Kristin Hannah

Two of the year’s most-anticipated book adaptations (The Nightingale and ÀiyÞ > i) come from bestselling author Hannah, who spoke to Parade about the Fanning sisters bringing her story of the French Resistance to life and her latest novel, The

Four Winds

(St. Martin’s

Press), out

Feb. 2.

Set during the Great

Depression, the book introduces us to Elsa Martinelli (“probably my favorite character I’ve ever written,” Hannah says), who must `iV `i Ü iÌ iÀ Ì w} Ì v À iÀ Dust Bowl–ravaged Texas land or migrate west to California for a chance at a better life. “I wanted to write a book that had the emotional impact, message and importance of The Nightingale but was a quintessentially American epic.” What was your inspiration for a Great Depression–era novel? It was my desire to pay homage and understand the Greatest Generation, and I was blown

away by the resilience and strength of Americans in a time of incredible hardship. I thought that was a story worth telling from a female point of view. How important is location in your writing? Location really is a character for me. I think that one of my favorite kinds of books, both to read and to write, is where the landscape and the era are inextricable from the story itself. What’s your favorite recent ƂNO CFCRVCtion? Jonathan Tropper’s This Is Where I Leave You. The minute I read that book, I thought, This will make a won`iÀvÕ w . And it did [in 2014]. What books are you most exEKVGF CDQWV VJKU [GCT! Paula McLain’s When the Stars Go Dark [Ballantine, April 13], We Begin at the End [Henry Holt & Co., March 2] by Chris Whitaker and The Push [Pamela Dorman] by Ashley

Audrain, which

I thought was a fascinating look at the dark side of motherhood.

What was it

NKMG CFCRVKPI The Nightingale for the big screen? We haven’t seen a lot of female-driven 77 w Ã] à ̽à } } to be a really big moment, and Elle and Dakota Fanning are inspired choices to play these sisters.