The Four Winds cover art

The Four Winds

From the multimillion copy bestselling author of The Women and The Nightingale

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The Four Winds

By: Kristin Hannah
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
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About this listen

'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’

20th Century Family Life Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Small Town & Rural Fiction Resilience Heartfelt Tear-jerking Feel-Good Great Plains

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Critic reviews

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
All stars
Most relevant
An excellent book, graphically depicting the appalling consequences of the drought and depression of America in the 30s. I feel I have lived through it with them. The narration was also among the best I've heard.

Gripped from start to finish....

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A story, with amazing historical factness to what did happen during the American Great Depression. In listening to the plight, the suffering, and neglect dished out by American states and wealthier citizens I am left wondering if anyone has ever reflected on how truly shocking the treatment was to another fellow human being?

The reason I say this, it's clear with high levels of deprivation in the States now, high levels of unemployment, homelessness and a lack of free medical care, It seems history is just repeating itself? This story will open your eyes to how rock bottom people's lives can get and when it does, what friendship and love truly mean. The story takes you on a very large roller coaster ride with characters and emotions so vividly written about.

The Narration is excellent. But why are more people not saying: Wake up America and stop history from repeating itself with an attitude of, "I'm alright Jack' when levels of deprivation, homelessness, starvation and bigotry to your fellow man is still as rife as this great book details about the Great Depression.

Amazing and gripping

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Couldn’t stop listening to this book. Brilliantly written and brilliantly read. This book has led me to find out more about the great migration during the depression years. Quite an achievement for a book

Thought provoking

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You will enjoy the story as much as the narration. I loved it and I cried at the end, totally unexpected for me. Just brilliant.

absolutely brilliant book

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I loved everything about this. It is possibly the best audiobook I've ever listened to. Utterly wonderful.

Wonnderful!

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