But her tenuous marriage, coupled with the horrifying effects of dust pneumonia, makes each day a tortuous battle. As dust storms relentlessly break down farmers’ resolve, Elsa fights to keep the Martinelli farm from dying. But when her ruined reputation becomes obvious, she’s forced to marry a man she hardly knows.īy 1934, a Great Depression and drought has ravaged the Great Plains. Discounted by everyone in her life, she’s surprised when Rafe Martinelli takes an interest in her, and, through his affection, she grows brave enough to take charge of her own life. In 1921 Texas, Elsa Wolcott has been deemed too unattractive and too old to ever married. The Four Winds Book Club Questions and Food Ideas Here’s a brief summary of The Four Winds: On that note, I’ve provided book club questions and a delicious recipe for The Four Winds, so if you are looking for food ideas and more, keep reading! And, unlike, Steinbeck’s book, the main character is a woman. It’s a fascinating look at one of the toughest periods in our nation’s history. If you’ve never read The Grapes of Wrath(you should definitely read it), then check out Hannah’s book. I think that wherever you stand on the issues presented in the book, it will foster great conversation. There is also some speculation that the novel is a political statement. (I’d love to know what you felt! Leave a comment below.) I, personally, had trouble with the ending, which I felt was somewhat forced for effect. I will be honest and say that, while I enjoyed The Four Winds and I definitely think it’s worth a read, I did not like it nearly as much as The Nightingale or The Great Alone. Hannah speaks often of using Babb’s research in her own writing. In a way, the already hugely popular The Four Winds gives Babb some justice. Steinbeck seems to have come upon her notes and there is claim they largely influenced his novel, which sold truck fulls more than Babb’s. At the time, another writer, a woman named Sanora Babb was researching and writing her own novel about the Dust Bowl and Depression. If you don’t know, there is some long debated controversy surrounding John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath (which Hannah’s The Four Winds echoes).

Inspired by the Dust Bowl and migrants who left the plains for California, The Four Winds is another sweeping historical by Hannah. Her latest work, The Four Winds, is no different. While the three categories are sometimes hard to delineate, Hannah has found major popularity with her latest works all of which contain historical timelines. With The Nightingale, Hannah pivoted from writing women’s fiction to writing more literary or book club fiction.

While Kristin Hannah has been writing books for over two decades, you may recognize her best from her massive hit, The Nightingale, or the book she published just after, The Great Alone. The Four Winds Book Club Questions and Food Ideas

Summary of the four winds