightingale and The Great Alone. This book felt like just one nightmare to the next. I realize that this is the true history of what the people endured, but it is very hard to read. I kept looking for a silver lining which never seemed to come. Perhaps in her Elsa’s daughter’s generation.

The characters were incredibly well developed and I felt for all of them. The dust storms were so well described I could envision how horrible a twister of dust blowing at 50 mph would be. So forceful that it got between every small crack in the house. In the beginning the beautiful wheat fields were described; how tall, golden and strong the wheat stalks were and went on for acres and acres. She again described some terrible scenes in California when the rains caused flooding in the tent and truck camps set up along the ditches close to the farms. How horrible to have everything you own covered in mud for weeks on end.

As you can see this book did touch me in many ways. I went online to find out more about the drought and “Dust Bowl” and realized how little I had known. This book opened my eyes to the farmers tragedy. I had read much about The Great Depression but not much about the farmer’s plight.

This is a very eye opening novel. I loved the author’s notes in which she addressed the pandemic that we are now going through and hoped that the book would teach us this:
“We’ve gone through bad times before and survived, even thrived. History has shown us the strength and durability of the human spirit. In the end, it is our idealism and our courage and our commitment to one another--what we have in common--that will save us. Now in these dark days, we can look to history, to the legacy of the greatest generation and the story of our own past, and take strength from it.” I hope that we can learn this lesson and pass it on to our children.

This novel is set to publish on February 9, 2021
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley

Will post to Amazon upon publication

I enjoyed reading this title by Kristin Hannah. I did not like it as well as The Great Alone. I feel like the last 1/4 of the book was the least enjoyable.

This is a very well written descriptive book. I felt the dust pounding on them during each dust storm. The desperation of trying to live during this terrible time. By the end of the book I was in tears.
This book was hard to read but I also couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I thought it was really good.
Definitely recommend
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

Another great book by Kristin Hannah! I remember reading her when she was writing romance novels. Hard to believe that she is still writing and gets better with each book. Set during the Great depression and the movement of families to California for a better life, this book not only teaches us history about that time but also resonates with what is going on today. Will strongly recommend.

Wow. So much happens in the first 5 chapters! I just love how the Martinelli’s are so unexpectedly kind to her in their tough way. I adored the relationship between Rose and Elsa.

A favorite quote:
“Do you remember what I told you on the day Loreda was born?” Elsa almost smiled. “That she would love me as no one else ever would and break my heart?”

The scene about halfway through with Elsa, Rose and Tony? “I’m not brave enough to do this.” “Yes you are”. Waaaahhh....loved it. And the Martinellis Explorers Club. Too sweet.

So many tender moments to love in this book and some are just infuriating. Those PTA ladies!! Grrrr.... Betty Anne and Ned in the beauty shop brought tears to my eyes.

The book comments repeatedly on the horrible way we treat others who we perceive as different or a threat to our “better, and superior” selves. Invaders in MY land. Over and over this has happened in this country. When will we ever learn? A very timely topic, indeed.

I wished for a different ending, but even so I really enjoyed it. Kristin Hannah does it again.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

4 powerful, engaging stars

The Four Winds is the third book by Kristin Hannah that I have recently read. They have all been powerful, engaging, historical fiction that transplant the reader to a new time and place. Women take on active, meaningful roles. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After an introduction to Elsa in 1921, the book skips to Dust Bowl in the 1930s. Hannah immerses the reader in the daily drama of working/ hoping for enough food. The dust storms are relentless, but Hannah writes so well, nothing feels repetitious. I had known about this time though books and documentaries, but this is the first time I really felt the desperation of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. I felt the wind and tasted dust. Hungry children and parents broke my heart, as they toiled on. Neighbors move, hoping for a better life in California. Problem is, thousands of other ‘Okies’ are headed west. While California is lush, jobs providing enough to feed a family are non-existent. The new migrants are taken advantage of as they sweat and bleed from cotton picking - even the children.

Character against character, against nature, against self. The Four Winds and its characters don’t skirt conflict. Families and neighbors sacrifice for each other. The Four Winds is about rising above the hardest life can deal out, about love prevailing against overwhelming odds.