When you hear the title Winter Garden it makes you wonder what the theme of the book will be; gardens don’t usually grow in the winter when it’s cold and snow is on the ground. But you quickly start to understand that even in the cold of winter, love can still grow.
Winter Garden is Kristin Hannah’s 19th novel and joins a popular group of her previous books such as Firefly Lane and True Colors in taking us on a journey that can be heartbreaking but also revealing.
Winter Garden tells the story of two sisters—Meredith and Nina—who are grown women now but still struggling with unresolved relationships with their “cold” mother. Anya, their mother, who was born in Russia, is unknown to both girls. She has spent most of their lives treating them with indifference—not even meanness or cruelty—she has, instead, almost ignored them.
The only time their mother ever opened up to them and seemed to reach out to them was when she would tell them a special fairy tale about a beautiful young girl who falls in love with a prince. She told the story over and over to them at night when they went to bed, but she never finished it.
The book begins with the two sisters reuniting at their childhood home in Washington—a place Meredith never left, and one Nina has barely returned to in the last 15 years. Their love for their father has drawn them home after he falls ill. Their father makes Anya promise to tell their daughters the fairy tale again—but this time—all the way to its end.
The book is told in an informal, narrative style—sometimes by Meredith and then by Nina. Interwoven in the narrative is Anya’s telling of a winding, spellbinding tale of love, mystery, and tragedy. But unlike most fairy tales, Anya’s story might not have a happy ending.
The tale reads like historical fiction—and unfortunately some of it is a true account of what occurred in Leningrad, Russia. The story sweeps us from Washington state to Africa and then off to Leningrad and even to Alaska. The sisters desperately seek the truth of their mother’s past and the secrets that have made her the aloof woman she is today.
Similar to her other novels, Winter Garden tells of family love, strong women, and the challenges and tragedies that can sometimes separate a family, and other times bring them closer together.
At first, the secrets keeping the three women apart and affecting their relationships with the men in their lives fills the reader with her own sadness. But the rich story and beautiful ending make the reading of Winter Garden a journey worth taking.
This is a book that excites reflection of your own relationships with family and friends. Especially for a woman, the relationship with your mother is probably the most complicated and yet fulfilling one you will experience in your life. Being a part of that experience, even vicariously through Meredith and Nina, is one that will remain with you long after you finish reading this novel.
Winter Garden is Kristin Hannah’s 19th novel and joins a popular group of her previous books such as Firefly Lane and True Colors in taking us on a journey that can be heartbreaking but also revealing.
Winter Garden tells the story of two sisters—Meredith and Nina—who are grown women now but still struggling with unresolved relationships with their “cold” mother. Anya, their mother, who was born in Russia, is unknown to both girls. She has spent most of their lives treating them with indifference—not even meanness or cruelty—she has, instead, almost ignored them.
The only time their mother ever opened up to them and seemed to reach out to them was when she would tell them a special fairy tale about a beautiful young girl who falls in love with a prince. She told the story over and over to them at night when they went to bed, but she never finished it.
The book begins with the two sisters reuniting at their childhood home in Washington—a place Meredith never left, and one Nina has barely returned to in the last 15 years. Their love for their father has drawn them home after he falls ill. Their father makes Anya promise to tell their daughters the fairy tale again—but this time—all the way to its end.
The book is told in an informal, narrative style—sometimes by Meredith and then by Nina. Interwoven in the narrative is Anya’s telling of a winding, spellbinding tale of love, mystery, and tragedy. But unlike most fairy tales, Anya’s story might not have a happy ending.
The tale reads like historical fiction—and unfortunately some of it is a true account of what occurred in Leningrad, Russia. The story sweeps us from Washington state to Africa and then off to Leningrad and even to Alaska. The sisters desperately seek the truth of their mother’s past and the secrets that have made her the aloof woman she is today.
Similar to her other novels, Winter Garden tells of family love, strong women, and the challenges and tragedies that can sometimes separate a family, and other times bring them closer together.
At first, the secrets keeping the three women apart and affecting their relationships with the men in their lives fills the reader with her own sadness. But the rich story and beautiful ending make the reading of Winter Garden a journey worth taking.
This is a book that excites reflection of your own relationships with family and friends. Especially for a woman, the relationship with your mother is probably the most complicated and yet fulfilling one you will experience in your life. Being a part of that experience, even vicariously through Meredith and Nina, is one that will remain with you long after you finish reading this novel.
