The Four Winds (Kristin Hannah)

I've read quite a few books by megapopular novelist Kristin Hannah, with The Nightingale being my absolute favorite. I'm always excited to pick up her books. Her latest, The Four Winds, was not her best, but fans of hers will probably still enjoy it.

The Four Winds is mostly the story of Elsa Martinelli and begins in Texas during the Dust Bowl era of the Great Depression. Elsa lives on a farm with her husband, in-laws, and two children. They all must fight every single day to survive both literally and financially. This part of the novel is completely engrossing as you root for their spirit and survival. 

What is less successful, at least for me, was part two of the novel, when the Martinellis need to decide if they will stay in Texas or go west to California. I believe that the most riveting historical fiction draws the reader in to what was happening at the time without relying so much on dialogue to explain it. Part two moves the story along mostly by dialogue instead of action, which makes it less successful than part one in my opinion. 

But Hannah should still be commended for her well-researched account of one of the darkest times in American history.

MY RATING - 3

Available February 2021

Lilac Girls (Martha Hall Kelly)

Martha Hall Kelly's Lilac Girls has been compared to The Nightingale (which I loved) and All the Light We Cannot See (which I didn't). As a reviewer, I would place it somewhere in the middle -- a worthwhile read with a few small issues.

In 1939, the world was jarred to its core when Hitler invaded Poland. Lilac Girls entrenches the reader firmly into this time period by telling the stories of Caroline Ferriday, Kasia Kuzmerick, and Herta Oberheuser. Caroline is dedicated to her position at the French consulate in New York and terrified about what Hitler will do to France. Kasia is a Polish teenager and dedicated just as much as Caroline to her own role in the secretive Polish resistance. Finally, Herta is a rare woman German physician who takes a job at Ravensbruck, a concentration camp exclusively for women.

Lilac Girls takes its shape when these characters' worlds begin to intersect. I didn't know anything about the Ravensbruck Rabbits, and it is the hallmark of a great book that makes you want to learn more about a topic. I found parts of it to be unputdownable (like the whole of The Nightingale) and other parts to be in need of serious editing (like All the Light We Cannot See). While about a hundred pages too long, Lilac Girls is a wonderful read for those interested in this dark part of history.

MY RATING - 4

The Nightingale (Kristin Hannah)

After I finished Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale, I had to sit with it for quite a few days before writing the review. It affected me deeply; every character stays with you long after the story is done.

France in 1939 -- as the readers, we know what's coming. The characters may have an inkling, but they could never guess the magnitude of what stands before them. Vianne Mauriac's husband is sent to the Front, but she never believes that the Nazis will invade France. When the inevitable happens, Vianne is forced to take in an enemy officer; every day brings one danger after another.

Vianne could not be more unlike her sister, Isabelle. While Vianne wants to keep her head down and not draw attention to herself, Isabella wants to help the resistance any way she can, no matter the consequences. She also falls deeply in love with a fellow fighter, Gaeten.

One can't even imagine all the dangers faced in The Nightingale, and it is made all the more horrifying by the fact that much of this really happened. But through Isabelle's determination to fight and Vianne's motherly desire to save her daughter at all costs comes a book that is also powerfully uplifting. I couldn't recommend it more.

MY RATING - 5