Winter Garden

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.

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448 pages

Average rating: 7.88

599 RATINGS

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37 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

aviationmet
Mar 31, 2025
10/10 stars
Audiobook version - well performed. Another Kristin Hannah winner! The characters are so well developed and the story so intricate and well written.
Tezriana
Mar 24, 2025
8/10 stars
The deeper I got into the book the more I enjoyed it. Like the sisters, I was looking forward to hearing more of their mother’s story with every page…which literally brought me to tears. The contrast between the sisters and the side stories of their other relationships made for good reading as well, and didn’t take away from the central storyline.
SadieT
Mar 23, 2025
8/10 stars
Like much of Kristin Hannah's books, it starts slowly. It is difficult to start and stay interested at the beginning, but it becomes difficult to put down with its mesmerizing portrayal of a mother's struggle and WW2.Wonderful portrayal of love, forgiveness and understanding. I feel like I forgot a lot of the little details from the beginning, as it took me about a month to read, but I plan to reread the book knowing what I know now. Amazing book, would still suggest to read!
Kycashicro
Mar 11, 2025
8/10 stars
Holy crap! This book… It took a while to get into at first. It was slow going, didn’t grasp my attention much until probably the middle. Once there it started to catch my attention more but THE ENDING. What the hell?! Towards the end it was hard to read because of how graphic it was. It tore at my heartstrings. Parts were mortifying to read but it was such a great read, you couldn’t put it down. The very end of the book…how can I explain it? I went from sad, to happy, to bewildered and then mad. I was pissed. HOW CAN KRISTEN DO THIS TO ANYA/VERA?! HE WAS ALIVE THIS WHOLE FREAKING TIME AND SHE THOUGHT SHE WATCHED HER DAUGHTER AND LOVE HER OF LIFE DIE?! WHAT THE F***?! Enraged ain’t the word. Like the poor lady hasn’t been through enough already. It’s a great read, really. The writing is wonderful BUT THAT ENDING. So infuriating.
Sierra Cat
Mar 01, 2025
7/10 stars
I’ve enjoyed Kristin Hannah’s other books so I was excited to get into this one. I grew tired of Meredith’s coldness and the book ended a little fast. But I do like historical fiction and I learned a lot about the siege in Russia. A good read.

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