#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER #1 USA TODAY BESTSELLER#1 WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER#1 INDIE BESTSELLER”The Four Winds seems eerily prescient in 2021 . . . Its message is galvanizing and hopeful: We are a nation of scrappy survivors. We’ve been in dire straits before; we will be again. Hold your people close.”—The New York Times“A spectacular tour de force that shines a spotlight on the … close.”—The New York Times
“A spectacular tour de force that shines a spotlight on the indispensable but often overlooked role of Greatest Generation women.”—People
“Through one woman’s survival during the harsh and haunting Dust Bowl, master storyteller, Kristin Hannah, reminds us that the human heart and our Earth are as tough, yet as fragile, as a change in the wind.” —Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing
From the number-one bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone comes a powerful American epic about love and heroism and hope, set during the Great Depression, a time when the country was in crisis and at war with itself, when millions were out of work and even the land seemed to have turned against them.
“My land tells its story if you listen. The story of our family.”
Texas, 1921. A time of abundance. The Great War is over, the bounty of the land is plentiful, and America is on the brink of a new and optimistic era. But for Elsa Wolcott, deemed too old to marry in a time when marriage is a woman’s only option, the future seems bleak. Until the night she meets Rafe Martinelli and decides to change the direction of her life. With her reputation in ruin, there is only one respectable choice: marriage to a man she barely knows.
By 1934, the world has changed; millions are out of work and drought has devastated the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as crops fail and water dries up and the earth cracks open. Dust storms roll relentlessly across the plains. Everything on the Martinelli farm is dying, including Elsa’s tenuous marriage; each day is a desperate battle against nature and a fight to keep her children alive.
In this uncertain and perilous time, Elsa—like so many of her neighbors—must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or leave it behind and go west, to California, in search of a better life for her family.
The Four Winds is a rich, sweeping novel that stunningly brings to life the Great Depression and the people who lived through it—the harsh realities that divided us as a nation and the enduring battle between the haves and the have-nots. A testament to hope, resilience, and the strength of the human spirit to survive adversity, The Four Winds is an indelible portrait of America and the American dream, as seen through the eyes of one indomitable woman whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation.
more
I recently read my very first Kristin Hannah novel which was Firefly Lane, but I didn’t love that book as near as much as I loved The Four Winds. This is a sweeping tale that gives you a strong sense of what the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl era were like. The dust, the lack of water, the lack of jobs, the bad pay picking cotton, everything about this book made me feel for the characters and everyone who actually lived in this timeframe. The audiobook is narrated by Julia Whelan and she really was the best person to voice this book. I love her narration anyway, but she was able to bring The Four Winds to life for me in a way I don’t think I could have gotten reading the book alone. I also loved that the audio included an interview at the end with Whelan, Hannah, and Macmillan Audio. This was very enlightening to listen to so I would HIGHLY recommend the audio for people who love a good audiobook.
The relationships in The Four Winds were very touching, and I loved the bond between Elsa and her daughter Loreda. Not all the relationships were good mind you, but the main ones were, and I fell in love with so many of the characters in this book. It was very hard to read at times and I cried more than once with the end producing an ugly cry. There is overbearing sadness, but there is also so much love and hope. I can definitely see why people love Hannah so much even when she gives you an ending you want to punch her for. I don’t think I am going to forget this story or Elsa for a long time to come, and The Four Winds is going to have a place on my shelf for as long as I’m alive.
I received a complimentary listening copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Amazing book!
Absolutely amazing book. I recommend to all!!
First of all, The Four Winds was well worth the wait. Yes, it was bleak and depressing at times, but this type of book is what we need to read, especially in times such as we are living now. This story of Elsa Martinelli and her family living in the Oklahoma panhandle is just one example of what thousands of families endured during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression of the 1930’s.
I rate books not only for how well written they are, but also for how they make me feel. Four Winds definitely made me feel many things; sadness, despair, hope, respect, and anger. I bawled my eyes out several times. What makes a book like this an excellent read is that is makes the reader not only feel, but also think. I couldn’t help but remember all the stories my grandparents told me about living through the Great Depression and the hard times they had. I thought about all the people who are suffering today during the pandemic from loss of jobs and income and are struggling to get by. I fear that if we suffered something today as truly devastating as the Dust Bowl, we could not survive. Could we save every scrap of food and make a meal out of it? Most Americans get by on ready-made meals or meal delivery. Could we make clothes out of leftover fabrics and scraps? Many today possess no sewing skills. Could we live off the land? Our grandparents had survival skills that have long been forgotten. Yes, they suffered, but they had the grit and fortitude, and the skills to survive.
I was especially ignorant of all that the people of the Dust Bowl suffered. I didn’t realize how badly they were treated by both the government and their fellow Americans when they left their homes for a better life. It was truly heartbreaking to read. Such a dark time in our history, but the human spirit always fights to survive.
I listened to this via Audible and the narrator was Julia Whelan, one of my favorite narrators, did an excellent job bringing the story to life. This is a book I will not soon forget. In fact, I also purchased an autographed hardcover for my library. I gave this poignant masterpiece five stars.
This book.
Hoo boy.
This is a really tough book for me to rate.
On the one hand – it was super compelling. Kristin Hannah is an incredibly gifted storyteller. I went into this very hesitantly, having read reviews that indicated it might be a bit more heavy than what my current mental state could handle. But then I started reading it anyway and was immediately sucked in. It was nearly impossible to put down. It was fascinating and horrifying and heartbreaking and – honestly – a true testament to the unbreakability of the human spirit.
Elsa was a lioness. A true warrior. A heroine unlike any I’ve read – maybe ever. She was inspiring and brutally beautiful to read about. I adored her and the way she loved so furiously and generously. I ached for her. My heart bears wounds – those that I felt as a mom whose soul ached at having to witness what Elsa’s sweet family had to endure, and those that I felt as a reader completely caught up in the story – for better and for worse. Elsa was just an amazing literary figure and I feel bound to her somehow.
On the other hand, I turned the last page feeling bereft. While the ending is decidedly hopeful and inspiring in and of itself, it came at too much of a cost for me. The high didn’t reach high enough to overcome the sadness of it all. It was gritty and tough – which is probably a true testament to the time in which the story is set, but as a reader looking for an escape – this was all just a bit too real for me. Too much darkness. Not enough light.
And yet, I will tell you that it was still worth the read. It was interesting and educational. There were moments of profound beauty and moments where I found myself awestruck at all the human heart can bear and still continue beating. It’s not a happy journey, but it was a worthwhile one nonetheless
Beautifully written. Heartbreaking yet full of hope. Still crying.
Another epic book written by one of my favorite authors.
This book is about Elsa, a sick girl that is underestimated by her parents, she never felt beloved or beautiful or important, until one day she decides to make a beautiful dress for herself and goes out in the night and finds a man and falls in love…
Elsa is abandoned by her parents and gets married with someone that doesn’t values her as she deserves and has to struggle and work hard, and then comes poverty…
This is a story about endurance, courage and new beginnings, read it with a pack of tissues.
Kristen Hannah has another winner with her newest book!
Heart wrenching page turner!
Loved it!
I’ve been reading KH books for over 20 years; long before some ever heard of her. She never disappoints. Not much I can add that others haven’t already said. Very interesting to read the historical fiction surrounding the dust bowl. A hard read with a fierce woman heroine with all the feels. As always, looking forward to the next by one of my all time favs. This was an Audible listen with one of my favorite narrators, Julian Whelan. A home run with fav author and narrator!
A woman’s heart-wrenching journey during the Great Depression inspires in “The Four Winds”
“The Four Winds” (St. Martins) is a sweeping saga of a family’s struggle to survive set against the background of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl of America’s Plains States. At the heart of the story is Elsa Wolcott, a tall, awkward girl who suffered rheumatic fever as a teenager. She believed she was never beautiful, smart or strong enough to earn the love of her wealthy Texan family, so she withdrew into the world of books.
At twenty-five, Elsa boldly cuts her long hair, purchases a bolt of red silk at the General Store and fashions it into a slinky dress. The year is 1921, and she’s unaware that her rebellious acts would change her life. The little red dress leads to an illicit love affair, being disowned by her family, and a shotgun wedding to Rafe Martinelli, the shiftless son of immigrant wheat farmers.
Years of drought ravage the Martinelli’s farm, leaving Elsa, Rafe, their daughter Loreda and son Anthony, and his parents near the point of starvation. When Rafe abandons them, and the storms grow deadly, Elsa and her children must decide whether to stay and fight for the land they love or leave. After Anthony contracts dust pneumonia, they face the heartbreaking truth—they must leave to save him. They embark on a dangerous journey to California in search of “milk and honey,” fresh air and a new life. Unfortunately, they become part of the millions desperately escaping the Depression and the Dust Bowl who live hand-to-mouth, pick crops, receive government relief, and are the objects of prejudice and violence in the San Joaquin Valley.
Kristin Hannah is a master at capturing the essence of historical events and developing strong women protagonists who live and breathe in that time period. In “The Nightingale,” Hannah transported us to war torn France during WWII, where she examined the complex relationship between two sisters with opposing political ideologies. “The Four Winds” is a story about the delicate dynamics of a mother-teenage daughter relationship burdened by abandonment, poverty, and political and ecological tragedies. As in “The Nightingale,” one woman seeks to be an agent of change, while fear paralyzes the other into complacency. They fight as mother and daughter do, but Elsa and Loreda draw strength from each other to face the dust storms, the filthy migrant camp, the starvation and life as downtrodden migrant workers. Together, they embark on a poignant quest of survival and hope in a time and place of death, destruction, and prejudice. As Loreda matures, she realizes the one person can change the world. She comes to view her mother as a warrior, willing to protect her family, her friends and her ideals at any cost. Meanwhile, Elsa discovers that motherhood has made her braver than she ever dreamed possible. Both women realize that their love matters most.
One cannot read “The Four Winds” without making an analogy to the current pandemic and economic downturn. In her novel, Hannah paints a depressing picture of hopelessness in the breadlines, government relief, abandoned businesses, foreclosures and forces of nature beyond man’s control. And the helplessness Elsa and her family feel in the loss of control over their fates and the American Dream. They once experienced financial comfort in their lives and never imaged being forced to subsist on government subsidies to survive.
Today, we face the identical issues-food banks, unemployment greater than during the Depression, evictions, political unrest and isolation. Like Elsa, former gainfully employed people, who’ve never requested government help, must rely on it for their family’s survival. Just as Hannah’s characters hid from the dust storms destroying their farms, we hide from an invisible microorganism inhabiting the air we breathe. In the 1930s, crop rotation, irrigation and science restored the farmland and “The New Deal” restored the economy. We are fortunate to live in a century when science and technology can eradicate the world pandemic, hopefully, in soon.
“The Four Winds” is about a country in crisis, and how one woman thrives amidst the chaos. There are lessons to be learned from history, and Elsa’s bravery in “The Four Winds” inspires us to draw strength and learn from the past. We will survive these dark days and we will ultimately succeed if we work together.
The Great Depression was a rough time for families living in Middle America. Else became a single mother overnight because of her spouse’s decision. She had to decide to stay and fight nature or to flee to California to survive. She was a weak woman who became strong because otherwise they would all die. I didn’t give this book a 5 star since I like some of her other stories better.
This is one of those books that you just can’t stop reading once you’ve gotten into it. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and this book is one of the best I’ve read. It describes farm life in the Great Plains during the severe dust storms of the 1930’s depression era as well as the plight of migrant farm workers who came to California from the Dust Bowl region to survive. The main character Elsa is a survivor, she’s strong and courageous, she is a warrior.
I absolutely loved this book! I didn’t know much about it when I started it, as I will read anything by Kristin Hannah, but this book is exceptional.
Elsa Martinelli is a young woman whose life has been defined by her parents; after a childhood illness, she is considered not strong, not healthy, not pretty and a lifelong spinster. A chance meeting with a young man changes her life in a most unexpected way. As she leaves her parents to become part of another family, she learns what family can and should be, and just how strong and capable she is. But after years of living on a farm, in the midst of the Great Depression when things can’t get any worse, they do. The winds scour Texas as they do the Great Plains, killing crops, drying up water, and leaving people with nothing to eat and nowhere to go. Like many others Elsa heads west to start a new life, but this time with her two children.
In California, Else learns that things are not as they have been advertised. Caught up in the endless cycle of abusive employers, lack of money, hatred and discrimination by the locals, like many newcomers Elsa feels trapped. But an unexpected encounter leads her to recognize the internal strength she has always had and helps her to become the leader she has always been inside.
The Four Winds is tells story of the migrants from the Midwest in the story of Elsa. This is historical fiction at it’s best: compelling, compassionate, enraging and courageous. I will definitely read this book again!
Grueling. Horrifying. Inspiring. Compulsively readable. Master storyteller, Kristin Hannah, is in top form as she takes us back to a time of disease, depression, and despair in the early decades of the 20th Century, an American era that hauntingly reminds us of our own. High quality historical fiction about the bold decisions of a courageous, resourceful woman, The Four Winds sits at the top of bestseller lists and deservedly so.
I think I’ve never read a book with so much details like this. The research behind it is awesome and the main character goes through every single thing that happened during the Dust Bowl, the drought and the Great Depression. This book makes you feel like you’re there during those hard times and you will follow the characters from the very beginning when life was more comfortable, through the times when there was no rain, with limited food and water, dust storms, erosions, people leaving, people and animals dying and no money. But you also follow them as they get tougher, doing what you have to do to save your kids lives, the family love and support, the love for their land, and the hard decision of staying or leaving West to California. Then it shows you how California was when all the migrants arrived, poverty and no jobs, and then it basically tells you that communism was the solution to their problems, and that idea costed them more than they could have imagined.
The Four Winds tells a story of a woman that had spent her life not being loved by her own family, then ends up getting married after getting pregnant and then finds love in her husband’s family, their land and then discovers true love when she has her first baby. Even though she is kinda boring, the things she goes through makes you feel sympathy for her and it makes you understand how life used to be back then. She becomes a strong woman that does literally anything to save her kids lives (she has a girl and a young boy). There was a part of the book that I almost gave up but I didn’t want this one to be my first dnf of the year so I kept going. I love the history, how well it was written and all the details. This is my first Kristin Hannah book and it won’t be the last. It wasn’t a wow book with twists but it was a wow in terms of details and I really enjoyed learning about the Dust Bowl and everything those people had to go through to survive. Awesome book!
It was my first book by the author but won’t be the last, especially after reading this heartbreaking and beautiful written story.
I haven’t read many novels sets in early 1900, much more American ones, so many things that happened here are somehow new and interesting for me.
But, as a mother, I can relate to some of the moments that our heroine goes through and sacrificing everything for your children is the most important duty of a mother.
There are parts where I felt like stalling as there are somewhere maybe I needed more insight or details/answers.
Overall it’s a great historical novel that many readers will enjoy and I couldn’t recommend it enough.
I BOUGHT THIS BOOK AND IT HAS NOT SHOWN UP IN MY NOOK
The Grapes of Wrath is one of my favorite books and The Four Winds is right up there now. While similar, they are also different because The Four Winds lets us deep into Elsa’s world and most of it is from her point of view. There’s no distant third person like The Grapes of Wrath has. It’s close third person and it made me feel so much like I was living in their world that after reading it for a long period, there was a disconnect and it took me a second to get my bearings. I felt hot and dusty, when in fact I live in Wisconsin and we have 20 inches of snow on the ground!