Winter Garden

by Kristin Hannah

The first two-fifths of this book familiarizes the reader with thecharacters current lives. The last three-fifths familiarizes the reader in detail with the past life of one of the characters; the mom.

Meredith is a forty-year-old woman with no children but with a successful career as a manager of a family-owned apple orchard business. Her bitterness with her monotonous life is clearly portrayed by the author.

Nina, Meredith's younger sister, is also professionally successful, but in an altogether different way; she's a photographer who has world-traveled and loves adventure.

The main common bond, other than family itself, between these two women, is that they know very little of the past of their mother. They both agree that she is cold, distant, and difficult. What they don't know is that they are about to learn the truth about her past. The truth about her past is what makes this book so amazing.

Don't become discouraged at the "romance novel" likeness of the first part of the book. IT GETS BETTER! In fact, it gets so moving that you may be glued for hours at a time. The mom, Anya, reveals a past that gives a new perspective to middle-aged women who think, for the most part, about themselves only.

Become entranced, then sit for a while, and realize how good life is.

9/10

A Definite Read For All,

Steve--Bookopine