Winter Garden

By Kristin Hannah

Winter Garden - Kristin Hannah
  • Release Date: 2010-02-02
  • Genre: Historical Fiction
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 3,622 Ratings

Description

Can a woman ever really know herself if she doesn't know her mother?

From the author of the smash-hit bestseller
Firefly Lane and True Colors comes Kristin Hannah's powerful, heartbreaking novel that illuminates the intricate mother-daughter bond and explores the enduring links between the present and the past

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.

Reviews

  • Slow at first but so good

    5
    By AllisonRebeccah
    I’m not going to lie, it was difficult to get through this book before getting to the good part—but the good part is so, so very good. It’s a book of sadness and loss and hard to read as a mother but so well written.
  • Haunting and lovely

    5
    By Big mama Oly
    Loved it! So much pain and unfathomable grief that turns into a beautiful story.
  • Harrowing & Beautiful

    5
    By thstanfield
    I don't even know how to work out my feelings about Winter Garden. This book was dumped into my lap by Amazon when I signed up for KU. It was an audiobook & I needed something to listen to while waiting in the school pickup line. Honestly, I didn't even read the summary of the book, I just started playing it. So you can imagine my surprise when I was completely captivated by this harrowing retelling of the siege of Leningrad. This book will break your heart & tape it back together, just to turn around & completely obliterate it. Then after you become awestruck at the tremendous amount of strength & courage of these women, you will learn that you can take the pieces of your obliterated heart, mix it with some love from others, and form it into something new: a heart that holds love so strong that it stands the tests of time, trials, & tribulations because it holds close what matters most. Family: born & found.
  • Loved the history

    5
    By ? Not sure
    It is one of my favorite books. The story was incredible.
  • Couldn’t put it down

    5
    By pjb reads
    Highly recommend this book!!
  • A must read!

    5
    By DonnFran
    I loved the story within the story. Also how she describes every scene. You can almost hear the planes and bombs. Riveting
  • Another great story

    5
    By Ct1637
    As with all of the author’s books, I cry. And I also learn new truths about life, about myself, about those I love. Thank you, Kristen Hannah, however you do it!
  • Provoking in a good way

    4
    By Prickly Pear 1995
    I really liked this book, it made me cry. Just takes a long time to get going in my opinion.
  • Fantastic

    5
    By Eminem rocks 8mile
    What a beautiful book! Couldn’t put it down. This is a story that will stay with its readers. Loved it!
  • Hard to put down, hard to read, but this is a wonderful book.

    5
    By JOJOdall
    This is an amazing book. I had to stop reading at times, to take a break from the sadness and horror of the story told within the story. I love historical novels- learning something while having a fun read is one of my favorite things to do. This book tells of the Siege of Leningrad, through the tortured story told by one of the main characters, the mother. She is emotionally estranged from her two adult American/Russian daughters, who have tried throughout their entire lives to break through the icy emotionless exterior of their Russian- born mother. It’s beautifully written (as expected of any book by this talented author), worth reading and worth the emotional investment you’ll make while enjoying the book. Put it down if you need a break. As I did, but make your way through it- it’s worth it. And learn some history.