I love Kristin Hannah - and truly, I loved this book - until the last 5 chapters. I found the ending to be SO far fetched, that it just completely ruined the entire book for me. While I loved the overall concept of the story - I think if she hadn't taken us to Alaska and all that went on there, it would have made for a much better novel. It was too much of a happily ever after ending for the story.

Winter Garden is THE book that made me fall in love with Kristin Hannah. As soon as I finished it, I raced to the library and promptly checked out every book by her I could find. The book centers around Meredith and Nina, two sisters with very different lives. When their father falls ill, they travel to their childhood home to say their goodbyes to their father, alongside their cold Russian-born mother, Anya. One thing the girls remember from their childhood is Anya telling them bits and pieces from a Russian fairytale. Meredith and Nina always thought it was a work of fiction, but after their father’s last wish is for Anya to tell the girls the whole fairytale, the girls realize that this is no fairytale—it’s the story of their mother’s life. Anya’s story is moving, powerful, and unthinkable. Meredith and Nina come to know the mother they never really knew during the years they spent with her in their childhood. I can’t even imagine, as a reader, how I would process hearing a story like this from my own grandparents. Call me naïve or lucky, but I have a hard time thinking about how people have had to go through such horrible times. Winter Garden is a book about relationships, uncovering emotions, forgiving, and healing. It will make you cry and it will make you want to ask your parents and grandparents to tell their stories. Kristin Hannah is an amazing writer and Winter Garden is a fast and engaging read—something I’ve come to expect from Hannah.

Winter Garden is one of the best books I've read in a very long time!! I laughed, I cried, and I couldn't put the book down! I strongly recommend this book! Honestly, when my mom bought me this book, I hadn't expected much to come from the pages, but within the first couple chapters... I was hooked. It's been a few monthes since I've read it... and I still think about the wonderous words and images that came from inside!