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Wow! Kristin Hannah has outdone herself! She brings the Great Depression to light in such a way that it's almost impossible not to have that "you-were-there" feeling as you read. It was such a difficult time in history and the lessons to be learned are powerful. The connection is made to the pandemic we all experienced in 2020 and she touches on it in her "Authors Note" so when you read this book, please be sure to read it too.
The Four Winds centers around Elsa Wolcott during the Great Depressio ...more
The Four Winds centers around Elsa Wolcott during the Great Depressio ...more
Another good book from a prolific writer. It was interesting to learn more about the migration of mid-Westerners to California during the Dust Bowl. Hard to imagine the living conditions that they endured and yet kept going. Despite the struggle, seems the greed of the capitalists persists to this day.
NEVER in my life have I read a more depressing book... and given that my favorite genre is WW2 historical fiction, that is saying something!
So it seems strange to give it a 4 star rating (could have been 5 if the middle was a bit more edited and we had lost about 100 pages), but I really liked the book. I did not like the journey while I was reading. It was depressing, bleak, heartbreaking, but I loved where it lead and the lessons I learned (spoiler alert, there is no happy ending), so it will ...more
So it seems strange to give it a 4 star rating (could have been 5 if the middle was a bit more edited and we had lost about 100 pages), but I really liked the book. I did not like the journey while I was reading. It was depressing, bleak, heartbreaking, but I loved where it lead and the lessons I learned (spoiler alert, there is no happy ending), so it will ...more
Excellent book. Very well written, great story, it will keep you engaged.
4.5 stars.
I keep describing this one as "The Grapes of Wrath" written with modern language and a female prototagonist / POV. And I'm grateful to read non-WWII historical fiction. I love it, but variety is the spice of life.
I'm not suggesting Hannah is Steinbeck, of course, but this is a well researched and overall excellent historical fiction read. Highly recommended! ...more
I keep describing this one as "The Grapes of Wrath" written with modern language and a female prototagonist / POV. And I'm grateful to read non-WWII historical fiction. I love it, but variety is the spice of life.
I'm not suggesting Hannah is Steinbeck, of course, but this is a well researched and overall excellent historical fiction read. Highly recommended! ...more
Loved it! Purely heroic showing the strength and resilience of the women of the Dust Bowl/Great Depression era, who survive every unimaginable adversity.
Official rating: 3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Page turner rating: 2 stars 📄📄
Okay okay, I didn't give this book too many stars, because it ultimately wasn't my kind of book, and the devastating amount of despair wasn't necessarily something that I wanted to keep reading about, but hear me out - it still was a good book! Kristin Hannah wrote it beautifully and gave what felt like a chillingly accurate depiction of the struggle in the Great Plains and in California during the Dust Bowl era of the Great Depress ...more
Page turner rating: 2 stars 📄📄
Okay okay, I didn't give this book too many stars, because it ultimately wasn't my kind of book, and the devastating amount of despair wasn't necessarily something that I wanted to keep reading about, but hear me out - it still was a good book! Kristin Hannah wrote it beautifully and gave what felt like a chillingly accurate depiction of the struggle in the Great Plains and in California during the Dust Bowl era of the Great Depress ...more
Feb 01, 2021
Megan McKennedy
marked it as to-read
Feb 01, 2021
Maggie Callahan
marked it as to-read
Feb 23, 2021
Debbie
marked it as to-read
Jul 03, 2021
Emily
marked it as to-read
