Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

63 reviews

lovelymisanthrope's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

I received a copy of this book as a gift.
"The Four Winds" follows Elsa Martinelli. Elsa has lived her entire life in Texas, and she is proud to work on the farmlands and earn a living for her family. Unfortunately, the land has been ravaged by crops, and the subsequent dust storms are becoming unbearable, especially for her youngest son. Elsa, like many people in the southern lands, must decide if she can risk staying for the land she loves, or if she must pack up and head to California in the hopes to start a better life.
This book was devastating and humbling. This history of America was not all that long ago, and it is appalling to see how quickly people turned on each other, and how greedy those with even a little bit of money were.
Elsa epitomized a strong, hard-working woman. Even when her situation felt absolutely desolate, she fought tooth and nail to provide for her children and to make the best of the situation they were in. I loved being able to read from the perspective of a woman during this time.
What stood out to me the most, and something that I think is still timely today, is the division of class. Those with money, even if it is a little bit, will do ANYTHING to keep it, even if that means mistreating their neighbors. Those at the very top will do ANYTHING to keep people in debt to them, so that people are always relaying on their "generosity". Additionally, it is so easy to lose everything, because life is unpredictable, and it is seemingly impossible odds to climb back out. Elsa finds herself unable to provide for her children, and even with meager government assistance, she is barely scrapping by. She is forced to go into insurmountable debt, or starve, and if she cannot afford to get ahead now, how will she ever get out of debt? This slippery slope is all too common today still, especially with the uncertainty that the pandemic brought.
This was my first book from Kristin Hannah, and I was blown away with how much I enjoyed it. Kristin seems to really research her novels for historical accuracy and really pours her heart and soul into the story.
I will definitely pick up more from Kristin Hannah in the future, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, especially more recent historical fiction. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, Classism, Blood, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexism, and Slavery

Moderate: Gun violence

nmasters0616's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Just when I thought it couldn't get more sad, it did. Again. And again. And again. And again?
The focus on women's experiences during the great depression was refreshing and heartbreaking. The grit that so many women from that era possessed is seldom acknowledged, and Kristin Hannah's novel paid homage to their sacrifices, strength, and courage. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Child death, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Police brutality

beankels's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.0

I don’t fully know how I feel about The Four Winds. I have loved Kristin Hannah books and I absolutely love a book centered on women and their resilience. I knew this book would be full of tragedy and dark times. I can’t tell how I feel about it all. 

I didn’t love the first 20% of the book and got more and more into it as time went on. I love the labor movement in the last third of the book - really adds to the historical fiction aspect. I’m still not fully decided on how I feel about the book as a whole, but I am glad I read it and feel a respect for women - as I always do after reading Kristin Hannah books. You go, Elsa. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Death

Moderate: Miscarriage, Classism, Police brutality, and Gun violence

annikamanika's review

challenging dark hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Four Winds. I have spent a lot of time thinking about how to share my thoughts on it in a way that would meaningfully inform your decisions to read it. I just started typing this in a text to my book club, and I also figured it was appropriate here.

I was in tears within the first few chapters, and I found myself in spontaneous tears repeatedly. Some of it was the author’s intention, and some of it was how I perceived it through a sense of relating to my own life.

The book opens about 10 years before the Depression and the Dustbowl, and it centers around a young woman (Elsa) who is constantly made to feel and told outright that she is unlovable and even unlikable the way she is by her parents and her sisters. Their highest aspiration for her is to live a quiet life, alone in her parents' home. It centers around how Elsa learns to love herself, how she finds her voice, and how her childhood informs her adult choices.

I HAAATED the way it ended, but it makes sense. It is tragic and has many triggers, but it is beautiful.

I will also mention that I listened to this as an audio book which has commentary from the author as bonus material. I highly recommend it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Classism, Death of parent, Child death, Violence, Gun violence, Grief, Sexism, Abandonment, Pregnancy, and Xenophobia

Minor: Police brutality and Sexual content

jennaviolet's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Child death, Miscarriage, and Classism

Moderate: Blood, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Body shaming, Violence, Grief, Excrement, Animal death, Medical content, and Gun violence

themdash's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Classism, Sexism, Death, Animal death, Police brutality, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Blood, Grief, and Religious bigotry

sarahfeller's review

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Cursing, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Sexism, Alcoholism, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Gun violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcohol, Bullying, Violence, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Death, Grief, Medical content, Police brutality, Excrement, and Miscarriage

artmuseam's review

challenging emotional hopeful 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

never in my entire life have i ugly cried because of a book before. i kid you not, almost every chapter of this book had me tearing up and the ending left me a sobbing, emotional wreck. this book touched me deeply with its hardships; when times of mere happiness or joy happened, i awaited the sadness and new adversity that would break it. i was torn by elsa’s story and the journey she made throughout her adulthood, learning what it meant to love in a world that hated her. this is my first kristin hannah novel that i’ve read, and it certainly won’t be the last. wow. 5/5 stars

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Gun violence

chelly_reads's review

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Grief, Abandonment, and Death

bergha1998's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

So freaking sad, but good! It’s really a story about the love of a mother during the hardships of the Great Depression. It’s told through the perspectives of a mother and her 13 year old daughter. So well done, but sad af. 

Historical Fiction, Emotional Trauma, Mother’s Love, 1 🔥

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Violence, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Animal death, Death, Murder, Emotional abuse, and Police brutality

Minor: War and Sexual content