Book Review – The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah #netgalley

Book Details
Genre: Historical Fiction
Series: None
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: 2/9/2021
Pages: 464 (eBook)

Goodreads Synopsis –

Texas, 1934. Millions are out of work and a drought has broken the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as the crops are failing, the water is drying up, and dust threatens to bury them all. One of the darkest periods of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, has arrived with a vengeance.

In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinelli—like so many of her neighbors—must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west, to California, in search of a better life. 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.

My Opinion –

I had been eagerly anticipating Kristin Hannah’s newest book and let me tell you it does not disappoint!

This is the first book I have read that uses the backdrop of the Great Plains, during the dust bowl time period. This time period was devastating! To say that it was dry is an understatement, which in turn made growing crops nearly impossible. Then there were the dust storms! They would come fast and furious making an already difficult time period just that much harder.

This book was so vivid and immersing I felt like I needed a shower when I would stop reading. I cannot even begin to imagine the daily struggles and sacrifices of those who lived in the Great Plains during this horrible time period. Their strength and endurance is incredibly admirable, each day hoping that the rain will come, so they can get back to work on the land that they love!

While the time period in this book is quite real, the story of Elsa Martinelli is fictionalized, but her story mirrors the heartbreak and scary choices made by those who lived through it. Some choose to stay on their land to wait it out for the rain to return, others packed up their belongings and moved west to California where rumor had it a good living could be made. No matter what choice was made they were taking a huge leap of faith!

When the publisher reached out to me offering a NetGalley of this book I could not be more excited! I emailed them back asking if I could publish my review of this book anytime or wait until closer to publication. They said anytime was fine and I am SO glad they did! Now I get to rave about how much I loved this story and strongly encourage you to add it to your TBR list!!

This is a beautifully written, amazing, eye-opening story that I will not soon forget!

*Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book via NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Let’s get social…

Goodreads
Twitter
Instagram

Thank you for visiting and happy reading!