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A review by juliannewarren12
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.0
Only Kristin Hannah could get me to be interested in the Dust Bowl. This story frustrated me like no other… not out of dislike for the plot or characters, but because I wanted everyone to get help. It was so incredibly frustrating to read about the family dealing with hardship after hardship and genuinely thinking there will be no better but this really drove the message home. If I’m tense and anxious reading this, imagine the real life people going through this.
Not my favorite KH book but really good nonetheless. She never fails to get me out of a reading slump. I finished this book with a greater appreciation for the Dust Bowl era as well as an eerie feeling of deja vu given the current events in 2025. It was a little slow in the beginning/middle but I was never bored or wanting to skim. I also feel from a writing perspective that this section needed to be so uneventful to hone in just how bad the dust bowl was. If the first half of the book was quicker paced, I don’t think the reader would understand the utter desperation and destruction as much.
I loved Elsa so much and just wanted the best for her.I hate that she had to die but it was a very good way to end the book. I didn’t cry until then and I think that ending made the story all the more powerful for the reader. I loved loved loved the way KH wrote the mother-daughter relationship between Elsa and Loreda. It was relatable and emotional and so raw. I could’ve read another 400 pages just about them. The rest of the family was so easy to love too except Rafe, even though I did feel for him. He deserved better too but he lost sympathy by ditching his entire family. I would love to know if/where KH thinks he ended up.
I also loved the short relationship between Jack and Elsa. I think the way Elsa opened up to him and changed for the better was well written. I enjoyed the dynamic between them and it never felt too cheesy. I would’ve even loved more time spent building that relationship up before Elsa’s death.
Like any other KH book, grab your box of tissues and get ready to ride the emotional roller coaster.
Not my favorite KH book but really good nonetheless. She never fails to get me out of a reading slump. I finished this book with a greater appreciation for the Dust Bowl era as well as an eerie feeling of deja vu given the current events in 2025. It was a little slow in the beginning/middle but I was never bored or wanting to skim. I also feel from a writing perspective that this section needed to be so uneventful to hone in just how bad the dust bowl was. If the first half of the book was quicker paced, I don’t think the reader would understand the utter desperation and destruction as much.
I loved Elsa so much and just wanted the best for her.
I also loved the short relationship between Jack and Elsa. I think the way Elsa opened up to him and changed for the better was well written. I enjoyed the dynamic between them and it never felt too cheesy. I would’ve even loved more time spent building that relationship up before Elsa’s death.
Like any other KH book, grab your box of tissues and get ready to ride the emotional roller coaster.