Winter Garden

Winter Garden
By Kristin Hannah
St. Martin’s Press, 2010. 394 pgs. Fiction

Meredith and Nina grew up in a home of contrasts. Their father was a warm and cheerful man who showered them with affection. Their mother, Anya, could not have been more different, remaining a cold and distant resident in their home. Now, the girls are grown and dealing with the loss of their beloved father and the deathbed promises they made to look after and get to know their formidable mother. The months pass and persistent efforts successfully convince Anya to complete the Russian fairy tale she shared parts of when they were little. As the story unfolds, the sisters begin to learn the truth behind their mother’s mysterious past and the heartbreaking events that convinced her to freeze out those who wished only to be close to her.

I always enjoy historical fiction that illuminates a period in history I have not been introduced to before. This novel takes readers to Leningrad during World War II where over one million people died during the city’s siege. Women and children were trapped through the bitter winter months with nothing to eat and daily battles to keep from freezing to death. This glimpse into Lenin’s Russia was fascinating and Hannah describes it in vibrant and chilling detail. However, mixed in with the historical is the modern story which I enjoyed a lot less and an ending that stretched the realm of belief, even for this type of melodramatic women’s fiction.

CZ