I was first introduced to Kristin Hannah when I was gifted The Nightingale. I knew right away what kind of author she was and what style she adopted- the break your heart kind. I thought I went into this prepared. And yet, I still found myself in pieces throughout this book. I even questioned whether or not I could be enjoying something that was so utterly devastating. And then I realised that was the power of Hannah's words- they immerse you 100%, make you turn the pages willing goodness to happen, filling you with hope. That is why you read because, ultimately, that's how her characters feel- pushing on because they have to believe in hope. Elsa is a phenomenal, memorable, character who we watch fight for survival emotionally and physically. She transforms and it is something we do with her, all the while living the history of darkness and despair as though it were happening to us too. I won't give a synopsis as there is no need, I will simply say you must read this book.

First things first. There is no such thing as a mediocre Kristin Hannah novel, so I knew I was in for a treat. What I was not expecting was a story of heartbreak, of blood-sweat-and-tears, and pure misery. It also gave a powerful description of a bleak period of American history. So bleak and so heartbreaking that at times I had to, metaphorically, put the book Inthe freezer, Joey Tribbiani-style. Elsa has remained with me for days since I finished The Four Winds. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

What a book! This is a story that should be heard, particularly when you consider the impact of a new threat to people's lives in today's world with coronavirus. This is a story of the Great Depression and its impact on the people of America. With echoes of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, this story follows the life of Elsa, iniitially as a young woman, married into an Italian family farming the great plains of Texas. The drought comes and with it the terrible dust storms destroying lives, homes and crops year after year. Elsa desperately wants the best for her family and her decisions take them from one desperate life into another, amongst the shanty-living Hoover-ville migrants of California. The author writes with such detail you really come to know this family and those around them. You can feel their suffering- the hunger, the cold, the desperation. I was partially interested to read about the lack of governmental support that these people received during this time. The way in which they were treated was truly appalling. I learnt so much from reading this book and could readily draw parallels between Elsa's suffering and some of the things that still happen in America today. A truly excellent book, about a dark period in American history.

The Four Winds really opened my eyes to the Dust Bowl and the migration west that so many Americans chose to follow in search of a better life during the Great Depression. It’s an incredibly well researched, gut-wrenching and superbly descriptive story which shows both the best and the worst of humanity during those terrible years.

The book takes a few chapters to get going and I thought perhaps the first half could have been a bit shorter, but the second half is so tense and so gripping that I couldn’t put it down until I’d read about the next goings on in the Martinellis’ world (and then the next and the next!) Although it’s a very emotional read and difficult at times, it also filled me with hope that there could be so much kindness around when the state of the world was so gloomy.

This is my second Kristin Hannah book (in fact also my second this month!) and I can’t wait to read all the rest of her works. She is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors!

Texas, 1934. Millions are out of work and 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. 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.

This is such a moving historical fiction piece, not only does it affect your emotions, it makes you want to ugly cry. Kristin Hannah’s writing is so descriptive and beautiful, you can imagine yourself there and feeling everything the characters are feeling.

This is not an uplifting or light read, it is hard-hitting and an element of doom and gloom but you have to remember the time this is set and The great depression is not a positive part of history.

I have really enjoyed a number of Kirsten Hannah's books, so I was delighted to be chosen to read and review an early copy of #TheFourWinds. It did not disappoint. The authors ability to show such a detailed knowledge of place and time is exceptional. She must do so much research - as she never gets it wrong..
This fabulous book was set during the Great Depression in 1930s Texas and California. It was incredibly interesting. Being British I knew little about the era in the USA and I found it fascinating. To be able to draw my own comparisons with the fate of and response to migrants from other parts of the Americas today was particularly interesting. It was an incredibly brutal and dreadful time for so many.
The plot, the characters and the theme were all incredibly well executed, as I have come to expect from Kirsten Hannah. I will definitely be recommending this book to friends and to my book club - The Gloucestershire Lit Lovers and Yummy Scrummy Pudding Club - all of whom I know will love it.
Thank you so much to the author, the publishers and to #NetGalley @NetGalley for allowing me to read this book for a fair review.

I've just finished my advanced readers copy of this book. I'm sat in bed in floods of tears. This book has blown me away. I'm broken from the journey of this book has taken me on yet sitting here hopefilled. Book hangover loading...

This is my first ever Kristin Hannah read and I can assure you it won't be my last. I have seen so many Kristin Hannah fans across bookstagram. This wonderful woman just gained a new one.

There are so many pages I wanted to highly quotes from.

I'm breaking my book buying ban to ensure I have a copy to cherish for years to come.

THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING to me right now. It's so timely.

Here's to Warrior women and hope filled days ahead. ❤ And this bold statement to follow:

'I know I just read my book of the year 2021'.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for my advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Kristin Hannah is a remarkable writer who produces well researched, heartbreaking novels that illustrate the strength people can find in order to overcome adversity. The Four Winds is set during the Great American Depression and tells the story of Elsa who is forced to leave the home she loves in Texas in order to save her children.

After four years of drought, failed crops and a husband who leaves in the night, Elsa travels from Texas to California in search of work and a better life. Unfortunately she soon discovers a much harder existence, as well as discrimination and heartbreak. Elsa finds an inner strength she never knew she possessed along with new relationships and a stronger bond with her bold teenage daughter.

This is a fantastic read, but be prepared for a rollercoaster of emotions as you progress through the book. We are all experiencing some level of adversity at the moment, but books like this illustrate we aren’t the first generation to have our ‘normal’ lives pulled from underneath us, and I doubt we will be the last.

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah tells the story of Elsionre (Elsa) who lives with her well off and quite religious family in a small town in Texas. While her family has not failed to provide for her material needs, Elsa has always felt out of place. At nearly six foot tall and almost twenty five years of age, she feels that she will never meet a man to build and home and raise a family with, and her parents only reinforce those feelings of self doubt and worthlessness with their constant criticism and sniping. When she finally does fall in love, it is with a man her parent's deem less than suitable, so when she falls pregnant they are quick to disown her. Elsa moves in with her new husband and his family , and though it is a struggle at first, she eventually finds the love and acceptance she never had from her own family. Things are good at first but by 1934 the family is struggling in the wake of the Great Depression and their situation is only made worse by the constant drought and dust storms that threaten both lives and livelihood, and when her husband runs away leaving Elsa to care for their two children she is forced to make a terrible and desperate choice - stay in Texas on the land they have fought so hard for, though it is slowly killing them, or uproot stakes and head to California in hopes of a better future. It is a long and dangerous road for a woman with two children, and the life that they find is nothing like they could ever have imagined.
This is historical fiction at its finest, vivid descriptions give the reader a real sense of time and place , and it is clear that a lot of research was involved in the planning of this book. The detail adds so much to the story and is beautifully incorporated so that it never impedes the storytelling or character development. The characters are wonderful, particularly Elsa and her daughter Loreda , I loved the portrayal of their relationship, with all its ups and downs. It is impossible not to feel for these characters, with all their struggles and I found myself desperately rooting for them, and celebrating even their smallest successes. This is not a light read, at times it is almost a gruelling one, but it is absolutely worth it, and stands as one of my favourite of the author's works to date.

In The Four Winds we meet Elsa Martinelli. Raised by rich but unloving parents, she Is constantly told that she is unloveable and useless. She escapes the cruelty of her parents’ house, only to be met with the indifference of a feckless husband who abandons their family at the worst possible time. Soon, Elsa finds herself with an impossible decision to make - does she stay some in Texas with her failing land or does she head into the unknown to a promised better life in California?

What I have loved about Kristin Hannah’s previous books is the way she writes about families, particularly women, in extreme and dangerous situations.

The Four Winds far exceeded my expectations. .

Elsa’s character is so well written that by the end of the first chapter I felt fiercely protective of her and couldn’t wait to see her story unravel. I felt like I was stood by her side in the dust and desperation, through each new hope, fresh disappointment and new challenge.

I will honest - Reading The Four Winds is like being handed a bingo card of emotions and by the time you reach the end of the book, I promise you, you will have a full house.
I raged and cried. I was frightened for Elsa and her family and fell in love with the group of strong women who shaped Elsa’s life.

I don’t want to spoil any of the plot but the subject matter- the dust bowl states in the Great Depression - is not a topic I would normally choose to read had it not had Kristin Hannah’s name attached to it. However, I learned so much by reading about the time period and there was so much in the book that is relevant and inspiring on how we can cope now the world has been turned on it’s head in our times.

I feel like I have just read my book of the year and the book hangover is already well established. So good is The Four Winds that I am tempted to buy a copy for everyone I know so I can sit and discuss it.

Oh, the way this book broke me. This was so incredibly moving I feel that my review will not do it justice. In short, you need to read this book. Even if Historical Fiction isn't your genre, this book is more than that. It isn't bound by genres, it's a story that speaks to the heart of every mother, daughter, sister and friend. It tells the importance of love and loss and perseverance. Hannah has a way with words that makes everything real and raw and this story is no different. It felt as if my heart had been ripped from my body, in the best way. Elsa may be a fictional character, but she is the mouthpiece for every single person during the Depression who gave their life and soul into making it one more day. There is grit and beauty in this story, but mostly it's one of love and sacrifice. Highly recommend.

A vivid, sometimes gruelling evocation of the reality of the dust bowl in 1930’s Texas, and the desperate migration to California in search of work. It is a very human story, focusing on one family but also managing to look at the bigger political picture, and the lack of workers rights. The working conditions in the cotton fields were really grim and I was surprised that Kristin Hannah didn’t mention slavery and the hellish experience of black people who had come before - clearly the model that the rich landowners would have preferred, resenting the meagre payment they made.

The Four Winds -- Kristin Hannah

If words are the breeze that bring us joy or melancholy, I'm sure Ms Hannah's are a gale, a force to reckon with, a power unmatched that whips your emotions around and touches the deepest chords, catching you in the middle of their storm!
The Four Winds is a story set in the depression years in America, in Texas, the part of Dust Bowl region which was plagued by drought, depression and wild dust storms, rendering the land barren and people homeless, hungry and broken.
But..it's not just a tale about poverty, desolation, loss, survival and heartache...it's also a story of Love, hope, grit, determination, being brave and carrying the American Dream despite having nothing to hold on to!
The story is sad but its Hannah's lyrical and compellingly beautiful prose, which makes you go on despite being engulfed in despair, this is how powerful and beautiful her words are... heartbreaking yet compelling! I think she just reinforces what we all know, human beings, especially women, are resilient and adept at surviving, no matter what life throws.
The story revolves around Elsinore Wolcott Martinelli, who led an easy life till she married and found herself in the middle of every adversity imaginable, yet stood strong for her children...it is a story seen through her eyes, her indomitable spirit and endless courage and sacrifice. As the cover of the book itself mentions, "she discovers herself in the worst of times." She battles all and gives them the gifts of love and hope, as she says "Love is what remains when everything else is gone" and, " Hope is a coin I carry, an American penny, given to me by a man I came to love. There were times in my journey when I felt, that penny and the hope it represented were the only things that kept me going."
The power of the words in here, can only be felt and not expressed, that's the conclusion I can draw after closing the book, since I'm still reeling from this heart wrenching poignant story!


A special thanks to Pan McMillan for granting this wish !

Although hard to keep focus in some places, I am glad I kept going with this book. A beautifully written story based in the Great Depression that will really tug at the heart strings

A sweeping historical epic by the author of The Nightingale. Set in America during the Great Depression this is the story of Elsa and her family as they battle with ecological disaster on the Great Plains in Texas and make their way West in search of jobs and financial security.

This book was slightly too long in my opinion and there seem to be lengthy passages where not very much happens. However, I quite liked Elsa and her daughter Loreda and certainly felt like I was rooting for them, so I definitely became a little invested in their story. I looked forward to picking the book up in the evening and read it in about 3 days so it holds your interest. I’m fairly sure that fans of Kristin Hannah’s writing will absolutely love it.

Thank you to @netgalley for my proof copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this book wasn't what I expected. It is beautifully written with characters that are so real they find their way into your thoughts and concerns. It is a story of hope, fight and human nature set against a background of the Great Depression and the Dust bowls. Reading this during a time of worldwide concern, death, crisis and an impending future of uncertainty and economic instability it was hard to be faced with such a raw account of how awful life can be and what people will do to protect their children and those that they love.
I found this book emotionally hard to read, thoroughly depressing and not really enjoyable but the beauty of the way in which is was written and the authenticity and strength of the characters meant that I couldn't stop half way, I felt that I needed to know what happened to the characters and that I owed it to the author to finish.
It is a fantastic, beautifully written book just be prepared for a harrowing and hard journey that is totally warranted by the journey of so many of this era.

Set during The Great Depression of 1930s America, this book will break your heart.  A beautifully written story about heartbreak and hardship and also hope.  A truly fantastic read.

An emotive and immersive piece of historical fiction, The Four Winds is a beautifully written but hard-hitting story that brilliantly describes a period of time when times were tough, family was everything, loss was inevitable, and good news was rare.

The Four Winds is certainly a bleak story with few light-hearted moments, so that’s something you need to be prepared for. But I think it’s important that the story is told this way. Just like the dust storms themselves, the hardships that these people faced were relentless and rarely gave up, so it was vital that Kristin Hannah put her characters through the same turmoil and grief.

Hannah does a marvellous job of transporting you to this time and place and wholly draws you into this family’s story. I learnt so much about the Great Depression and felt like I was reading first-hand accounts of those who were put through it. My eyes were constantly being opened to the suffering that they faced, but also of the resilience that remained in their hearts and souls. A tear came to my eye more than once, with the final few pages, especially, being filled with some incredibly moving lines of dialogue.

Although our current situation doesn’t nearly compare to the severe conditions of the Great Depression, there were many lines that related to the ongoing pandemic we are now facing. This one particularly stood out to me:

“As we know, there are lessons to be learned from history. Hope to be derived from hardships faced before. 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.”

It gives hope in troubling times, a hope that Elsa never gave up on, determined to do whatever she could to save her family. Because of her strength of character, Elsa is an easy character to engage with, somebody you are desperate to survive in these tough times and to provide a better future for her children. Hannah’s portrayal of unconditional love for your family is what resonated with me the most. The powerful bond between mother and daughter is especially dominant, with the relationship between Elsa and Loreda but also between Elsa and her mother-in-law being developed beautifully.

“I am in awe of her fire. Even if I’m the one she sets on fire.”

The Four Winds is such an inspiring story and there are many quotes that struck a chord with me. Although I struggled to get through some of the sheer hopelessness of the book’s setting, there’s also a lot that I’m going to take away from it–knowledge of a different time, an open-mindedness to other people’s circumstances, and a determination to bring my two boys with an eagerness to make the world a better place.

Kristen Hannah has done it again! Another fantastic book from one of my favourite authors. I loved The Nightingale, The Great Alone, Winter Garden and Firefly Lane, so was absolutely delighted to get an ARC of The Four Winds. This is the story of Elsa Martinelli and her fight through the Dust Bowl era. As always, the author does an amazing job of transporting you there. It is a hard read of difficult times, but brilliantly done. I could not put this book down! Thank-you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. A great read for 2021!

I was so excited to read this one. I adored The Nightingale and The Great Alone. So I was waiting for my next big hitter. Unfortunately, this one didn’t deliver for me.

The Four Winds tells the story of Elsa who grew up in a wealthy Texan merchant’s family but was unloved and neglected for most of her childhood. When she meets the charismatic Rafe, one impulsive decision changes the course of her life. Set against the Great Depression in the Dust Bowl of the United States, this is a story of survival, of grit, of love, of oppression and resistance.

I learned a lot from this book about a horrific and shameful chapter in American history — and for that I’m thankful. A time during which Americans treated fellow Americans like slaves, where personal gain mattered more than collective welfare, against a backdrop of environmental and economic disaster, where one group grew ever richer on the toil and blood and sweat of another while living in circumstances that beggar belief — especially considering we’re talking the 20th century here.

“…she kissed me goodnight and told me I could be anything in America. It was the dream that had brought her here and she passed it on to me. But, it was a lie. For people like us, anyways. Folks who are from the wrong place, or have the wrong color skin, or speak the wrong language, or pray to the wrong God.”

All sound a bit familiar, hey?

There was so much good stuff in this book. The writing is beautiful, the setting stunning and so well described it's almost tangible, and the unconditional love for one’s children, despite the hardship and suffering endured is beautifully portrayed. And I loved the depiction of female grit and solidarity, of friendship and one’s chosen family.

But… and here’s a big BUT: the bleakness and suffering in this book was simply too much for me to call this an enjoyable read! I had flashbacks to A Little Life. It was relentless. I kept looking at my percentage display, thinking, right, we’re halfway there, something good’s about to happen, right? But [SPOILER ALERT!!!] it never did. It’s like every bad thing that could have happened at that time to this one wonderful woman and her friends did happen. Too much. I raced through it towards the end, sighing with relief when I finally finished it — but for the wrong reasons.

So there you have it. Beautifully written, an important portrayal of an ugly period in America’s history but most definitely not a satisfying escape. I wish it had been a happier read…