February 2021

With THE FOUR WINDS, Kristin Hannah once again has mined a story that has both heart and soul. The novel opens in Texas in 1934. The Depression is lingering, and a drought has ravaged the Great Plains. Crops are failing, and the dust is swirling. The writing here is gritty and bleak, but vividly done. Like the characters, you will feel yourself tasting the dust. Abject sadness and desperation pervade the early pages. Kristin’s heroine, Elsa Martinelli, wrestles with these dark days on her husband’s family farm. The days get tougher and tougher until she realizes that, for her family to survive, they must head west.

California has been called the promised land, but when they arrive there, new challenges await --- and they are daunting. Elsa is a brilliant character, like Isabelle in THE NIGHTINGALE. She musters courage from deep inside her, and readers will find themselves captivated by the depths of her human spirit. You will not forget her.

I confess to not knowing much about what happened in the Dust Bowl. Yes, I had studied it in school, but somehow the telling of it measured through the eyes of a woman and her family brought it more home to me. And as we circle in on our 11th month of uncertainty in this country, this book will remind you that tough times do end --- and we can emerge stronger from them.

THE FOUR WINDS is layered with lots to discuss, making it perfect for book groups.