The Four WindsThe Four Winds
What it's about
In 1934, the Texas Panhandle is in the grip of the Dust Bowl: years of drought and dust storms have destroyed the farms, and families are leaving. Elsa Martinelli, unloved by her own family, married into a farming family and has made a home with them. Now she has to decide whether to stay on the dying land or take her two children west to California, where she finds that the promised land doesn't want them.
Why it's worth reading
It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and was a Goodreads Choice finalist. It's a sweeping story of a mother's courage, from one of the most popular novelists working today.
You'll love it if you liked
The Women
The Frozen River
Lessons in ChemistryGood to know
It's very sad in places, and includes the death of a child and violence against striking workers.
By the numbers
- Readers83 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller85 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #17 of the 233 romances we rank
- #25 of the 116 historical novels we rank
- #43 of the 481 new books we rank
- #227 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Kristin Hannah
The Women
The Nightingale
The Great Alone
Home FrontIf you like this, read next
Water for Elephants
Anna Karenina
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Katherine
The Garden of Evening Mists
AtmosphereExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Four Winds worth reading?
Yes. It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and was a Goodreads Choice finalist. It ranks #227 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 83.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Four Winds about?
In 1934, the Texas Panhandle is in the grip of the Dust Bowl: years of drought and dust storms have destroyed the farms, and families are leaving. Elsa Martinelli, unloved by her own family, married into a farming family and has made a home with them. Now she has to decide whether to stay on the dying land or take her two children west to California, where she finds that the promised land doesn't want them.
How long does it take to read The Four Winds?
About 12 hours (464 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Four Winds?
If you liked it, try The Women by Kristin Hannah, The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon or Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.