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The Four Winds
"The Bestselling Hardcover Novel of the Year."--Publishers Weekly
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.BUY THE BOOK
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Community Reviews
This was my first Kristin Hannah novel and it will not be the last.
This is a story about the people who struggled and persevered through the Dust Bowl, The Great Depression and California Migration. The author told this story in a way that transported me into that life and opened my eyes to the true devastation and hardships that our descendants endured. It's sad and beautiful and horrifying and incredible. Highly recommend the audio version.
Not that I am surprised, but this book was so bleak, depressing, and heavy. Kristin Hannah does a remarkable job at setting the tone, scene, and distress of the dire times that she writes about in history. I cannot denounce the fact of how impeccable of a writer she is. However, having read her other works, this one fell a little flat for me.
Elsa struggled with being a dud of a character and her constant weakness/strength was repetitive; I couldn't really grasp what she was supposed to be. And also, the constant reminder of her being ugly was unnecessary. Loreda was a steadfast character, even though she constantly berated her mother, but at least her optimism never wielded. Rose said some lovely things and I did love her heart through it all.
The story itself was just one depressing thing after another with no let up. And I get it, it was the Great Depression, but ugh, maybe I was just not in the mood for this right now? idk.
The ending/epilogue was actually really beautiful, despite what happens. I wish I got more of that throughout the book.
“…I tell her every day how she shaped me, how she taught me to stand up and find my woman’s voice, even in this man’s world.”
This book! The struggle, the devastation, the loss, the despair. But, the hope, the pride, the determination, the resilience. It was an amazing story, I cried multiple times. I was so invested in the family that the relief I felt was palpable every time Elsa, Ant, and Loreda found shelter or even just the tiny wins. I was rooting for them so immensely. I wasn’t expecting the ending. Be prepared! The tears will flow.
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