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aspasia17's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
whatnikkiread's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
jodipyle18's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
novelvisits's review against another edition
4.0
Original Source: https://novelvisits.com/mini-reviews-south-american-edition/
My Thoughts: I wasn’t immediately captivated by In the Midst of Winter, but Isabel Allende’s wonderful writing compelled me to keep going. She is a storyteller at it’s finest and in this book she paints the three main characters so vividly that I quickly became engrossed in their stories. Richard Bowmaster, 60 and an NYU professor, lives a rigid life of penance for a past he grieves over. He’s a pessimist, a slave to routines, and a constant worrier. Lucia Maraz, 62 and a visiting professor at NYU, just happens to be renting a dismal apartment in Richard’s basement. This Chilean woman is a fireball! She’s an optimistic free-spirit who lives in the moment. The push and pull between these two opposites only gets stronger as they unite to help Evelyn Ortega, a young woman from Guatemala who Richard rear-ends during a huge snow storm. Evelyn later shows up at Richards door, frightened and unable to fully communicate why. He enlists Lucia to help and the three are quickly entangled in an unlikely quest.
As the story progresses Allende takes the reader to each characters’ past and the ghosts that haunt them. Richard spent his 20’s and 30’s in Brazil where life didn’t unfold quite the way he’d planned. Both Evelyn and Lucia fled their home countries, but their journeys were very different. At first I wasn’t won over by the trips to the past, but by the middle of the book it was clear just how important each character’s past was in shaping them. It was these very pasts that drove Evelyn, Lucia and Richard to do the things they did in the midst of a snowy winter.
In the Midst of Winter is definitely one of those books that gets better and better as it moves along. I’m so happy I stayed with the book because by the end I was thoroughly engaged. Allende did a beautiful job of weaving her characters’ lives together. Her latest book was truly a joy to read. Grade: B+
Note: I received copies of this book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest thoughts.
My Thoughts: I wasn’t immediately captivated by In the Midst of Winter, but Isabel Allende’s wonderful writing compelled me to keep going. She is a storyteller at it’s finest and in this book she paints the three main characters so vividly that I quickly became engrossed in their stories. Richard Bowmaster, 60 and an NYU professor, lives a rigid life of penance for a past he grieves over. He’s a pessimist, a slave to routines, and a constant worrier. Lucia Maraz, 62 and a visiting professor at NYU, just happens to be renting a dismal apartment in Richard’s basement. This Chilean woman is a fireball! She’s an optimistic free-spirit who lives in the moment. The push and pull between these two opposites only gets stronger as they unite to help Evelyn Ortega, a young woman from Guatemala who Richard rear-ends during a huge snow storm. Evelyn later shows up at Richards door, frightened and unable to fully communicate why. He enlists Lucia to help and the three are quickly entangled in an unlikely quest.
As the story progresses Allende takes the reader to each characters’ past and the ghosts that haunt them. Richard spent his 20’s and 30’s in Brazil where life didn’t unfold quite the way he’d planned. Both Evelyn and Lucia fled their home countries, but their journeys were very different. At first I wasn’t won over by the trips to the past, but by the middle of the book it was clear just how important each character’s past was in shaping them. It was these very pasts that drove Evelyn, Lucia and Richard to do the things they did in the midst of a snowy winter.
In the Midst of Winter is definitely one of those books that gets better and better as it moves along. I’m so happy I stayed with the book because by the end I was thoroughly engaged. Allende did a beautiful job of weaving her characters’ lives together. Her latest book was truly a joy to read. Grade: B+
Note: I received copies of this book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest thoughts.
modolectora1981's review against another edition
4.0
Una historia conmovedora.
Isabel Allende nos habla del peso de la culpa, de las segundas oportunidades, de la soledad, del amor y del verano que cada uno de nosotros tenemos dentro.
Es una historia simple de personas comunes que atraviesan la vida entre tragedias y alegrías.
Isabel Allende nos habla del peso de la culpa, de las segundas oportunidades, de la soledad, del amor y del verano que cada uno de nosotros tenemos dentro.
Es una historia simple de personas comunes que atraviesan la vida entre tragedias y alegrías.
f4rtn0zzl3's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
chaosmavin's review against another edition
4.0
Really it deserves 4.5 ...I need more options Goodreads! This book is amazingly timely with all of the current political drama around immigration. If you have never considered why people immigrate from a person perspective this is just the story to help you understand...not from the political view but from a very human experience. It's also a love story about two people in their golden years...and all the fear and doubt that comes with finding romantic love when you thought it had passed you by forever.
angeinspace's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
cstaude's review against another edition
5.0
This was a really enticing read! I loved everything about it! The three main characters all share one thing in common, personal tragedy. However, when their lives converge in a rather shocking manner- each finds the inner strength to help the others. Beautiful storytelling! Don’t miss it!
araehop's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0