What Is the Top-Rated Historical Fiction Selection from Read With Jenna’s Book Club?

Nominated for Readers’ Favorite Historical Fiction in the 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards, “The Four Winds” by Kristin Hannah is an intense drama set against the devastating Dust Bowl of the 1930s. The novel centers around Elsa Martinelli, a hardworking farmer and mother who’s faced with abandoning the life she has built on dying Texas land or enduring the drought and unbearable living conditions. While her story is one of courage and perseverance, it’s also one of heartache and tragedy. In this way, prospective readers should be prepared for an emotional read, but one that comes with Jenna Bush Hager’s stamp of approval.

“‘Four Winds’ is a beautiful book,” Hager said on “Today With Hoda & Jenna.” “This character, Elsa…she’s strong, but she also suffers, she’s vulnerable, and I love her.” Goodreads reviewers appreciated how the novel provides insight into an often underexplored era of history, with the narrative depicting the poverty and suffering that occurred during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression. If you’re a fan of historical fiction and emotional, hard-hitting tales, then this is the Read With Jenna pick to add to your TBR.