A review by bendercath
In the Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

I love Isabel Allende and have learned so much from her books. However, this one felt rather mechanical most of the way. It all comes together at the end in a way that was surprising yet believable but I wondered what it would have felt like if we had known some of those details earlier in the book. 
Certainly many of the images and situations the characters experience will not soon leave my mind … and I feel this is Ms. Allende’s intention: to deepen our understanding of people who face unimaginable challenges due to forces beyond their control: governments, economic structures, and pure evil in others. It’s dark and Ms. Allende makes it real.
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