Winter Garden

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars | 75,499 ratings

Price: 21.88

Last update: 08-27-2024


About this item

Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family business; the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, these two estranged sisters will find themselves together again, standing alongside their disapproving mother, Anya, who even now offers no comfort to her daughters. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise: Anya will tell her daughters a story; it is one she began years ago and never finished. This time she will tell it all the way to the end.

The tale their mother tells them is unlike anything they’ve heard before—a captivating, mysterious love story that spans more than sixty years and moves from frozen, war-torn Leningrad to modern-day Alaska. Nina’s obsession to uncover the truth will send them all on an unexpected journey into their mother’s past, where they will discover a secret so shocking, it shakes the foundation of their family and changes who they believe they are.

Mesmerizing from beginning to end, Winter Garden is that rarest of novels — at once an epic love story and an intimate portrait of women poised at the crossroads of their lives. Evocative, lyrically written, and ultimately uplifting, it will haunt the listener long after the last word is spoken.

Top reviews from the United States

Jjspina
5.0 out of 5 stars An exceptionally emotional and heartfelt read!
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2024
Winter Garden was an emotional story of the relationships between daughters and their mother. It is told in two timelines, one from the present and the other from the mother's past life. It is a heartbreaking read as the story unfolds with the mother's recall of her life explaining the reason for her coldness and lack of love for her daughters.

The author created an extraordinary read that expands across time and place as she takes the reader on a journey they will never forget. The story told by the mother is related to a fairy tale which she has been sharing with her daughters at bedtime since they were young. She never tells the whole story until she is forced to after her husband's sudden death leaving her to live with her daughters.

It is heartbreaking to see how the two sisters struggle with life and decision making after they lose their father who has been their support. He never explains why their mother is so distant and strange toward them. He keeps telling them that it is their mother's story to tell.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story that swept me away to the past life of their mother, Vera. Like all books created by Kristin Hannah, this is an exceptional story that is full of interesting characters, fascinating storylines, and expertly written prose.

I highly recommend it!
Jen Adair
5.0 out of 5 stars Best book I’ve read all year!!
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2024
So unexpected and amazing! Heart wrenching and heartwarming at the same time! Amazing character development with impactful life lessons throughout! Must read!
Avid Reader
4.0 out of 5 stars Good story, well written
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2024
Another compelling book by Kristin Hannah. I had difficulty putting it down. I am always reluctant to read a "dual timeline" story since so few authors do it well, but Kristin Hannah excels at this style. She keeps her characters at a minimum and her timeframes a reasonable number of decades apart so the story is nicely and believably tied up at the end.

While I wasn't enamored with the current-day daughters; their emotionally vacant upbringing was believable enough to explain their personalities. The mom's story was heart breakingly told thanks to all the research the author did on the atrocities during the Siege of Leningrad and the decade earlier Great Purge under Stalin's leadership. I appreciated the uplifting ending.

I did read some of the reviews and was saddened at the number of people who know nothing about this period in world history. Not just the atrocities of WWII, but the devastating effects of Stalinism in Russia the decades prior. Hopefully this book will encourage readers to learn more.
TJJMazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating!
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2024
I was prepared for a love story...but found so much more in this novel! It"s a spellbinding tale of love, strength, loss, hope, regret, and forgiveness. It amazes me what people can, and have, endured. The events are unimaginable but the book is fantastic!
Michele Q
5.0 out of 5 stars 5 stars
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2023
I have sat on this review for a week now. I just didn't have the right words to sum up my feelings. To be able to express to you all my thoughts and feelings on this book. This book absolutely ruined me. It shattered every fiber of my heart. But I am going to try to express, in words, as best as I can, how amazing this book was.

I found Winter Garden to be both breathtaking and magnificent, yet heart-wrenching. It made me feel things I didn't even know I was capable of feeling. This book evoked such emotion in me. There are books that I read and I love and then there are those few that change me. That shake me to the core. This was one of them. What began as a family mystery turned into an epic story of love and survival.

Kristin Hannah's writing is absolutely exquisite. She writes with a deeply profound and insightful way. Her research and understanding of people was absolutely amazing.

As a mother, I cried so many tears. There was no way I couldn't read this through the lense of what I would do in Anya's shoes. All I wanted to do was hold my daughter a little longer while reading this.

As I was reading, my rating went from maybe 4 stars at first, to 4.5, to 5, then it was a solid 5 stars.

Please note the genre of this book is women's fiction, and not specifically romance even though there is indeed a beautiful, powerful, and heart-wrenching love story at the heart of the book.

The other important things to know before you read is that I do think some readers might find the book a little slow at first and maybe even find that they didn't 'like' the characters. Don't let that worry you. I promise you there's a reason for this. This is a story that builds in layers of complexity and emotional depth. It is absolutely worth it to stick with the story because the impact and delivery of both the second half of the book and especially the ending is just so incredible and powerful!

Because this book's genre is indeed different from my usual recommendations, I strongly suggest that you read the blurb before purchasing. It's a very accurate representation of the story. For me personally, I knew I wanted to read this book the moment I read the blurb. This book is a forever top favorite of mine, now.

This was my first Kristin Hannah book and I seriously can not wait to read more of her books this year.
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Michele Q
5.0 out of 5 stars 5 stars
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2023
I have sat on this review for a week now. I just didn't have the right words to sum up my feelings. To be able to express to you all my thoughts and feelings on this book. This book absolutely ruined me. It shattered every fiber of my heart. But I am going to try to express, in words, as best as I can, how amazing this book was.

I found Winter Garden to be both breathtaking and magnificent, yet heart-wrenching. It made me feel things I didn't even know I was capable of feeling. This book evoked such emotion in me. There are books that I read and I love and then there are those few that change me. That shake me to the core. This was one of them. What began as a family mystery turned into an epic story of love and survival.

Kristin Hannah's writing is absolutely exquisite. She writes with a deeply profound and insightful way. Her research and understanding of people was absolutely amazing.

As a mother, I cried so many tears. There was no way I couldn't read this through the lense of what I would do in Anya's shoes. All I wanted to do was hold my daughter a little longer while reading this.

As I was reading, my rating went from maybe 4 stars at first, to 4.5, to 5, then it was a solid 5 stars.

Please note the genre of this book is women's fiction, and not specifically romance even though there is indeed a beautiful, powerful, and heart-wrenching love story at the heart of the book.

The other important things to know before you read is that I do think some readers might find the book a little slow at first and maybe even find that they didn't 'like' the characters. Don't let that worry you. I promise you there's a reason for this. This is a story that builds in layers of complexity and emotional depth. It is absolutely worth it to stick with the story because the impact and delivery of both the second half of the book and especially the ending is just so incredible and powerful!

Because this book's genre is indeed different from my usual recommendations, I strongly suggest that you read the blurb before purchasing. It's a very accurate representation of the story. For me personally, I knew I wanted to read this book the moment I read the blurb. This book is a forever top favorite of mine, now.

This was my first Kristin Hannah book and I seriously can not wait to read more of her books this year.
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khuntwork
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book.
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2024
Even though these characters are made up, the history part is not. This could have been someone’s story. The strength it took for women to live through such terrible times and war is nothing short of amazing. A mother’s love knows no end. This story is so well written and the last part will bring tears to your eyes.
alkhein
4.0 out of 5 stars amazing story
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2024
Starts out a little slow, but the wait is really worth it. Such tragedy told in a beautiful story. I really enjoyed this.
Lynn Nelson, RN
5.0 out of 5 stars Leningrad ww2
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2024
S totally.fascinating story. I almost read it straight through. The emotion produced was very real. A well written book. Love this author

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