Book Review: The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah


Posted on January 25, 2022

I’ve been a long-time fan of Kristin Hannah. She writes very real, heart-wrenching stories. The Four Winds was no exception. It takes place during the Great Depression. This is a time period I learned about in school. I even had to interview my great-grandparents about it. However, I don’t remember learning as much about the Dust Bowl in school as I learned in this book. I know the stories of Elsa and her family are all fictional, but I’m certain many families during the 1930’s went through very similar trials.

The reviews of Four Winds are mixed, and I didn’t read it right away. I only just read it around Christmas 2021, even though it came out in February. Did I get tired of the heartache and dust storms and everyone treating women badly? Yes, but I just looked at it like, “This is what my great-grandparents went through. This is how people treated women during the depression. This is the kind of hardships they went through. Many reviews talk about one-dimensional characters that don’t grow, but I was so proud of Loreda near the end of the book that it made me tear up. I listen to audio books almost exclusively, and this one is no exception. I actually had to pull over while I was driving a few times and use a tissue. When I arrived home, my husband asked what was wrong. When I told him about what was happening, he just rolled his eyes. If you don’t like sad endings. Just stop early. After Elsa and Jack spend the night in Jack’s apartment. That’s when you stop. I’m not sure which chapter it is, but its very near the end. Just stop reading here and close the book. The End. Trick yourself in thinking its a happy ending.

If you continue, be warned, you will need tissues.

-Tiffany Newton

We do have this book available at the library. Click here to reserve it!