The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah is an adult fiction novel set during the Great Depression.
In Texas, 1934, the lands are parched and millions are out of work as a drought like no other hits the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting against the dust to keep their land and failing. Many are starving and forced to seek refuge elsewhere.
Among these poor souls is Elsa Martinelli, who married into land and finally found peace in the quiet, simple life of a farmers wife. But as the year go by and the dust becomes more dangerous, Elisa must decide whether or not to leave the land she loves, for a chance at a better life in the West.
Will she risk it all for the hope of more? Is it really a choice at all?
I've read many of Hannah's books and I usually love them or hate them. I had mixed feelings about The Four Winds. I loved reading about the dust bowl and the depression from the perspective of a farmer. The history felt true and the hardship that people actually lived through was amazing. The images Hannah is able to portray in this book were really amazing.
I also loved that this book was a story of survival. Struggling to the bitter end and not giving up. It's one of the things I love about Hannah's books. And Elsa evolved into a wonderful character. That being said, I found her really irritating the first half of the book.
Elsa was constantly going on about how plain she is, that people weren't drawn to her because of her looks and how she had to keep her mouth shut in order not to drive people away. Now I know, this was meant to show how broken she was because her family never showed her any love. But it got very repetitive and I wished this was portrayed more besides via Elsa's internal voice.
Otherwise, this was a good read. It made me want to know more about the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression on the plains. And it got me thinking about my grandparents who lived through it, but in the suburbs/city. So this one gets a high 3.5-4 stars from me.
That's all for now!
-M-