Winter Garden

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This is a story of mothers and daughters and sisters and the strength of love. I'll admit, I'd had several friends recommend this book to me and for the first part of the book I wasn't truly certain why it was so talked about. That completely changed by the end. I've read the end wiping tears from my eyes, imagining myself in the place of these characters in such impossible circumstances, wondering if I could have lived through what they did. Next day I try to talk about the book wit my mother and, again start wiping. Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard; the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, Meredith and Nina find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters. As children, the only connection between them was the Russian fairy tale Anya sometimes told the girls at night. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale will be told one last time—and all the way to the end. Thus begins an unexpected journey into the truth of Anya's life in war-torn Leningrad, more than five decades ago. Alternating between the past and present, Meredith and Nina will finally hear the singular, harrowing story of their mother's life, and what they learn is a secret so terrible and terrifying that it will shake the very foundation of their family and change who they believe they are.

Maybe if I knew in advance what I'm about to read, it wouldn't have felt like the first 50% was just a loooong introduction that I wanted to skip! I would have enjoy it more.Interlaced with a Russian fairytale that changes absolutely everything, this story is harrowing and heartbreaking, in so many ways. It’s the buried resentments that get unearthed, the hidden regrets that are revealed and the realization that there is more to everyone’s story that provides the much needed answers. Reality is, life is a series of choices - some are remarkable and some naturally morph in to regrets - good or bad, the culmination make us who we are. Kristin Hannah cleverly and skillfully weaves an emotional fairy tale into the storyline that becomes the core of this story and we begin to see how it shaped the relationship between Anya and her daughters. I was drawn into the story through the fairy tale and it became a favourite part of the story for some of us. The imagery in the tale came to life for me and became very real. I felt many emotions as my heart broke for the characters. Through the fairy tale, I came to know who the characters are. Brilliant!

In the present-day story the description of Sitka, in Alaska and its history was depicted such as one can easily visualize it. Kudos to author Hannah. She carries the reader through the scenes effortlessly. You feel yourself there and want to see it for yourself some day. The characters are flawed but believable, the novel hard to forget and the ending entirely satisfying to this reader. Definitely recommended. The women in this book made me want to scream at how unemotional they where, and how they treated the good men around them. We all really loved the discussion we had for this one and we really dug deep into the emotional depth of this story and how it made us feel. We used some discussion questions that really enhanced our discussion. It’s stories and discussions like this that really bring out the best reading experiences for me. Awful, unlikable characters. Emotionally stunted adults who pretty much behave like children, and suddenly everyone just grows up at the end. Hated this book, really. Kristin Hannah is a powerful storyteller. For some reason I have only read a few of her books, though I have several of them on my Kindle- if they are all as good as this one- I’ll be reading a lot more of Kristin Hannah- especially since older books are working out much better for me than the new releases- by far!

Una historia familiar contada en dos hilos argumentales, separados por años y hechos, la relación de una madre y sus hijas que no logras entender, y un padre que sirve de eslabón para mantener la unión de la cadena familiar. If I could, I would give the first half of this book 1 star, from about the middle until the final chapter 5 stars, and the final chapter 3 stars - - - so I guess that, all in all, the 3 star rating is probably the most accurate. I read Winter Garden in our Traveling Sisters reading good and made for a great discussion. It is a well-layered, intriguing and powerful family saga that explores the complicated relationships between a mother and her daughters and the two sisters. The story is told from the past through a fairy tale told by distant, cold and interesting Anya who is layered with mystery and the present as we see how the fairy tale begins to bond these women together. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale will be told one last time—and all the way to the end. Me he quedado sin lágrimas, esta autora me deja seca... Cómo explicar que me he leído este libro en un día y terminé como si un tren pasara a toda marcha encima de mí... es tan desgarrador como hermoso.

Nina and Meredith never had a mother they could count on or could talk to about boys. The only thing their mother was good for was telling them Russian fairy tales from her youth; Little did they know how important those fairy tales really were. Their father, however, was their hero. What they couldn't get from their mother, they got in spades from their father. When their father dies from heart problems, they are heartbroken. Nina's father makes a final proclamation as he lays dying: He wants Nina to convince her mother to tell the full fairy tale of "The Peasant Girl and The Prince." This fairy tale does more for their family than any of them could have ever expected. It will lead them on a journey of a lifetime.. Thus begins an unexpected journey into the truth of Anya's life in war-torn Leningrad, more than five decades ago. One of my favorite Kristin Hannah novels. Winter Garden is a heart-breaking but beautiful story of the power of love, family, and connection. Meredith and Nina are two sisters that lead very different lives. They grew up with a distant mother and in turn have never been close to one another. Their mother told them a fairytale as children. When their father dies it is his last wish that their mother tell them the whole story. Winter Garden tells the story of Meredith and Nina Whitson and their supposedly heartless mother Anya. For over an extended period we get to know of Anya while she faces tremendous obstacles and disaster, but ends surviving despite all her suffering. It's not a trivial novel; it's not romantic, it is almost an epic. It's repeatedly a struggle. I think it's written to be read on a sunny day, or it might be shattering. That is how I felt from the way it impacted me, as a mother and as a sister. Despite it all, I fully enjoyed it. Hannah tells a breathtaking story, I don't comment on it feebly. It is astonishing and heartbreaking. But in the end there is hope, so all is well after all!Winter Garden is the story of two sisters yearning to connect with their cold, distant mother who has constantly pushed them away. When Meredith and Nina’s father dies, the two are both at home together for the first time in years, promising their father they will coax the full fairy tale from their Russian mother Anya, who’s shared bits and pieces with them over the years. The writing is lyrical and great, Hannah knows what she is doing and you can tell that she is a talented author from her prose and the way she writes. The story has a poignant tone and I read it when it was raining outside and almost freezing which was a very good choice in my opinion because this is not a summer beach read! Three and a half stars. Hard to write a review about this one as I had a few different thoughts. But here goes. I liked the ending, which has a healing touch. I recommend this book to fans of historical fiction and fans of strong woman characters.