#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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Reading this historical novel was a tedious endeavor, with barely likeable characters, but it certainly gives the reader the idea of what miserable times so many people went through during the Great Depression, especially in Dust Bowl areas, and those who trekked to California seeking work and better days. The childhood burden of growing up during those times was also clearly shown. It also dealt with the idea of how self-concept is programmed early by loved ones, or those who should have loved a child, and how that affects the next generation.
An illuminating journey told from one family’s point of view of the depression as American refugees in America.
A relentlessly compelling historical novel that brings to life all the human drama and daily struggles of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl era.
Elsa is the ugly duckling in her Texas family, feeling unappreciated and unloved throughout childhood. So, when handsome neighbor Rafe Martinelli shows an interest, how can she resist? Of course, there are consequences and Elsa winds up as a farmer’s wife just as drought and dust storms are taking over America’s Great Plains.
Like so many millions, Elsa and her family are forced to head west, hoping to find work and a better life in California. But, if you know any history, or have ever read THE GRAPES OF WRATH, you know that workers faced tough times in the west too.
The work was seasonal. Families squeezed into sub-standard tented towns. Wages kept decreasing. There wasn’t enough food. And even for those who found work, company housing and stores took full advantage of the desperation of the newcomers. And locals resented the influx of the “Okies” — so the outsiders also faced prejudice and discrimination at every turn.
One of the things I like best about historical fiction is the way it translates dry history into human story. And this book does an exceptional job embedding all the drama of this era into compelling prose. It’s hard to put the book down, even though it’s a hard book to read.
I finished the book better informed about life during the 1930s and inspired, once again, by the strength and resilience of the human spirit and by the power of love. And, with the reminder that even though challenges throughout history change, people do not.
Well developed characters, great survival and women’s strength
This was a great read i stayed up late to finish it.
I don’t think we had any idea how hard that period of time was in our country! And the women and children had to work just to survive!
This is one of the best books that I have read this year. It is the story of Elsa and her children set during the 1930’s first in Texas and then California. It is a story of survival that has love at it’s heart. I found this book utterly compelling and a real page turner which for me is the best thing that I can say about a book. Loved it.
This could easily take the place of The Grapes of Wrath in schools. Larger story.
I LOVED this book!
As always I was excited to delve into this Kristin Hannah book. This was a great read with lots of historical facts woven into the family. I highly recommend it to others,
Once again Kristen weaves a tale about two families during the Great Depression. I learned so much from her historical events that I was sad to see how deplorable these migrant families were treated. Much like today. I fell in love with Elsa and her strength.
Beautifully written!
Wonderful portrayal of the hardships facing people during the dust bowl era, their sacrifices and their triumphs.
Kristin Hannah has written a story reminiscent of The Grapes of Wrath…one of my all-time favorite books.
This story of a family trying to survive the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma touched my heart and left me in a puddle of tears.
I highly recommend The Four Winds…but, keep the tissues handy.
This book has fictional characters in a historic setting. I enjoy reading this type of book. The main character, Elsa, showed courage, determination, bravery and love. An interesting and emotional read.
An amazing story of heartache and resilience during the Great Depression.
another outstanding win from a reliably great author!
Unbelievable story. You are pulling for this woman from early on in the story. Tragic conditions of the Dust bowl in Texas and Oklahoma and the people who tried to make a living farming these lands.
This book is about so many things—survival, yes, but also strength, courage, and love, because after all, love is what’s left. Elsa to me was absolutely a warrior in so many ways. I did want to shake her a bit because it seemed she never understood her own worth, her own value, even after her mother and father in law sacrificed so much to give her a better chance, and show her repeatedly how loved she is in so many small and quiet ways. She mentions several times that she’s not a brave person but all I could see in her was bravery. Her husband’s weakness, the hardships she faced (one after another, after another—the hits just keep coming), her daughter’s inability to grow up even a little—these were just obstacles in her path to discovering her greatness. Although I felt she deserved more than she got, it did make Elsa, Lareda, and Ant’s story more believable, and the research done to make this historically accurate was impeccable. I ugly cried to the point that my husband checked on me as I was sobbing to make sure it wasn’t something he had done. Every story I’ve ever read by Kristin Hannah is memorable and leaves a lasting impression, and this one is nothing short of unforgettable.
Hannah’s descriptions make you feel like you are actually there.