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A review by caitlin_davis22
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Oh my word. I have a lot of thoughts.
The part before we hear Anya's story was SO boring to me. And repetitive, especially Meredith's narrative. I really think that portion of the book could have been significantly shorter and still effective.
The truly interesting parts of this book are in Anya's "fairytale." I was disappointed that Hannah chose to set up the story this way because in my opinion, if the story had shifted between time periods instead of using the fairytale premise, she could have given more depth to Vera's story. I feel like Vera's narrative is where we see a watered-down version of Hannah's incredible ability to detail the life, strength and hardship of historical women. I just wish it had come through MORE as a direct POV instead of fairytale-ized.
I also found it to be a little unbelievable that Meredith and Nina put up with their mother's mysterious and cold demeanor until they were in their 40s. I just feel like they, particularly Nina, would have said what the hell is up with you long before then. And it makes me sadder that Anya missed so much of the happiness she could have experienced if she had just opened up a little sooner. Also, Evan, couldn't you, like, give your adult daughters a heads up that their mother was a huge B*** to them due to Russian war trauma? Like c'mon. He was close with them, and even if the full story wasn't his to tell, he could have added some much-needed context for them.
I also thought it was weird that the book ended without any final true Meredith/Nina moments since Hannah spent ETERNITY on their storylines for the first 2/3 of this book.
Okay, I digress. I did love the ending of this book, and yes, I did tear up. I just wish it hadn't taken me so long to get through due to the BORING Meredith and Nina set up in the beginning and the lack of depth in a lot of Vera's narrative. I still love u, Kristin Hannah, but this one wasn't my fave.
The part before we hear Anya's story was SO boring to me. And repetitive, especially Meredith's narrative. I really think that portion of the book could have been significantly shorter and still effective.
The truly interesting parts of this book are in Anya's "fairytale." I was disappointed that Hannah chose to set up the story this way because in my opinion, if the story had shifted between time periods instead of using the fairytale premise, she could have given more depth to Vera's story. I feel like Vera's narrative is where we see a watered-down version of Hannah's incredible ability to detail the life, strength and hardship of historical women. I just wish it had come through MORE as a direct POV instead of fairytale-ized.
I also found it to be a little unbelievable that Meredith and Nina put up with their mother's mysterious and cold demeanor until they were in their 40s. I just feel like they, particularly Nina, would have said what the hell is up with you long before then. And it makes me sadder that Anya missed so much of the happiness she could have experienced if she had just opened up a little sooner. Also, Evan, couldn't you, like, give your adult daughters a heads up that their mother was a huge B*** to them due to Russian war trauma? Like c'mon. He was close with them, and even if the full story wasn't his to tell, he could have added some much-needed context for them.
I also thought it was weird that the book ended without any final true Meredith/Nina moments since Hannah spent ETERNITY on their storylines for the first 2/3 of this book.
Okay, I digress. I did love the ending of this book, and yes, I did tear up. I just wish it hadn't taken me so long to get through due to the BORING Meredith and Nina set up in the beginning and the lack of depth in a lot of Vera's narrative. I still love u, Kristin Hannah, but this one wasn't my fave.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, Grief, and Child death
Moderate: Death of parent and Blood
Minor: Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, and Blood