Authors I've Been Meaning to Read - Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

At the beginning of the year, I made a list of authors that I've been saying I need to read and commit to reading at least one book by each of the authors in 2024.  Here's my thoughts on one of those books/authors.

Goodreads:  Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

Blurb:  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.

My Thoughts:  I have finally read a Kristin Hannah book!  Hannah has been on my TBR for probably a decade, but I've always been scared off by the intensity of her books.  I heard great things about the narrator for this one, so I picked it up on an Audible sale and finally listened to it at the end of 2024.  And I liked it.  The beginning was pretty slow, but I did connect with Meredith (even though I frequently wanted to shake her) and I felt invested in the story of the two sisters getting to know their formable and distant mother.  Once the fairy tale really got started, I was pulled in completely and guessed the twist before Nina and Meredith.  The story is absolutely heartbreaking, and I can't think I've ever read any historical fiction set during this period of time or this location.  I'm still not sure how I felt about the ending though I did love the epilogue. Kristin Hannah isn't a must read for me but I will definitely read another book by her.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)