Winter Garden – by Kristin Hannah – independent book review – Historical Fiction (WWII, Soviet Union)

One of the most emotionally rich, and difficult books I’ve ever read. One that I won’t soon forget. You will definitely understand what it’s like to live in a war zone and under the Stalin regime. Awarded four stars on Goodreads.

At the heart of WINTER GARDEN is the story of a family. Adult sisters Meredith and Nina could not be more different. 

• Meredith got married young to her childhood sweetheart and raised two girls who are now off at college. Meredith now runs the family business and, like many women, prioritizes everyone else’s needs over her own. 
• Nina is a single, successful photojournalist assigned to cover some of the most dangerous and dramatic events around the world. Her camera work is her top priority, even if it means missing her sister’s wedding to cover a story.

What the two sisters have in common is the lifelong distance each has felt from their withdrawn mother, Anya, a Russian émigré who seems incapable of showing either daughter any affection.

All the love in this family has been centered on the father, who tries his best to bring the three women he loves together. When he dies early in the novel and can no longer serve as family peacemaker, the three women must learn to deal directly with one another.

The difficulty for these three women wanting to form new connections is related to the secrets Anya is keeping. Secrets about her life during World War II, and more specifically, during the Siege of Leningrad. Secrets that are slowly revealed (perhaps a bit too slowly) as the book progresses, through what I considered an ingenious device created by the author.

Bestselling and award-winning author Kristin Hannah has quickly become one of my favorite authors. And it’s not just the power of her writing style.  Her characters are multi-dimensional and completely believable. They became real people to me as Hannah slowly and skillfully explored each one’s rich emotional complexity. 

And not surprisingly, as Anya’s secrets are revealed, all three women find they must reexamine how they see both the events of the past and their current interactions. I highly recommend WINTER GARDEN. Though fair warning – I had to take breaks at time when I felt too overwhelmed by the emotional content.

More about the author, Kristin Hannah.

You may be interested in my reviews of other books by Hannah:

THE NIGHTINGALE

THE WOMEN

THE FOUR WINDS