This is a hard hitting book , it’s a slow start and obviously depressing as it’s set in the depression, but the time period and climate and life in rural America is so beautifully described, it became very real to me and made me cry.
Families, love and loss, are just some of the topics covered.
Highly recommend, thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

The Four Winds is an historical fiction story focusing on The Great Depression era and the Dust Bowl.
I was an eager beaver to read this one as I didn’t know much about that sad part of American history.
In short, the 1939’s saw the Great Plains and Canada suffering a horrendous drought, which alongside some destructive agricultural practices, caused a continuous 850 million tons of topsoil to be blown in the air.

Many refugees migrated west with the hope of new homes and jobs..

This is the story of a family caught up in it all. Living through the dust bowl and trying to survive in a new state.

I immediately bonded with the main character Elsa and Hannah Kristen style of writing shined through at first...
But I have to say as Elsa’s story continued I felt like I was in Groundhog Day. The same battles were played over day by day, all very tense and there didn’t seem to be a lot else for the middle part of the book. It was in truth for me a slog. And it took me a while to get through this book.

I understand there has to be a little repetition to show the harshness of it all but from a character point of view there wasn’t room to add any more depth. I needed more from the characters than their day to day survival of food, water, farming etc.

But then the last third of the book new characters and a change in the pace made the book magical again and I was hooked.

This is one of the most bleak novels I’ve read in a while. The book however, does highlight some amazing female relationships mother and daughter, best friends.

The imagery was fantastic and the way she described how the poor livestock died and how the children had to wear gas masks to be safe from the dust was second to none.

This is like watching one of those epic movies that’s over three hours long.. you keep going with it but a part of your thinks is it nearly over yet?

I admire Kristens research it shines through. But I needed more of a story that kept me engaged and interested.

Overall a great book.

From the very first page I was enthralled with this book. Kristin Hannah has a certain style of writing which skilfully draws the reader in and allows you to feel a part of the story.
Carefully mastered with intriguing characters, a strong storyline and descriptive narrative , all of these elements added to my overall enjoyment.
A fascinating insight into life during the Depression with all its hardships. A book about love, hope and principles. A real emotional rollercoaster.
This was one of those books that I just could not put down and I absolutely loved every page.
The best book I have read in a very long time.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest and independent review.

Having only recently discovered Kristin Hannah I was thrilled to be able to read this one.
A breathtaking and heartbreaking story set in the Great Depression and Dust Bowl tragedy of the 1930's. I can't praise the characterisation enough, I was totally immersed in the story of Elsa and her family as if I were living through the traumas they suffered with them.
Never before have I read a book that has managed to draw out such a wide range of emotions, despair, tragedy, love, strength, courage, sacrifice and even at times a little humour.
A superbly written book that will stay with me for a very long time and I'm not ashamed to say that I shed tears. I would love there to be a follow up as I'm not ready to let go of the characters.
If you only read one book this year then this is the one.

The Four Winds is a slow-burning, beautifully written historical fiction novel set in 1934 during the Dust Bowl. The book tells the story of a family’s fight for survival during these rough times. The characters are well-developed and fleshed out. The atmospheric setting draws you into it’s dry, drought-ridden dust and will have you reaching for water. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Giving this four stars, hear me out!

I absolutely adore historical fiction so this seemed on the face of it a fairly straightforward read. I knew it was set during the great depression so knew it would be about dark times. However, I didn't expect the level of darkness that followed. Half way through I turned to my boyfriend and said "I hope this picks up" to which he replied: "it was the great depression you know". So yes, maybe it was my fault that I picked this book up at the wrong time as we are currently in our modern turmoil of the coronavirus pandemic. I wonder if I hadn't read it during these times would it have been a five star read? It is exceptionally well written, the attention to detail is lovely and really is what carried me through the book (as well as maybe a glimmer of hope and happiness). The characters are so well-rounded and you feel completely immersed within the characters trials and tribulations throughout that time in their life. Regardless of the time, there are still clear messages to be learnt from this today. There is still prejudices within society and still to this day modern day slavery.

I would recommend this book to someone, but maybe as a future read than something to delve into at the moment! Off to grab a pot of tea to soothe the headache, or maybe that should be gin?! ;)

With thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the invitation to read and review this title,

Review will be posted on Waterstones and Amazon as well as my bookstagram (@a.girl.and.her.book) on publication day.

I had not read anything by Kristin Hannah before but was aware of her huge popularity, curious about her appeal and was confident enough in her universal appeal to invest in several copies of her work. Four Winds was my first Hannah read and I started this undoubtedly with a great degree of expectation. A writer reveals themselves in their sentence structure, their use of language, the way they weave a story together. I wasn’t disappointed- Hannah excels in all of these. Her language is dense, laden, descriptive but lucid. The characters swell before you, uniquely fashioned and fully fleshed - wonderful people. This is an amazing read. It is the story of a young girl, neglected and unloved by her family who has to support her own family’s survival in Texas during the Great Depression. The sense of place, of hardship and daily fight for survival is so strong you live through this book. In her notes Hannah draws her own comparison between the Great Depression and the pandemic we are living through now and certainly the sense of being overwhelmed, helpless, bleak and endless was a parallel and made the book harder to read right now. I studied American History but this book breathed life into that history - I had no idea of the way people were living, how terribly they were treated, how desperate their fight for survival. This is a magnificent read, a beautiful story with characters who transcend the page and walk into your world. It is however a tale of tremendous, daily, page by page hardship. I will definitely be reading more of Kristin Hannah. With thanks to Netgalley and PanMacmillan for a digital copy of this wonderful book.

This story centres around Elsa, a young woman who's unloving family and reckless (for the time!) choices cause her to have to leave everything she's ever known to live with another family. Time marches on, and she ends up in Texas during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

The vast bulk of this story is what happens when the family end up in California, how they are treated, how they live, and how they manage to survive.

I liked the focus on the women of the story. I am familiar with the timeline of events, so this wasn't new information to me. The story had a logical beginning, middle and end.

Having said that, I didn't really like this book much. The language used seemed very modern, attitudes ranged from being exactly as I would have expected for back then up to completely modern sensibilities - which while I'm sure would have been true for some, it was just prevalent in too many characters in my opinion. While the story made sense, it was just completely obvious what was going to happen.

Overall, if you're looking for a light read of a serious subject, then this might be the book for you. Personally I wouldn't read it again, I don't think it does the era justice, and it felt derivative of other novels. It was also overly romanticised, which takes away from the important messages of the era.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

Again Kristin Hannah does not disappoint. A fantastic story set in the time of the Great Depression. A story of how to make our lives better in a time where not much is looking like anyone can make their lives good. Bravery, resilience and courage is all the themes captured in this amazing story.

Thank you to the Publisher, Kristin Hannah and to Netgalley for an advance ARC in return for an honest review.

Kristin Hannah is one of my favourite authors so saved this ARC for the first novel of 2021 as I needed something to look forward. And it was worth the two weeks wait (which was torture).

In the Four Winds Kristin Hannah has delivered another winning historical drama which will tug the heartstrings. In this novel she takes us to the American Dirt Bowl during the 1930s where Elsa struggles to survive with her family. Driven to starvation Elsa takes her children to California in search of the American Dream.

What unfolds is a beautifully written, well researched drama about one woman surviving against all the odds. I am not afraid to admit that I cried at the end of it, even reading the acknowledgments at the end which is something I usually skim through.

A well-deserved 5stars. If you loved The Nightingale, or you are new to Kristen Hannah then Four Winds might break your heart, but it won’t disappoint.

Another epic read by Kristin Hannah, one of my top authors of historical fiction. A heartbreaking family saga set in the Great Depression and Dust Bowl of the 1930s, where pioneering families struggled to make the life they were promised. I found it a very emotional read, be prepared for tears, the characters endeared themselves to me, I think possibly because of the unprecedented times we’re currently living in. Elsa Martinelli, rejected by her own family, endeavours to make a life for herself with her Italian husband and his parents. Unable to cope with the unforgiving nature of farm life during this period in history, he ups and leaves her with an unruly teenager in his wake. Despite this Elsa’s strength and resilience through the dust storms and powerful love for her family, she survives but realises her future is in the West. Almost as the first pioneers, she commences her dangerous journey in a old truck on it’s last legs instead of a cattle wagon. California is not the promised land she thinks it is but the hardships only serve to strengthen her resolve and her little family struggle through together. I must admit it’s a dark period in history to read about but worth the read.

Thanks to Netgalley the author and publishers St Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review

She has done it again. Beautifully written. Glorious words. All the stars!! 5 thousand stars. The Nightingale set the bar for me and it has never slipped under. I could mot think she could beat the Great Aline but yes oh yes this has done it.

This was such a depressing book but a good read none-the-less. A Grapes of Wrath story set in the Great Depression and the exodus of farming folk from the Dust Bowl that was Texas, Kansas etc. It was well written and well researched but I am not sure it is a book that many will want to read in our current pandemic ridden world. It's just one darn thing after another for the families in the story. With thanks to the publishers for the invitation to read and review this title,

*A big thank-you to Kristin Hannah, Pan Macmillan, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
For a long time I have wanted to read a book on the Dust Bowl, explaining reasons behind it and telling stories of all brave people who survived that environmental disaster that happened in the early 1930s in the Great Plains. I came across the Dust Bowl tragedy while reading some reviews of books tackling this subject, and was puzzled by the phenomenon which had such a horrific impact on the lives of millions. The times were hard, the Great Depression struck and added to the near famine and poverty suffered by town dwellers and farmers who had struggled to cultivate land and produce crops for their communities.
The Four Winds is a work of fiction but Ms Hannah drew on documents, films and memories of those who survived the Dust Bowl, left Texas or Oklahoma in search of a better life in California, and learnt that their fight had to continue. This book is a tribute to determined farmers and migrants living in the era of sacrifice and daily hardships.

This is a story about the Great Depression in the US in the 1930s, of hunger, desperation, misery and greed. It’s mainly, however, a story of strength and resilience and indomitable will in the face of unimaginable horror and misery. This is what makes it such a powerful read in today’s times. It reminds us that history repeats itself, that people can triumph over whatever is thrown our way. So ultimately it’s a book of hope.
Elsa, abandoned by her wealthy parents when she falls pregnant, finds love and purpose when she goes to live with her new husband’s Italian family. She grows to love the land and her in-laws. When her husband abandons her, Elsa must overcome life’s challenges and be strong for her children, beautiful, headstrong Loreda and little Ant.
And then nature turns against the Great Plains, cruel and unrelenting, plunging great swathes of land into drought and famine, transforming once rich farmland into a dust bowl. There’s talk of jobs and plenty in other parts of the country, and eventually Elsa joins the constant flow of migrants seeking opportunities further north.
I loved how Elsa grows throughout this book. Her parents never showed her love and shaped her distorted view of her own worth with their criticism and absence. Elsa tends to make herself disappear; to become invisible. But when she has to fight to look after her children, she finds her strength, and as she overcomes challenge after challenge she finally steps into the shoes of the woman she really is. She finds her voice. Her strength and courage are incredible.
I cried buckets reading this book. Probably because the pandemic makes me more vulnerable and tearful, but also because Kristin Hannah writes with such clarity and intensity that she transported me right into that time of soul-destroying despair and hopelessness. I ached for Elsa and her children, and all the others living in appalling conditions and being used by greedy farmers who needed workers to pick cotton or fruit.
A beautifully written book that will resonate with so many readers. As Hannah says in her note, “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that the Great Depression would become so relevant in our modern lives, that I would see so many people out of work, in need, frightened for the future.”
Highly recommended.

This story is beautifully written but pulls at all your emotions. The characters are amazing, the way they didn’t give up during all that was thrown at them was inspiring.

The story is set in the 1930’s during the Great Depression and the dust bowl and one families fight to survive. It has lots of historical information in which which I enjoyed reading about too.

Another enjoyable book by Kristin Hannah. I’m looking forward to reading many more.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

If you like The Nightingale las much as I do, you have to read this one. It is not an easy read, it is quite dense and a slow burner. My head hurts, my soul is shattered. The women portrayed in this book are strong, fierce, courageous. Their journey is not an easy one, it is an honest and realistic portrayal; it is not easy to leave everything you know and love behind. I don't even have words to express my feelings and thoughts about this book.

What a fantastic read! I truly feel as though I've been on an epic journey with an incredibly resilient woman, Elsa, and her children. Never before have I experienced such a powerful surge of emotion. It was simply fabulous.

The story takes place during the 1930s and begins in Texas in the wake of the Stock Market Crash and Great Depression. Rejected by her own affluent family, Elsa longs to feel loved and accepted. She falls pregnant and marries Rafe, the son of Italian immigrant farmers. Forming a strong bond with her in-laws, she moves to the farm and works hard on the land. When an unrelenting drought destroys everything they've strived for, the local community is pushed further into poverty and decline. Difficult life-changing decisions must be made.

I was so impressed with this book. The writing is extremely powerful and moving. I went into it with an open mind not having read any of the author's other books. The story is bleak and heart-wrenching — nothing can prepare you for the extreme hardships and prejudices that follow. The sheer struggle for survival is immense and endless. Yet there are glimpses of joyousness and camaraderie.

As the book comes full circle it leaves you with a profound feeling of having read something wonderful. I was weeping buckets yet full of hope for what was left unsaid. An outstanding read.

Keep a glass of water near and a tissue.
I did indeed find myself reaching for a drink due to atmospheric description of the drought and the winds which took place during the depression.
A period in history that I had heard of but did not know in depth.
Elsa, I thought it was going to be a story of her overcoming her unhappy childhood and finding the contentment she deserved, it is anything but. Loreda and Ant are Elsa's children, she will sacrifice and struggle to give them both the secure and happy childhood that she missed.
The families circumstances get worse with each chapter, finally forcing Elsa to find her true spirit and fight for her family with overwhelming tragic consequences.
The pictures at the beginning of some chapters only reinforced the hardships suffered.
Everything down to the credits, was fascinating.

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
I give this book 5 stars
Texas, 1934. Millions are out of work and a drought has broken the Great Plains and dust threatens to bury them all. One of the darkest periods of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, has arrived with a vengeance.
In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinelli must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west with her family to California, in search of a better life.
Such a beautifully written and incredibly emotional read with so much depth and descriptive detail that l was swept along and completely captivated.A heart wrenching story about families desperation and despair at losing their homes, jobs, lives, people they love and then the strength and courage they find within themselves to fight and to survive and the strong hope we all have for a brighter future.
Completely thought provoking during the current times we all find ourselves in. Another fantastic book from an author lve come to love,a highly recommended read.
With thanks to Netgalley,Kristin Hannah and Pan Macmillan for my chance to read and review this epic novel.