The Four Winds" by Kristin Hannah is a powerful historical novel set against the backdrop of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. The story revolves around Elsa Martinelli, a resilient and determined woman who faces immense hardships as she strives to protect her family and find a better life during these challenging times. Hannah skillfully weaves a narrative that combines heart-wrenching struggles with moments of profound strength and resilience. The characters are richly developed, and the author's vivid descriptions bring the harsh landscapes of the Dust Bowl to life. With its poignant exploration of love, sacrifice, and the human spirit, "The Four Winds" is an emotionally gripping and unforgettable tale that transports readers to a pivotal era in American history.

I have read a fair few Kristin Hannah books over the years but this is only my second of her historical fiction. I know everyone raves about The Nightingale but I enjoyed The Four Winds far more. Elsa was a character I took to straight away mainly due to the terrible treatment she put up with in her own family home. Despite this she had a steely determination to step out of her family's shadow and I held out every hope that she would succeed. Over the years that follow Elsa's life is certainly no fairy tale but it is a life of her own making and again she makes the best of it. With the great depression and the dust bowl as a back drop the setting is bleak and it is horrible to imagine that although Elsa's story is fictional people did live through these horrendous times. I knew about this period in history but Hannah really brings it alive. She does not hold back and nothing is sugar coated. The Four Winds hits hard with its authenticity and makes for a stirring read.

Ooh, i wanted to like this book a lot more than i actually did. Essentially a Grapes of Wrath from a woman's hand, here Kristin Hannah looks to create an epic with Elsa Walcott as her heroine. It doesn't quite work though as for all the earnest attempt to bring to life the physical and emotional destruction wrought by the Dust Bowl in 1930s America, the writing gets dragged down with all tell, no show. There is interest here, but little emotion.

Elsa is an interesting place to start. She's an educated young woman living a humdrum - and tightly controlled - life in 1920s rural America. But when the lure of a life as a free woman ends up with Elsa being brutally disowned by her family, any plans for an interesting life of intellectual pursuits is thrown out the window to be replaced with a hard life as a working mother on a farm run by an Italian emigre family.

And so, lo, the dust bowl arrives...

There's no doubt that Kristin has done her research. Iconic photographs and images form this terrible era are fleshed out in the narrative and the winds and drought are stunningly evoked. But, like i said, i found it interesting but too quickly Elsa and the other characters become reductive stereotypes and vehicles to push ahead with an attempt at an epic examining poverty, politics, and emancipation.

The Four Winds is a little different to my usual reads in terms of its theme and setting, but I was drawn in by (yes, the great reviews) and just generally by the writing once I started reading. I will admit it was tough in places but I was in bits by the end, it packs such an emotional punch, deeply moving historical fiction that really does lay bare the realities of a bleak time.

Set in 1930s America, there’s a drought that’s destroying the farmers lives. Elsa and her family decide to move across the country in search of a better life.

The dynamics of their family are so beautifully written. Powerful women working together in a hard situation.

This is my second Kristin Hannah book and I raced through it just as quickly as I raced through the first one.
From start to finish this was such a tragic story. It starts off with Elsa's childhood story and then moves on to how she overcomes years on a farm through the Dust Bowl period. The description of this period left nothing out and showed how brutal life was at this time. Life after this period for Elsa and her family did not get any easier.
This was a book filled with love, courage and tragedy that really pulled at the heart strings.

Kristin Hannah is one of those authors where I seems to love some books, but others aren't so good.. This for me was the latter. I just couldn't click with it, it felt so depressing and to me it wasn't enjoyable to read at all. I'm very much in the minority here though

Kristin Hannah has once again demonstrated her skill in creating unforgettable characters and a vivid atmosphere in this novel. The Four Winds takes place in the 1930s during the Great Depression, and follows the story of Elsa Wolcott, a resilient and determined woman who is forced to leave her Texas home with her two children in search of a better life in California.

Throughout the novel, Hannah expertly weaves together historical events and personal struggles to create a powerful narrative that is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. Elsa's story is one of hardship and sacrifice, but it is also a story of hope and resilience in the face of adversity.

What sets Hannah's writing apart is her ability to bring her characters to life in a way that makes them feel like real people. Elsa is a flawed and complex protagonist, but her struggles and triumphs are relatable and compelling. The supporting cast of characters is equally well-drawn, and each one adds depth and richness to the story.

Hannah's descriptions of the harsh and unforgiving landscape of the Dust Bowl and the migrant camps in California are also particularly noteworthy. She paints a vivid picture of a time and place that is often romanticized or forgotten, and she does so in a way that is both haunting and beautiful.

Overall, The Four Winds is a poignant and powerful novel that showcases Kristin Hannah's talents as a storyteller. If you are a fan of historical fiction or simply enjoy well-crafted characters and atmosphere, I highly recommend this book.

This was not what I expected at all - it pretty much knocked me off my feet for a few days. I couldn't stop thinking about the Martinelli's when I wasn't sat with the book in my hand, and I can't stop thinking of them now. I have quite literally wanted to be reading at every opportunity, and its been a while since a book claimed that much of my attention.

Kristin Hannah brings to life the characters and atmosphere beautifully. Set in The Great Depression era, you can feel the dust, the drought and then the floods and imagine exactly how devastated the lands and life became. This book is heavy, but in a way that opens your eyes - the devastation will make you think about the climate's tragedies with a deeper empathy, and feel deeper for the people who are affected.

Elsa Martinelli and her children are forced to take the tough decision to migrate to a better life - they uproot from Texas (and everything they have known) to escape the dust storms and drought and find a new life in California; where the promise of the 'land of milk and honey' and a greater way of life isn't what it is laid out to be. Determination to overcome adversity is the thread that weaves its way through this book - and it will stick with you.

I think if you enjoyed American Dirt and Beekeeper of Alleppo you will enjoy this.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book, unfortunately I wasn’t able to get to it before it was archived but will review in full when I do.

Review hadn’t saved. Really enjoyed this one- writing what fantastic and drew me in, didn’t want it to end! Sad, hopeful and powerful

My first ever Kristin Hannah book and it didn’t disappoint, it took me some time to get through but I loved the story line and felt so connected with the characters. I didn’t expect the ending but it was a really strong ending as well as an interesting American history lesson for me as I really didn’t know anything at all about the setting of the book.

I would fully recommend this book and I can’t wait to read the nightingale which I’ve had on my TBR for a while!

I loved this book . A slow burner but soon catches fire . This author is so talented . Highly recommend

I am obsessed with Kristin Hannah. She just has such a way with words, and such a phenomenal way of intricately lacing a story together. This is my third of her books I’ve read and I can’t wait for the next. She is a master. What a beautiful, heartfelt story. Have learned to expect nothing less from her at this point. A wonderful author.

This is my first Kristin Hannah book and she can definitely write. Her research for this book seems to be vast and it's obvious that she wanted to include a lot of what she learned which is great but it was too much at times.
The writing makes you as a reader feel the emotions like a hit to the gut, depression, hope and overall the heartbreak of this time in history. After finishing I had to read something happy because I felt so heavy but it was thought provoking!

3 Stars

I received a free copy of this book via netgalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I loved this book. It's only the second book I've read by Kristin Hannah, but she is becoming a firm must read for me. She's a gifted and talented writer!

This book was an absolute masterpiece. Kristin Hannah just has this weird way of making me care so much about her characters. I cried my eyes out multiple times throughout this book. The story is deeply moving and had me gripped from the start.

Wow, this book is so amazing, fantastic and awesome. I loved it! It is one of the best books I have ever read, and I felt so invested in the story and the characters. The main character, Elsa starts off her life feeling unloved by her family. She then marries into a new family, who love her deeply, and once she has her two children, she then knows what true love is. The family all go through a very tough time and Elsa and her two children have to move to California, where they do their best to survive. The whole story is sad, heartbreaking and emotional, but it is also powerful and heartwarming. I felt like I was inside a movie and I felt very connected to the main characters. It is a book that I will always remember, as it has really touched me. I highly recommend this book; it is just outstanding. I found it all very interesting to read, and it has made me appreciate my own life so much more, and I now feel more gratitude for everything that I have.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book really sucked me in even though it is not like the usual books that I read. The descriptions of the land are both beautiful and haunting. I wasn't even mad at the slow pace as I was enjoying it so much. However the lovely meandering pace of the majority of the book did lead the end to feel a little rushed for me and that took some of the potential emotion of the story away. I have not read anything from this author before but will do now!

What a moving saga set amid the backdrop of The Great Depression narrated with such talent and poignancy. It's a sobering read that moved me to tears.