Winter Garden

By: Kristin Hannah

Narrated by: Susan Ericksen

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 Kristin Hannah's 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 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.

©2010 by Kristin Hannah. (P)2009 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“It's a tearjerker, but the journey is as lovely - and haunting - as a snow filled winter's night.” --People Magazine

“This tearjerker weaves a convincing historical novel and contemporary family drama.” --Library Journal

“Readers will find it hard not to laugh a little and cry a little more as mother and daughters reach out to each other just in the nick of time.” --Publishers Weekly

I thought I made a mistake

After listening to another work by this author that was just outstanding (The Nightingale), I grabbed this one without much research. I thought for the first several hours that I made a mistake. The story starts so slowly and initially felt almost a bit like an immature romance novel trying to masquerade as literature. But then the story came to life much further in than I had anticipated and it became all-consuming. It did a complete 180 and morphed into one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful stories I've ever read. So if you have the patience to suffer through a somewhat monotonous buildup, the effort will pay off in the end. I eventually felt like my entire day became about when I could get back to it. I longed for the story when I wasn't listening. It's a beautiful and emotional story that will make your heart break over and over but it will also come around to an ending that is a precious treasure.

A word of warning: since becoming a mother, stories where children suffer have become exponentially more upsetting to me and this story had some elements that were so far over that line of discomfort that there were times I wanted to stop. I wouldn't recommend this to a new mother or someone struggling with PPD or someone who was in mourning. The story comes around to a beautiful place but it trudges through some of the most painful hardships to get there. Ultimately I'm glad I stuck through it but my daughter is about to turn 2 and if I'd tried to listen to this in my earlier, super-hormonal, new mom days, I don't think I could have finished it. Don't forego it completely, just wait until you can handle it if you're feeling emotionally delicate.

Stayed Up Late Night After Night Listening!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Anyone who has an interest in historical fiction would enjoy this book. It's set in modern day, however, the mother tells a story throughout the entire book about her life in Russia during WWII. It's basically two stories in one. The author is masterful!

What other book might you compare Winter Garden to and why?

Ken Follett is one of my favorite authors, and Kristin Hannah is right up there with him! I so happy to have found her! Many of Follett's books are historical fiction and although the characters are fiction ... the history is not. It was the same with this book. The plight of the world during WWII is unimaginable in today's world ... this author wove a tale you could see clearly in your mind's eye and feel the struggles as if you were right there in the room with the characters ... or trudging through snow in subzero temps.

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

The narrator is absolutely brilliant. There was not one character or one accent that could have been improved upon. I've listened to her before, but she is right up there in my top five narrators! Perfect for this book.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I rarely have an "extreme" reaction to any book. But this time, I did. If you truly pay attention to the story and put yourself in the room with the characters, it would be impossible to not have an extreme reaction. I did smile some in the book, but more of my reaction was, "Oh, my God! The Suffering!!!" (at the hands of the Germans.} How could anyone be so evil to so many? No one who went through WWII got away unscathed, whether they were on the battle grounds or just trying to survive without freezing to death or starving to death. It just made me want to help and continue to ask, "Why is this happening? How can he (Hitler) get away with this?" It's so hard for me to understand how millions upon millions were following him ... he was pure evil.

Any additional comments?

It's a history lesson that you will enjoy. Although there is a lot of suffering in this book, there is no doubt this is an accurate account of exactly how it was in Russia during WWII. It was truly an amazing book. The ending was perfect.

An Honest Review From A Mom

I rarely give reviews. For the first quarter of this book I wondered what all the buzz was about. But then it happened. The story is then told in such amazing detail that you start to relate as a mother on such a primal level that at times I turned the audio book off. It made me want to go home and hug my daughter and never let her go. Heart wrenching. And just when you think it can’t get anymore difficult for the characters it gets worse. And you keep turning it back on hoping that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I’m not finished with the book yet. So maybe there is but I warn you as a mother this was a REALLY hard listen. At the same time it makes you appreciate your relationships on all levels and helps you to see how blessed you really are regardless of how hard life gets. Wear waterproof mascara while reading and expect to ugly cry. That being said I’m not sure I would’ve chosen this book if I had known how heart breaking it would be. So that’s my review. This review is coming from someone who has a 4 year old daughter. This is a hard audio to get through. But it’s like watching a train wreck and it unfolds in such a way you can not stop watching. Hope this was informative. If you’re looking for something profound this is it. If you are looking for light reading this isn’t for you.

Great book

Great book. I couldn't put it down! A compelling story of one's life and how it affects others.

Hard to get into

Seemed very slow at first. Took me days and days to get through the first half. but the second half really got me hooked. the ending was a little hokey...

Ok

It was a daily deal so not concerned with using a credit. The performance was good but it took me a long time to finish it just didn’t grab me.

loved this

This is a great story. heartfelt emotional uplifting. the narrator did a great job of telling it. i will definitely be re listing to this book.

Heartbeakingly Beautiful

It’s a story of a woman’s strength. A mother’s love, a father and husbands devotion. It’s a beautiful story.

Captivating and tragic but beautiful

This is one of the best books I have read or listened to in a long time! The first bit was slow to get into and felt a little corny or forced, but I completely forgot about it once the real story - the fairy tale - got started. The narrator was perfect for this story.

story within a story

narrator voice has great range and the story is captivating fairly early. I would recommend it to q friend.