Welcome to Litsy!

I had hesitated to read this for years, but finally read it bc I was in the mood for misery. Because of that, I think my expectation for how sad this book would be was maybe mistaken. It‘s a hard story and sad things happen, but not as much as I thought. The worst parts were how mean people were to the main character. It was a good look at a point of history I didn‘t know much about. I did cry a little at the end.

The Women is the only book I‘ve read by Kristin Hannah bc I know the reputation of her books for being sad. But I‘m in the mood to read about other people being miserable so I‘m finally giving this one a go.

I was not expecting that ending. Hannah did an excellent job of bringing the characters and the times to life in this one. While this took place during the Dust Bowl, it‘s still very timely and relevant. Loved this.

Litsy, you know I didn‘t pick this for myself. It was for bookclub. This was a story of a woman and her journey from sickly daughter to wife to single mother from the Great Depression to the Dust Bowl to her journey to the West. It‘s a hardscrabble life. Everything was so hard and sad. It‘s a good, compelling story but I didn‘t think the writing was all that. My first and last Hannah. A lot of the women at bookclub did not care for this AT ALL.

Thanks to these Litsy folks for today‘s prompt:

#COVERLOVE
@Eggs
@AlwaysBeenALoverOfBooks
@LitsyEvents
#LitsyEvents

Today‘s Prompt: GOLD

This book has grabbed me and I‘m reading it fast which is unusual for me. Getting cold on the east coast of 🇦🇺 much to my disgust. Here I am drinking my delicious weekend just gone margarita in the hammock with gloves, a blanket and a🧣on 😭. I was still 🥶! Reminiscing about the Australian dust storms last drought! My parents have retired and no longer live on a farm so no more dust storms for them or me! My parents once lost each other in 1.

This is our 12th #BookedInTime prompt. It‘s been a whole year!!
Questions
What you are reading this month? Did you have a favorite era? Novel? As I plan the next few months, is there a specific time period you would like to see soon?

@dabbe @desha @rachel52 @rubyslippersreads @chaoticmissadventures @barkingmadread
@megnews @sblbooks
@thebookgeekfrau @bookwormjillk @deblovestoread @jenniferw88

Check out @dabbe comment re: book list.

Wow. Wow. Wow. As someone who is not a historical fiction person, I LOVED THIS. Kristin's writing is so amazing that you actually feel like you were there. I felt like I was there and could picture everything perfectly. I cared about these characters so much. I can't believe this book was over 400 pages because it flew by so fast. The ending.. SOBBING. SOBBING. I can not explain how much I loved this book. 5/5

This is my second Kristin Hannah, my first being The Nightingale, which, despite thinking it was a little cheesy and overstated at times, I really enjoyed. This one takes place in America from 1921-1940 but predominantly deals with the mid-1930s and the Great Depression coupled with the drought that devastated the Great Plains. (Cont. in comments 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻)

This was another slow-moving book, but she did such an amazing job describing the conditions – the dust storms and the struggles in Texas, as well as living conditions and struggle for survival once they got to California. It went in a direction I didn‘t expect toward the end. It did remind me of “The Grapes of Wrath”, though I don‘t recall details on that one; it‘s been a long time since I read it.

This book is very well written and kept my attention locked in from the first page to the last. It has also sparked a curiosity to learn more about this time in American History. However… following such praise I sadly must say that I would not recommend this book. This wasn‘t just a sad book, it was depressing for absolutely no reward. And don‘t get me started on the communism. Would love to discuss more in the comments. #52challenge

A family forced to flee Texas to escape drought, who are then treated as unwanted migrants within their own country. I admit to comparing this to The Grapes of Wrath which was perhaps unfair, but I have to say this is no match for that book. That said this is a very readable and sad story of that time. I particularly enjoyed Loreda as her eyes became opened to the need for workers rights as “the Okies” were forced to work for a pittance to survive

A friend recommended this. Out of politeness I persisted. The reason I didn‘t want to read it is because I‘ve read another Kristin Hannah book, ‘The Great Alone‘ and found it frustrating and at times, implausible. This book was slightly better but I think that is because I was expecting to be annoyed. Certain details just irked me. How can they make cannolis when there is barely any butter or milk? The subject matter was interesting though.

This was honestly a tough read. The characters were so frustrating sometimes and often I would say aloud “what are you thinking 😫😫” With that being said I adore this author and her writing. The book pulls you in and you find yourself hooked on a story that you are really struggling with. Also found a new interest in the Dust Bowl! A coming of age story for mother and daughter and fighting for what you really believe in.

I started this book on a plane trip to Seattle. It held my attention long enough to go back to it later this month. A harrowing story about a mother trying to survive during the Great Depression. A tough book to read as a mom. I can‘t imagine the choices that had to be made at that time to survive and ensure your kids survived as well.

A realistic and compelling tale of the Dust Bowl. The heroine coming from the Texas Panhandle. My father‘s family made this same historic immigration, so it is important to me and that it‘s accurately written. Not a word was wasted in the telling and every nuance was revealed. Oh, my heart!

This is a hard one to rate…
It definitely gave me a lot of insight into an era and events that I wasn‘t very familiar with but goodness that was relentlessly depressing! It did get me a little weepy in a few places but wow… that was a lot!

More than 85% done with this one and will definitely finish soon; it‘s the last one on my #BookapinBingo board. I finished 3 books during the #Readathon. #20in4 really helped me towards a blackout this month :) I love this cover! @Andrew65 @TheAromaofBooks

This was a book club choice. I liked it but sadly I didn‘t love it

Kristen Hannah is quickly becoming an auto read author for me. The Four Winds follows a family‘s story as they live through the Great Depression and dust bowl in 1930s Texas. This story went in different directions than I expected and I loved it. The eerie similarities almost 100 years later as we experienced the pandemic and the economic downturn that caused made the read even better for me. An easy recommendation for anyone.

This is possibly the most meaningful book that I‘ve read in years…A woman does everything in her power get her and her family through the Great Depression. This is a book that‘s filled love, loss, and heartbreak. I was left misty-eyed and on the verge of exploding into rivers of tears on many occasions! This is an absolutely beautiful piece of literature/historical fiction!

#bookspinbingo #doublespin #bebrave

so freaking good. this is a key part of the american story brought to life by Kristen Hannah. must read!!

Hoping to finish this today! I listened to most of it yesterday while baking and had to walk away from my cookies for a bit because I was crying so much I was worried tears would fall on the cookies 😅😂

On to my next audiobook! Hoping to get a couple hours in today and then getting in a good bit tomorrow while I bake cookies for my coworkers on Sunday! I love the narrator of Kristin Hannah‘s book and have started to look for my next audiobook based on her and what she‘s done. Do you have a favorite book narrator that will make a book a listen?

9️⃣ Past Perfect Life ➡️ 1️⃣0️⃣ The Four Winds

#ThingsInCommon: #botm + multiple of one thing/no person on covers

Didn‘t read much the second half of March, but hoping I can get back into it in April. 🤞🏻 #weeklyforecast

I could not put it down, and I wanted to. Very little good happened, & I know it was the Great Depression & yes I was depressed. My parents lived through the Great Depression; I went to school with children and grandchildren of the “Okies”.These folks could not catch a break.

This is my first Kristin Hannah book to read and everyone said it was her best. I‘m not sure I‘m ready to try another one.

Kristin Hannah‘s best book in my opinion. Elsa felt unloved for all her life and tried to bend to other‘s wills in order to be loved. When her husband deserts her and her children during the dust bowl, she begins to discover the full woman she is. A heartbreaking look @ us U.S. Americans and our ugliness (which raised its head during the pandemic) as well as the resilience of those struggling to survive.

2023 read this in 4 days! Historical fiction…. Makes you realize how fortunate you are!

I‘ve barely started this but I like it so far.

Mom and I both enjoyed The Four Winds. Looking forward to library discussion Wednesday.

Tackle the TBR 🤓📚
#boleybooks #thefourwinds #kristinhanna #bookbeast #bookjoy #mustread #bookbuds
What are you reading? 😊

I almost thought about putting this under my Christmas tree to open later but I then I decided I wanted to enjoy the book love now!! 🎄🎁❤️ Thank you thank you @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks for the gift!!

Im a little torn on how to review this one... the writing was beautiful, I loved the characters and was totally engaged. But it was so bleak... which yeah, its a Great Depression/ Dust Bowl novel so that is to be expected. But there were so few glimpses of hope that I struggled to get through it.
On the plus side, I was literally binding off this sock as I finished listening to the audio - perfect timing! #audioknitting

Omg this book made me feel every emotion! I know it is fictional but we as humans are terrible to each other! Be kind every day!

Good read but slow. Not my top 5 of the author.
⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was skeptical about picking up this book because I wasn't very interested in the dust bowl. I saw this book was nominated for best book of 2021, so I decided to finally give it a try. Boy, was I wrong. I became SO interested in the dust bowl when reading this book. The themes from this story are so synonymous with the current pandemic that aspects seemed to parallel the lives many live today.

This was a great book about the struggles of a woman, daughter, and family during the dust bowl and depression years, and the strength she achieved through her struggles navigating life during this era, and the legacy she was able to leave behind for her children.

#ManicMonday #LetterF

📖 The Four Winds
🖋 Frederik Backman
🎥 The Fast & The Furious
📺 Friends
🎤 Frankie Valli
🎶 From This Moment On by Shania Twain

I love books like this where you get a personal perspective on events and periods of history. Her writing made me feel like I was right there with them, experiencing every emotion.

Hands down the best book I‘ve read this year. It‘s not often a book moves me to tears.

Sorry I‘m bit late for #SundayFunday

1. The Wizard of Oz 🌪🌈
2. Tagged!
3. A rainy day, with a cup of tea, a book, and my kitties. 😸

Thanks for the tag, @CrowCAH 😊 Tagging anyone who‘d like to play!