Kristin Hannah sets new novel during Great Depression

NEW YORK – Kristin Hannah’s new novel will be timelier than she had wanted it to be.

“The Four Winds” is set during the Great Depression, focusing on the drought that devastated the Great Plains. It comes out next February, St. Martin’s Press announced Tuesday.

“For three years, I’ve been reading and writing about the hardships of the Great Depression and the resilience of the American people. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it could become so relevant,” Hannah said in a statement, referring to the tens of millions of jobs lost since the outbreak of the coronavirus. “The era is a powerful reminder of the endurance of the human spirit and our ability to survive and thrive through difficult times. Who doesn’t need that these days?”

Hannah’s previous novels include the million-sellers “The Great Alone” and “The Nightingale.”