The Four Winds

I write this review with the same heavy heart that I wrote for “The Nightingale.” Ms. Hannah has a gift that, in my opinion, VERY FEW authors possess; storytelling with off- the- chart passion, vision and heart. As with my last read I am compelled to state that readers will be transported into the story and literally become one with the environment, the people, and the adverse conditions they experience. The stellar writing makes it virtually impossible to distance oneself from the story at hand. The drought, the deprivation, the betrayal, tests the human spirit beyond comprehension. Elsa and her children, Loreda and “Ant” must make a difficult decision. I don’t want to offer any spoilers because I believe readers need to allow the story to unfold for themselves naturally as they read. I will say, however, this story epitomizes the bond between mother/child that is cemented at birth and is life long. It is also a true self discovery novel for the main character, Elsa. Her mother in law, Rose, is an amazing woman and so insightful. One of my favorite passages is this one shared at the birth of Loreda…. “Believe me Elsa, this girl will love you as no one ever has… and make you crazy and try your soul, often all at the same time.” Elsa and Loreda’s relationship is similar to many mother/daughter relationships in life. But… LOVE endures despite the volatility. THAT is the definition of motherhood. “” Elsa: “You taught me love. You, first in the whole world, and my love for you will outlive me.” I STRONGLY recommend this book. I’m convinced it will enlighten you as it has me about a time and place in our country’s history known as the Dust Bowl in the central plains, the severe drought and The Great Depression. It helped me understand the plight of proud, hardworking families forced to migrate to the West for a perceived better life and the fight for a fair wage and living conditions. You go, Jack Valen! It is not a light read for the purpose of entertaining only. This story will touch you, soul deep. As with The Nightingale, I will never forget the story and its relevance in modern times too. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟…..♾️! The Audible narration is superb! 👍🏻👍🏻

The incredibly talented Kristin Hannah’s newest effort, “The Four Winds,” once again, showcases her writing ability: a remarkable story with unforgettable characters, reader appeal, and grammatical sparkle. There are not many authors like Hannah around, so it is refreshing to get a new book from her every now and then. As usual, my counsel is to not miss it. Elsa Wolcott, enters the 1920s at a stressful time for her. After being newly married at an age considered too mature by most, times get hard in Texas. She and her husband, Rafe, struggle on their Texas farm until 1934, when husband, worn down to a life of morbid desperation caused by poor weather and even poorer soil and failing crops, can’t take the tough life anymore, packs up and leaves for parts unknown, abandoning his equally disparate wife and two raggedy children, all of them sick and hungry. Elsa struggles to keep it together through relentless dust storms and droughts that continue to ravish the already crusty soil, further diminishing the skimpy crops until it also becomes too much for her to handle. She is forced to make a choice. She will probably perish if she stays on the land she loves or she can move to golden California where life is easy and much kinder, or so she is told. Making a hard decision, she packs their meager belongings, gathers what little money they have, and, with children in tow, begins the trek to an easier life in an old, broken-down truck. But California is not that golden. Too many people like her have fled their horrible existence and reached the promised land already, making harsh demands on the land that can’t be met. So now she has to continue working like a dog, picking cotton for little or no money, struggling to get food for her family, fighting the resentment of California natives over “Okies” moving in, and trying to find jobs where none exist. Living in a huge farm worker settlement alongside a dirty water ditch, her existence is worse than before. But she struggles on. This story is about unbending willpower. The author has piled immense hardship on her characters and has ways of communicating the privation that will bring tears and gut-wrenching pain to her readers. Her protagonists struggle along, dragging readers with them actually passing along their pain and discomfort as actual physical events to those that are reading about them. Think of Jack London and his characters suffering the immense cold of below zero temperatures or tortured slaves as they suffer through their chained existence in the stinking holds of sea-tossed slave ships. The adversity is actually physically felt by the reader. Hannah has that kind of reality in her writing. No spoilers here. You’ll actually have to read this book to get relief from the agony, and I recommend that you do. Schuyler T Wallace Author of TIN LIZARD TALES

Great book, definitely historical fiction! Loved reading a story about a strong woman! Loved all the values this story reinforced and promoted!

I recently discovered Kristin Hannah books and have read multiple books back to back. I haven't been disappointed by any of them, this one included. I have a very busy life so I don't get to read as much as I would like. I set a goal to read 12 books a year... 5 of those this year have been Kristin Hannah. Her writing style draws the reader in and keeps them engaged. Her books are just long enough so you don't feel left hanging, but not so long that they drag on. I would highly recommend this book and any of her others.

Amazing story and beautifully written. The only thing i could criticise a bit would be the ending,it felt a bit forced and unrealistic, but overall i highly recommend.

You know you have a great book when you feel you’re a part of people you previously knew very little about. This book is a history lesson, compassionate building, whole heart story of what life was like in the 1930’s in the panhandle dust plains of USA - you share the richly described life and times of a woman whose grit got tested. Her resilience and strength grows with each test. Loved this one and found it hard to put down.

No puedo creer que me salga mas barato un libro importado! y en inglés!!!

Elsa is a young woman growing up in Texas in a well-to-do but emotionally distant family. Frail after a childhood bout of rheumatic fever, she feels unloved and unwanted, convinced she is plain and undesirable. At 25, still unmarried unlike her sisters, Elsa longs for a different life. When she meets Rafe Martinelli, a charming young man from a working-class background, she falls in love. But when she becomes pregnant out of wedlock, her parents disown her. Forced to leave her privileged life behind, Elsa moves in with Rafe’s family on their farm. Life there is tough and unrelenting, but she adapts and builds a life with Rafe, raising two children, Loreda and Ant. As the Great Depression sets in and a devastating drought destroys their land, Elsa is faced with an impossible choice: stay and endure, or flee west to California in search of a better future for her children. What follows is a gripping portrayal of Elsa’s journey as she faces poverty, discrimination, and brutal working conditions in California. Yet through every hardship, her love for her children give her strength. The Texan dust storms, once unbearable, almost seem gentler than the cruelty she encounters in the so-called land of opportunity. The Four Winds is a powerful story of maternal love, female resilience, friendship, and sacrifice. It also makes us see the inequality, work exploitation, and the myth of the American Dream, asking whether it is truly attainable for all, or just for a privileged few. Elsa is a deeply developed and compelling protagonist. However, some of the secondary characters, particularly Rafe, could have been more developed. That said, the emotional impact and historical richness of the novel more than make up for this. A thoroughly moving and unforgettable read, both heartbreaking and inspiring.

Todavía no lo he terminado, pero la historia me gusta. Es el primer libro que leo de esta escritora.