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The Four Winds

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What to expect

'One of the greatest storytellers of our time' Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing

'A story of love, family, unbreakable bonds, bravery and hope' Christy Lefteri, author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo

The Four Winds, an instant New York Times number one bestseller and Richard and Judy Book Club Pick, is a deeply moving story about the strength and resilience of women and the bond between mother and daughter, by the multi-million-copy bestselling author of The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah.

She will discover the best of herself in the worst of times . . .

Texas, 1934. Elsa Martinelli had finally found the life she’d yearned for. A family, a home and a livelihood on a farm on the Great Plains. But when drought threatens all she and her community hold dear, Elsa’s world is shattered to the winds.

Fearful of the future, when Elsa wakes to find her husband has fled, she is forced to make the most agonizing decision of her life. Fight for the land she loves or take her beloved children, Loreda and Ant, west to California in search of a better life. Will it be the land of milk and honey? Or will their experience challenge every ounce of strength they possess?

From the overriding love of a mother for her child, the value of female friendship and the ability to love again – against all odds – Elsa’s incredible journey is a story of survival, hope and what we do for the ones we love.

'A classic storyteller, The Four Winds sees her at the top of her game' Matt Haig, author of The Midnight Library

****

What readers love about The Four Winds:

‘Everyone should read this book. This is the new American classic’

‘It will break your heart and bring you to tears. It will also be one of the best books you read all year!’

‘This is historical fiction at its best: compelling, compassionate, enraging and courageous. I absolutely loved this book!’

‘Gripping and captivating . . . heartbreaking and inspiring’

‘We fall in love with a warrior who finds her power and strength, surrounded by love. Beautiful’

‘BRAVO to the author, this is her best work yet’

Critics Review

A powerful, stirring, wind-swept tale set in Depression-era America that makes your heart break and soar in equal measure. An escape into the past with timely echoes to the present. Kristin Hannah is a classic storyteller and The Four Winds sees her at the top of her game.
Matt Haig
A rich, compelling novel of love, sacrifice and survival, as epic as the Alaskan landscape it so vividly describes
Kate Morton on The Great Alone
I didn’t just love this book, I became obsessed with it . . . The characters were flawed and vulnerable, strong and naive, and Hannah has delivered a masterclass in all the different ways love can both save us and destroy us
Karen Swan on The Great Alone
Epic . . . By the end, I was surrounded by snow-drifts of tissues damp with my tears
Washington Post on The Great Alone
Great characters, great plots, great emotions: who could ask for more in a novel?
Isabel Allende on The Nightingale
Movingly written and plotted with the skill of Greek tragedy. You’ll keep turning the pages until the last racking sob
Daily Mail on The Nightingale
The Four Winds seems eerily prescient in 2021 . . . Its message is galvanizing and hopeful: We are a nation of scrappy survivors. We’ve been in dire straits before; we will be again. Hold your people close
New York Times

User Reviews

Book 4.2
Narration 5.0
5.0
5.0
silvie 25/10/2025
3.0
5.0
Between a 3&4 for me. Great characters and story set in the great depression and the dustbowl. Relentlessly grim at times, so hard to enjoy. The interview at the end of the book was a treat!
marieiram 25/08/2025
4.0
5.0
Great read about a time in US history I knew nothing about. Very bleak and depressing in parts but a good story
susiesocial 21/11/2024
5.0
5.0
I don’t know quite what to say. Any words I may say cannot adequately sum up how wonderful Kristin’s writing is or how strong and incredible the characters she writes are. I feel changed by each novel she writes. I did not expect to love this book like I did the great alone or the nightingale but I did.
Helenw102 13/10/2024

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