The Four Winds - Kristin Hannah

The Four Winds

By Kristin Hannah

  • Release Date: 2021-02-02
  • Genre: Fiction & Literature
4.5 Score: 4.5 (From 10,474 Ratings)

Description

"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.

Reviews

  • Great story. Of woman and men who died for this country

    5
    By Pepperstick53
    A lot of sadness. But very inspiring. The strength of men and particularly of women. Hope and good values
  • Love

    5
    By templemarried1996
    I loved this book because of the generosity of detail and it’s raw tender emotion of love in families who just trying to survive in the Depression! So hard to read about Americans rights taken away from them just so that others can make money off of them! But these people were not just people but warriors who loved and had hope in God ! They knew that He was watching over them, and He had a better future for them! I didn’t like the cuss words and the sex mentioned, just to keep you informed of some of the things in this book!
  • The Four Winds

    5
    By Doctornurse40
    This most engaging story details the life of a family in a time before my I was born. The stories told by my Mom, Dad, Grandparents and other family members who lived it were just as full of the strength and will to carry on as this one!! Hannah captures the strength and will the survivors of that terrible era demonstrated! My Mom could drag every bit of value out of the quarter in her pocket better than anyone I know! This is not only a story that captures your attention from the first chapter, it holds you to the very end!
  • Tragic with a rewarding ending

    5
    By IAmKatherinee
    The tragedies and unfortunate lives of the main characters in this book touched me soooo deeply. I honestly think Kristin is greatly talented and her ways of writing is very touching and inspiriting. Love the book, the audio performance by Julia Whelan was impeccable. I enjoy reading/listening to books that would challenge myself and make me want to research and learn more about history and this book did it for me, I knew very little about the great depresión in the 30s and the dust bowl in Texas, really very interesting topics that highlighted my journey with this book.
  • Beautiful story

    5
    By Eminem rocks 8mile
    As with all her stories, Kristin has developed her characters so beautifully that you can’t help caring deeply about each of them. So much so, in fact, I couldn’t put the book down. Another fabulous book about a strong and courageous woman during a bleak part of American history. Highly recommend reading! Wished I could’ve read this book instead of Grapes of Wrath in school.
  • Great read.

    5
    By Emsue714
    A beautiful reminder that a mother will do whatever it takes to
  • Beautiful. Tragic. Inspiring.

    5
    By BukgEk611
    All I can think is how history keeps repeating itself. Our human struggles are many; I hope there’s still happy endings to come for Americans.
  • Honest, Gritty, and Real

    5
    By Konakayaklady
    This is a heartfelt and well-researched novel about life and love in the Dust Bowl.
  • Depressing

    4
    By kquilter9
    Well written but very depressing.
  • Amazing

    5
    By DehSoNice
    I was rooting for Elsa the entire time. The timeline of this book is great, it doesn’t drag on at all. I won’t give anything away, but I wanted more for her and her family. I think it still turned out great, I just wish Elsa found her voice sooner. She had SO much to offer.

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