#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.
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What a heartbreaking novel! Once again Kristin Hannah creates strong, memorable characters in desperate situations. Quite a journey. 4-1/2 stars
“Courage is fear you ignore.”
I enjoyed this story of Elsa Wolcott Martinelli. Twenty-five years old when the story starts and considered an unmarriageable spinster by her family, she just wants a family of her own and love.
“Elsa had survived it all by being quiet, by not demanding or seeking attention, by accepting that she was loved, but unliked.”
After an indiscretion, she is forced into marriage with a farmer’s son and her life begins and she finds the family she has desired.
This is a tough tale to read at times, starting in Texas in 1921 and going through the Great Depression,the Dust Bowl days, and following Elsa and her family to California as she looks for a way for her family to survive.
It is quite an epic tale of these daunting times in America’s history and a strong woman who will do anything to protect her family.
I highly recommend this book – one of the best of 2021.
I received this book from St. Martin’s Press through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.
4.5 Rounded to 5
I love this author. The imagery her writing brings to life is phenomenal and has you feeling … we’ll everything. I always know to have a box of tissues close by when I grab one of this author’s books because I just know…
My favorite part of this book was how motherhood is shown. It’s definitely not easy being a parent, let alone a single parent. I couldn’t imagine having to fight through that type of poverty, especially during a time when women weren’t SEEN and barely even acknowledged.
My heart broken open at the end and I couldn’t stop the tears flowing. Whew …
I had of course heard of the Dust Bowl but had no idea of it’s magnitude and scope. The Four Winds is a hard read emotionally but also a testament to the ability of people to cope with just about anything. Another winner by Kristin Hannah.
I’ve taught Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath for years – and this is a blatant repeat, just switching male characters to female. Steinbeck wrote it better.
I found this book to be exceptionally depressing with very few bright spots. From beginning to end it was suffering. Not my favorite tho I like Kristin Hannah.
Everything I want in a great book.
Very good story
Strongly written: I found this to be a book that I couldn’t put down.
I learned a lot about the dust bowls.
Absolutely loved it! Exceptionally well written, it’s not just a snapshot of one of the hardest eras in recent history but is a true demonstration of the human will to never give up. In her reluctance to see herself as brave, Elsa is bigger than life. A captivating read that kept me turning the pages until the very end, and then I wanted more.
Words are hard to express the feelings, the depth of emotion I have had reading this harrowing, book. I love this author and her approach to write this story, amazing, Elsie is her heroine for all woman who lived through this tragic time in our history. I can really only say read or listen to this book, you won’t regret it and you will have a piece of history that will endear you to those who lived through it.
I love Kristin Hannah’s writing; but this book, I think, was my favorite so far. It’s about a family struck by the Dust Bowl during the 1930s and how hard they worked to make a better life. I recommend it!
As much as I wanted to like this book, there just weren’t that many likeable characters. That made their trials and tribulations not that moving.
I was very annoyed by the main character’s strict adherence to the status quo at first but later I understood why it had to be that way.
Kristin Hannah is a fabulous author, and this book was excellent. It is a story set during the dust bowl years and has similar themes to The Grapes of Wrath; in fact if I were still teaching English, I would use this book instead of Steinbeck’s because 1) I think kids would relate to it better, and 2) it has a strong female protagonist. The characters are well developed, the dialog is realistic, and the story flows beautifully. I read one review where the reviewer complained about a pro-Communist message. If one knows anything about American history and the struggles of desperate people with know protections against predatory employers, they also know about the efforts to unionize and fight for better pay and, especially, working conditions. This book covers that in a powerful way and I don’t know how one could not be moved by it. I can’t recommend The Four Winds highly enough, and if you haven’t read The Nightingale, I recommend that as well.
The Four Winds was the most depressing book I have ever read. However, I did like the way the book ended, and the 5 stars reflect that. I would recommend but be prepared for some hard times.
I listened to the audiobook while simultaneously reading the hardcover. It really brought the novel to life hearing the excellent narration.
This is a story set in Texas at the start of the Great Depression. Elsa, married to Rafe and living at her in-laws’s home with her 2 children, struggles to express her love. However, Tony and Rose show her how much she is loved as they care for her and teach her how to cook, clean, and farm.
When the dust storms destroy their livelihood, Elsa and the children head to CA to find work. They are treated terribly by the Californians who look down on those who were displaced. They become migrant workers.
Many say this is a depressing story, and yes, it is sad, but I saw hope and determination in Elsa as she navigates the trials of her life, rising to meet each difficulty, finding strength, and showing kindness along the way. Another beautiful story from Kristin Hannah!
I wouldn’t say this is an uplifting book, but it certainly seems steeped in the reality of the Depression and the Dust Bowl. I lived in Oklahoma and found it always windy and dusty, but nothing like you feel the wind and dust storms of the 30’s. It also creates a link with the current happenings in our country. As the rich control more than 90% of the country’s wealth and the improverished suffer more.
I listened to this as an audiobook. Julia Whalen is a talented narrator (I’ve listened to her on more than one audiobook). The story takes you on Elsa’s journey during the Great Dust Bowl and Depression of the “Dirty Thirties,” from dry and dying Texas to the labor camps and crop-picking migrants of California. I felt the book could have been cut down, as some parts were repetitive (both the narrative and the setting/events) but nonetheless, the story swept me away. Evocative, emotional.