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apuckingbibliophile 's review for:
The Four Winds
by Kristin Hannah
Read for IRL book club-- full review!
This was a book on many people’s TBR so it only made sense to read it together as a book club choice!
The story starts by introducing our MC, Elsa, and immediately you understand she is the outcast of her family and very much looked down upon. At the age of 25, Elsa finds herself wanting to experience life and after a rendezvous with Rafe, she finds her life completely changed.
Fast forward a few years to the early 1930s and the rough Dust Bowl Era and Elsa is living on the Martinelli farm with her two young children and in a marriage that’s always had unrequited love.
One of our favorite things about the story was how much we learned about this time in American history and understanding the struggles. The writing and situations were very raw and didn’t shy away from the atrocities of the time. Reading about how insane and dangerous the dust storms were was so eye opening! And to think it was all less than 100 years ago and due to poor farming!
Eventually after Rafe abandons the family, Elsa and her children set off west to California in hopes of a better life and to escape the harsh environment of the Texas Panhandle. Their journey and subsequent time in California is no better and again, gaining insight to the tragedies that were so normal for that era was heartbreaking and it definitely provided lots of room for discussion.
While the story did move along at a slower pace, especially at the beginning, we all agreed that it was still an interesting story. As mentioned, it doesn’t sugar coat anything and was definitely a sad read with very few uplifting moments. It also made us question what we do if we were living back then and it gave us appreciation for how things have changed.
The ending was admittedly not everyone’s favorite because what happened, happened so quickly that the satisfying aspect of it never was able to sink in. And I would say maybe about half teared up.
Overall though, it was enjoyed by everyone and really did make for a great book club book because we talked about things like the American Dream, unions (and communism), sexism, motherhood, and so much more.
This was a book on many people’s TBR so it only made sense to read it together as a book club choice!
The story starts by introducing our MC, Elsa, and immediately you understand she is the outcast of her family and very much looked down upon. At the age of 25, Elsa finds herself wanting to experience life and after a rendezvous with Rafe, she finds her life completely changed.
Fast forward a few years to the early 1930s and the rough Dust Bowl Era and Elsa is living on the Martinelli farm with her two young children and in a marriage that’s always had unrequited love.
One of our favorite things about the story was how much we learned about this time in American history and understanding the struggles. The writing and situations were very raw and didn’t shy away from the atrocities of the time. Reading about how insane and dangerous the dust storms were was so eye opening! And to think it was all less than 100 years ago and due to poor farming!
Eventually after Rafe abandons the family, Elsa and her children set off west to California in hopes of a better life and to escape the harsh environment of the Texas Panhandle. Their journey and subsequent time in California is no better and again, gaining insight to the tragedies that were so normal for that era was heartbreaking and it definitely provided lots of room for discussion.
While the story did move along at a slower pace, especially at the beginning, we all agreed that it was still an interesting story. As mentioned, it doesn’t sugar coat anything and was definitely a sad read with very few uplifting moments. It also made us question what we do if we were living back then and it gave us appreciation for how things have changed.
The ending was admittedly not everyone’s favorite because what happened, happened so quickly that the satisfying aspect of it never was able to sink in. And I would say maybe about half teared up.
Overall though, it was enjoyed by everyone and really did make for a great book club book because we talked about things like the American Dream, unions (and communism), sexism, motherhood, and so much more.