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linesiunderline's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
There’s something about a new Kristin Hannah title that always calls to me. Maybe it’s the promise of a long story to really get lost in, or the idea that maybe this will be the book that will make me get what all the fuss is about. I’ve read 3 of hers now - The Nightingale, The Great Alone, and this one, and I’d say of the three, this one falls in the middle in terms of my ranking. For reference, The Nightingale was still in the 3⭐️ range for me, and The Great Alone left me with very mixed feels.
Here’s what I appreciated about The Four Winds:
- Excellent sense of place: Hannah is very good at this. In my opinion, the sense of place was one of the redeeming aspects of The Great Alone. Here, you can see / smell / taste / hear / feel what it might have been like to live through the Dust Bowl.
- The relationship between Elsa and her daughter felt true and complex and I thought it evolved in a believable way.
- The pacing at the start made it hard to put down and drew me in immediately, which is one of my fave reading feelings.
Not so much:
- Tragedy upon tragedy upon tragedy (which I’m sure is pretty realistic given the historical period), but that’s what put me off with The Great Alone so it felt a little deja vu to me.
- At times it was super melodramatic and overwritten in the emotional department.
Will I keep reading Kristin Hannah? Probably. Her books are right for a certain reading mood, and that’s enough for me.
Here’s what I appreciated about The Four Winds:
- Excellent sense of place: Hannah is very good at this. In my opinion, the sense of place was one of the redeeming aspects of The Great Alone. Here, you can see / smell / taste / hear / feel what it might have been like to live through the Dust Bowl.
- The relationship between Elsa and her daughter felt true and complex and I thought it evolved in a believable way.
- The pacing at the start made it hard to put down and drew me in immediately, which is one of my fave reading feelings.
Not so much:
- Tragedy upon tragedy upon tragedy (which I’m sure is pretty realistic given the historical period), but that’s what put me off with The Great Alone so it felt a little deja vu to me.
- At times it was super melodramatic and overwritten in the emotional department.
Will I keep reading Kristin Hannah? Probably. Her books are right for a certain reading mood, and that’s enough for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Abandonment, Grief, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
beeth's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Jack dice que soy una guerrera y, aunque no lo creo, sí sé una cosa: una guerrera cree en un final que aún no vislumbra y pelea por él. Una guerrera nunca se rinde. Una guerrera lucha en nombre de los que son más débiles que ella. Me parece que es algo muy parecido a ser madre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Violence
bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Medical content, Gun violence, Death, Death of parent, and Child death
kerrygetsliterary's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Grief, Racism, Sexism, and Violence
hungryandhappy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
*Netgalley arc*
Brutal, raw, emotional and hopeful. I don't think I can put into words all the feelings this book put me through. I was so lost just like Elsa, and infuriated, just like Loreda! I wanted to scream so loudly.
Elsa comes from a family that didn't give her love because, in their opinion, she was ugly so not worthy. She takes the love or what looks like it, from the first boy that's willing to give it to her and who sees her more than her parents do. This leads to Elsa marrying into a immigrant italian family of farmers in Texas.
It stops raining and things start looking horribly for the family and Elsa is left by her husband and she has to make a hard decision when the awful sandstorms and just too hot weather risk taking one of her kids away.
Elsa, her daughter Loreda and Ant, the little son, embark on a journey to look for a better life. What they find isn't better; they get treated worse than animals, underpaid, exploited, denied basic human rights, and more.
What touches you about the story is not only the events, that still happen too often, but the courage of this woman, left alone, who will do anything to give her kids a better life and future. The strength of these two women, mother and daughter, will make you cheer for them and will take you to an emotional journey like not many others.
Brutal, raw, emotional and hopeful. I don't think I can put into words all the feelings this book put me through. I was so lost just like Elsa, and infuriated, just like Loreda! I wanted to scream so loudly.
Elsa comes from a family that didn't give her love because, in their opinion, she was ugly so not worthy. She takes the love or what looks like it, from the first boy that's willing to give it to her and who sees her more than her parents do. This leads to Elsa marrying into a immigrant italian family of farmers in Texas.
It stops raining and things start looking horribly for the family and Elsa is left by her husband and she has to make a hard decision when the awful sandstorms and just too hot weather risk taking one of her kids away.
Elsa, her daughter Loreda and Ant, the little son, embark on a journey to look for a better life. What they find isn't better; they get treated worse than animals, underpaid, exploited, denied basic human rights, and more.
What touches you about the story is not only the events, that still happen too often, but the courage of this woman, left alone, who will do anything to give her kids a better life and future. The strength of these two women, mother and daughter, will make you cheer for them and will take you to an emotional journey like not many others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Xenophobia, Violence, Sexual content, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Racism, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Murder, Miscarriage, Hate crime, Gun violence, Grief, Death, and Child death
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