The Four Winds

Very excited for this next book review of Kristin Hannah’s- one of my all-time favourite author’s- latest novel, The Four Winds.

Set in America in the 1930s, during the Great Depression, the books revolves around the life of Elsa Martinelli, a young woman living in Texas. With 2 kids, a home, and farming on the Great Plains for a livelihood, she leads a secure, comfortable, contented life. However, when the rains stop, and stretches of drought set in, and massive dust storms cause the Great Plains to be coined the Dust Bowl, Elsa’s life takes a steep turn. With her husband fleeing, tumultuous dust storms turning the once fertile land barren, and her children’s survival and future being threatened, Elsa is forced to make the painful decision of packing up and moving to California, the supposed land of ‘milk and honey’. What follows is the incredible journey of a woman determined, to survive, and to give it her all, to ensure a better future for her children than she ever had.

What I really love about this book, and all Kristin Hannah books, is not only that it focuses on spirited, courageous women, who are dauntless in their pursuit of their goal, but it also highlights the unshakeable bond of friendship forged between women, and how they pull each other up from ashes, even when they are at their lowest.

I am a sucker for historical fiction, so this book was right up my alley. The pace of the book was a little slow at the beginning when establishing the storyline, but from around 50 pages in, I was hooked right up till the end. I also really liked the fact that the story was told from 2 perspectives: Elsa’s, and her daughter Loreda’s, which gave us a glimpse into how different characters perceived and reacted to situations.

This book is similar in a lot of ways to ‘The Great Alone’, and is a must read for people who relish survival stories.

Happy reading 🦢