All the Winters After

A Novel

By: Seré Prince Halverson

Narrated by: George Newbern

Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

The Snow Child meets The Shipping News in this atmospheric novel about a man who returns to his Alaskan hometown after 20 years away.

Kachemak Winkel never intended to come back to his hometown of Caboose, Alaska, where his family died in a plane crash 20 years earlier. When he finally musters the courage to return and face his painful memories, he's surprised to find a mysterious young woman living in his abandoned house.

Hiding from a past that gives her nightmares and withdrawn from a world she can't find her place in, Nadia certainly never expected one of the owners to come knocking on the door 10 years after she turned the little abandoned cabin into her home. Set in the majestic yet dangerous natural beauty of Alaska, All the Winters After is ultimately a love story about two lost, broken souls who discover the healing powers of forgiveness and family.

©2016 Seré Prince Halverson (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Ambivalent

I have ambivalent feelings about the book. The descriptions of the people and scenery were exquisitely drawn. Their emotions and struggles were beautifully portrayed and yet…

Central to the story are the Old Believers whose heritage is Russian Orthodox. They are much like the Mennonites or Amash in their strict beliefs and ways of doing things. This side story added a great deal to the novel.

The book dragged. It was one I could easily put down and it was very predictable. I felt my efforts to finish the book were betrayed by the open ending.

narrator makes the book work

great fan of George Newbern narrations (man called ove). The book was well done except sometimes the characters were a little too competent.

Alaska I can smell it now

Would you listen to All the Winters After again? Why?

Oh the web we weave when we perceive things differently than our family members. This book hit close to home with my memories vs my sister's memories of our childhood. And how stubborn we are to remember only our individual memories and discount the sibling. fascinating perspectives. Entertaining story, moves well thru the plot. fantastic visualization of an amazing state.

What did you like best about this story?

the details were so well done, that I could see them clearly. The crane dance, the canyon edge, the frustrations but also the hopefulness.

What does George Newbern bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

the strength of the emotions of remembrances of father and son. I cried some, laughed out loud, and was happy to have been return to a joyful state in the ending.

Who was the most memorable character of All the Winters After and why?

the young woman Nadja was fascinating. Living alone for 10 years in a house in the wild. taking care of the house, and growing her knowledge and experiences thru the left behind journals. but also for her matter of fact style in regards to life of animals, food, and sex.

Any additional comments?

are there more of this author's novels available in Audible?

Ending

Great listen, story line great. But the ending has been haunting, its happy, but very sad at the same time.

Love this book

This book caught my interest right away and kept it all the way through. Narration is excellent.

Better than I expected

This isn’t the normal subject matter I like to read, but the description seemed intriguing and was one of audibles daily deals so I went for it. I actually ended up really enjoying the story, and the narrator which I didn’t expect since I seem to enjoy women narrators the most. I loved the way that the setting (Alaska) was described and made me feel like I had been there before. The characters were easy to like and didn’t end up being completely predictable. I’m glad I took a chance!

Sweet Story

Any additional comments?

I loved this book. I got it during one of the sales, but it is worth a full credit. I like romance that isn't the same old formula. This is a story that also has romance with a real life kind of ending.

long story

this is a long story that takes you through the well rounded characters lives. it is not fast paced but is involved in their lives. a comfortable book that walks you through a journey.

Excellent book

A strong plot with well formed characters who touched this reader in a very tender way. A love story filled with folks who love each other, their animals, the land and their individual histories.

A beautiful book

I enjoyed this book so much. The tension between past and present, between isolation and community was palpable. I envied Nadia's isolation and her opportunity to find herself at the end. I loved the trust that grew between her and Catch. Also, the restraints religion and culture place on us we're so vividly described although I wish the author had showed a little more of this struggle in Nadia and her family. How about a sequel? Nadia comes home to Caboose and life goes on. Or ties to go on.