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A review by filipa_maia
Os Quatro Ventos by Kristin Hannah
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
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
WHAT A BOOK! Definitely not a book that I would choose myself... it was a 'book of the month' in a book box, that's why I bought it. Historical fiction is not a genre I gravitate towards... but I'm so happy I did! This was my first book by Kristin Hannah, and for what I've heard, every single book of hers is amazing.
This book broke my heart so many times and in so many ways: the tragedies that Elsa keeps encountering in her life are endless. How can someone be so resilient? I love the way Elsa is described, always so fragile, someone from whom people don't expect much in life... but I loved her since the day she bought that piece of red fabric. So many times, throughout the entire book, I feared so much for that family's survival... I was always on the edge. I understood how much I was "living" this story when that hairdresser gave Elsa and the kids some clothes... I felt that act of kindness as if it happened to me.
I can't stress enough how much I love Elsa's character. A woman who was put down and beaten up by life (and everyone around her) but somehow pulled trough. I don't feel like she was happy for one moment her entire life, but that never stopped her. She raise her kids and gave them the most important thing - love - and with that a future. This is what a truly strong female character looks like!
I can't wait to read another Kristin Hannah's book!
P.S.: Historical fiction is not very easy to read. If you're not interested in history, this might not be your kind of book. But I love to discover more about other countries' past. The way Kristin Hannah ends the book is brilliant: reminding us that we've faced bad things in the past and this will too pass, but we should never forget the old saying "When we forget the past we are doomed to repeat it".
This book broke my heart so many times and in so many ways: the tragedies that Elsa keeps encountering in her life are endless. How can someone be so resilient? I love the way Elsa is described, always so fragile, someone from whom people don't expect much in life... but I loved her since the day she bought that piece of red fabric. So many times, throughout the entire book, I feared so much for that family's survival... I was always on the edge. I understood how much I was "living" this story when that hairdresser gave Elsa and the kids some clothes... I felt that act of kindness as if it happened to me.
I can't stress enough how much I love Elsa's character. A woman who was put down and beaten up by life (and everyone around her) but somehow pulled trough. I don't feel like she was happy for one moment her entire life, but that never stopped her. She raise her kids and gave them the most important thing - love - and with that a future. This is what a truly strong female character looks like!
I can't wait to read another Kristin Hannah's book!
P.S.: Historical fiction is not very easy to read. If you're not interested in history, this might not be your kind of book. But I love to discover more about other countries' past. The way Kristin Hannah ends the book is brilliant: reminding us that we've faced bad things in the past and this will too pass, but we should never forget the old saying "When we forget the past we are doomed to repeat it".
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, and Blood