#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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This was such a fascinating era in our history.
Not sure how to put my review into words. I remember studying about The Dust Bowl in school, but this book brought that time period to life. Before, it was a chapter in a history book; now it’s a truly hard time in people’s lives who lived it. This book was a testament to the fact that not just men lived through this horrendous time, but women and children too. Elsa Martinelli sacrificed everything to make a better life for her children. But moving to California wasn’t the answer either. What they had to endure could destroy anyone and any family, as it did for many. But Elsa found a deep strength within her to survive and do what’s right for her children and anyone she came to love. This was so well written. This was such a roller coaster of emotions for me. I was moved to tears at the end. All I can say is this was an amazing book of love, sacrifice and the resilience of the American people.
I could not put the book down – even though I teared up every time I began reading -it was so true, the suffering that went on at the time of the book.
A detailed story of the Dust Bowl and Great Depression years. Like Grapes of Wrath, told from a female’s point of view. Almost too tragic to be believable, which is why I only give it four stars.
Elsa Martinelli’s story was heart breaking. I found myself in tears reading this book. The book highlights the best and worst of the human spirit in times of adversity, specifically highlighting the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. The audiobook was phenomenal.
A really well-done book about 1930s America. Of all the historical fiction I’ve read lately billed as a “best seller” this book came closest to living up to the hype.
Kristin never fails to amaze me with her writing.
I couldn’t put this book down. I read it in four days and it’s a thick book.
I was transported to the struggles of the Great Depression and to the tribulations of the Dust Bowl. It brought to life a time in our history that was in my peripherals and I was aware of, and made it center stage. Wonderful book!
In The Four Winds, Kristin Hannah’s latest work of historical fiction, the author paints a gut-wrenching picture of life during the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, and the exploitation of the migrant workers who poured into California in search of work and a better life. Set against the backdrop of one of America’s darkest periods, Hannah creates a cast of compelling characters as she plumbs the depths of a mother’s love and the devastating effects of its absence. I highly recommend this well-researched book, with the caveat that it is an emotional read about difficult times.
I read a review of “The Four Winds” by Kristin Hannah. The reviewer said she did not finish because it was too depressing. I almost didn’t read this book. But this was by Kristin Hannah! She is a phenomenal storyteller. After I finished the novel all I could think about is what I would have missed had I not read the amazing story about the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl in the plains (hence, the depressive nature of the storyline). Kristin Hannah wrote about true history. Yes, there are hard times, cruel people, and unforgiving land. Her prose was so expressive you could almost taste the dust, feel the heat. The characters were so real. This is the first time in a long time I cried while reading a book. Her wonderful characters showed the true American spirit. These people did not want handouts. They knew how to work hard and just wanted to raise their families and live the American dream. Sometimes we need to be reminded why they were called “The Greatest Generation”. Your heart will ache for Elsa and her family. But in the end, you will come to understand: with faith, hope, and love you can surmount the circumstances you are given. And when you lose everything, Love remains.
Every American high school student would gain an appreciation of our farmers, homesteaders and migrant workers by reading this book.
Oh my gosh! The Four Winds is hands down my favorite Kristin Hannah book! It’s beautifully heartbreaking. A must read!
I found the book to be very well written. It was historically sound and the characters were so well developed that you laughed when they did and cried for them in their tragedies.
I recommend this book as I do all of Kristen Hannah’s books.
This book had me bawling. Despite such a strong reaction, I have mixed feelings.
The writing is emotionally strong and the settings vivid. I found myself wiping at my face because I felt *gritty* during the dust storm scenes.
But the plot is very one note. Every possible bad thing that happened during the Great Depression did happen to Elsa Marinelli and family. And in quick succession too. There was no rise and fall. Few moments of light that happen even in the worst times. I remember Ant making circles in the dust with his pee and a haircut and that’s about it. And Elsa was the only dynamic character. The only one I cared about. Everyone else felt very stock and stiff.
The Four Winds did draw some eeire parallels between the Great Depression and our current times. Lots to think about, so I will be mulling over this book for a long time.
I finished the Four Winds in 2 days, could not put it down. The stories main character is female, an amazing woman of great strength during the worst of times. The time in history is during The Dust Bowl and The Great Depression in the 1930. The book starts out in Texas and moves to California. Kristin Hannah wrote an amazing story that takes you in, I actually felt every agony and struggle, it was exhausting and emotional. Have Kleenex ready for certain parts of the book.
Four Winds by Kristin Hannah is a well written book, that educates you on The Dust Bowl and what happened to the migrant workers in the 1930’s. For the most part I enjoyed the book, but I found it a little too repetitive at the beginning, and I wished that it ended happier, as the whole book was pretty sad.
I’m a big Kristin Hannah fan. The Great Alone and Firefly Lane held me captive. This dive into the dust of the Depression reflected the tragic times perfectly.
This sure opened my eyes to conditions during the “dirty thirties” and to the value of labor unions. Well written, as always.
It reminded me of The Grapes of Wrath…