Scan barcode
mandi4886's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, and Xenophobia
linesiunderline's review
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
gm_vak's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, and Violence
amnda527's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Gun violence
Minor: Body shaming, Child abuse, Sexual content, and Police brutality
naptime_reader's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
This was a beautifully written story. Everything I know of this time period is from high school history, but I truly believe those that lived through these times would be honored with Hannah's words.
Through their journey, the characters find strength, understanding,and love. Hannah doesn't shy away from the realities of the time, and there are some happenings that some readers may have a difficult time with.
Overall, the story of this family's adventure and the challenges they face along the way is captivating. I cared for the characters and wanted them to succeed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, and Child death
hotkoolaidpotato's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Sexual content
Minor: Animal death, Emotional abuse, and Grief
nightowl_bookworm's review
emotional
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship
theidlereader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Miscarriage
bringmybooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Thank you to Edelweiss, St. Martin's Press, & Macmillan Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
More than anything else in both previous books and The Four Winds, I find Hannah's writing so immersive. I found myself completely entrenched in the setting, the story, and the characters. I could see Elsa and Loreda before me; I tasted the dust swirling around me; I felt the heartache and joy, the frustration and the hope.
The story itself was well researched and informative without info-dumping, the characters felt fleshed out and real, and the relationships unbelievably relatable. Hannah's female relationships have always stood out to me and they continued this trend in The Four Winds, notably the relationships between Elsa and Jean and that of Elsa and her daughter, Loreda.
(Also, if this book piques your interest on the Dust Bowl definitely check out Ken Burns' 2012 documentary, appropriately titled "The Dust Bowl." The interviews and archival footage added an entirely new dimension to my understanding of both this man-made natural disaster and its aftermath.)
The only criticism I have of this book is that, to me, both the ending and a certain relationship that-shall-not-be-named-to-avoid-spoilers felt a tad bit rushed. This barely affected my enjoyment of the book, but it feels worth mentioning.
Overall, The Four Winds is yet another Kristin Hannah book that I have no problem recommending to any and all (with the caveat that there is some hard hitting stuff in here, and it's a very emotional read).
More than anything else in both previous books and The Four Winds, I find Hannah's writing so immersive. I found myself completely entrenched in the setting, the story, and the characters. I could see Elsa and Loreda before me; I tasted the dust swirling around me; I felt the heartache and joy, the frustration and the hope.
The story itself was well researched and informative without info-dumping, the characters felt fleshed out and real, and the relationships unbelievably relatable. Hannah's female relationships have always stood out to me and they continued this trend in The Four Winds, notably the relationships between Elsa and Jean and that of Elsa and her daughter, Loreda.
(Also, if this book piques your interest on the Dust Bowl definitely check out Ken Burns' 2012 documentary, appropriately titled "The Dust Bowl." The interviews and archival footage added an entirely new dimension to my understanding of both this man-made natural disaster and its aftermath.)
The only criticism I have of this book is that, to me, both the ending and a certain relationship that-shall-not-be-named-to-avoid-spoilers felt a tad bit rushed. This barely affected my enjoyment of the book, but it feels worth mentioning.
Overall, The Four Winds is yet another Kristin Hannah book that I have no problem recommending to any and all (with the caveat that there is some hard hitting stuff in here, and it's a very emotional read).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse
More...