The Four Winds

Author: Kristin Hannah

One-sentence summary:  A woman and her family struggle through the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl in Texas and then moving to unhospitable California.

B.A.D. Girls Book Rating:  8

Our favorite thing about it: Really captivating story that made you feel like you were there.

Our least favorite thing about it: The ending was maybe a bit rushed compared to the pacing of the rest of the book.

Main Topics of Discussion: Mothers, Love, Family, Abandonment, Politics of Refugees

Our favorite quote:  “It wasn’t the fear that mattered in life. It was the choices made when you were afraid. You were brave because of your fear, not in spite of it.”

Notes:  We gave a unanimous rating for this book because we all enjoyed it so much. For those of us who read The Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck, we could not help comparing this novel to that. They are very similar, but we appreciated the woman/mother perspective in this book. The writing was so compelling and the author wove a spectacular but tragic story. We did thing some parts lagged a bit in pacing and then the ending seemed rushed, but those are nitpicky things about a great book. 

Memorable Meeting Moments: Amberly held the meeting at her house and showed us the Dust Bowl documentary on Amazon Prime during the meeting (on mute). Many of us went home and watched it later in full. It was also Stephanie’s birthday month – we ALL got her cards in YELLOW envelopes (coincidentally, not planned)! 

What We Ate:  Steak, Roasted Potatoes, Asparagus wrapped in Bacon, Crunchy Kale Salad, and three different kinds of dessert bars/brownies!