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 a 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 …
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.
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Another of Kristin Hannah’s great stories!! Great book!
Great book about family dynamics.
You never know someone fully until they tell you their life story.
Although the book started out familiar to the way the author writes, be patient because the story behind Anya is hard to put down. It’s historical fiction about the time when Stalin was in power in Russia & the German invasion.
Not the same quality as the Nightingale.
Anything by Kristin Hannah is a good read.
I loved this book- the characters had great depth. I cried throughout the story, it was so sad but I could believe some of those things happened in Russia during the war.
KRISTEN HANNAH at her best. I could not put this book down. Two sisters/daughters try to figure out each other and understand a mother who has been emotionally detached all of their life. It was a joy to see how they brought their mother out of darkness into a smiling, loving, happy person.
I agree, Kirsten Hannah is the best! This is one of her …
Winter Garden was a difficult book to read at first since so much hinged on Evan’s death and how that tore his family apart. Wife Anya was emotionally distant and appeared to have the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, Meredith became estranged and then separated from her husband, and Nina traveled to war torn areas throughout the world as a …
The nightingale was one of my favorite books so I couldn’t wait to read this. It was almost a fairy tale. I enjoyed the historical parts, but I was bored.
This book was awesome in my opinion. I read it during the shelter in place restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. What we endured is nothing compared to Leningrad, Russia during the Stalin regime.
I had a hard time putting this down. While the story was frustrating at times, the big picture unfolded at its own pace and I did not anticipate the twists and turns. I also felt like I learned some important history.
Different and interesting.
Don’t want to give away the story so I’ll just say it is worth reading. A good story with excellent character studies
it was so boring i quit reading at page 132. the Nightengale was an awesome book. she needs to get back to writing a good story
Kristin Hannah’s books are always worth reading and most are worth re-reading.
This was a story of a family trying to survive during WWII. It was heartbreaking how a Mother did everything to keep her two children fed and alive during this trying time. Well written. I enjoyed it, although I did cry several times! Kristin Hannah is always good.
I thoroughly enjoyed this very different book. Yes, I do recommend it.
Beautifully written story.
Lots of good history set in an era I knew little about. Characters reasonably believable but well developed so even if I can’t imagine having their reactions I was made to feel that they were possible. Overall good story!