My TBR List April Review: Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah (no spoilers)

Book: Winter Garden
Author: Kristin Hannah
Publication: February 2nd, 2010
Source: Own
Read: Apr 24- May 11, 2016
Summary (from Goodreads):

From the author of the smash-hit bestseller Firefly Lane and True Colors comes a 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.

My Thoughts:
I always fall in love with every Kristin Hannah book I read and this book is no different. I became deeply involved with the characters. This novel is so beautiful and mysterious. I have wanted to read this novel for years and I'm glad I finally read the book. The beginning is a little slow, but it is so worth it. 

Meredith and Nina are sisters that went in very different directions. Meredith focused on being a mother and running the family Apple orchard. Whereas, Nina is a free spirit and travels the globe taking pictures of survivors. When their father gets sick the family is brought together. Their father's dying wish was for the girls to get to know their mother. This is when they learn that the fairy tale they have heard at kids is not just a fairy tale. Like any fairy tale this story was not easy and didn't come with a happy ending right away. It was a story of pain, suffering, and living separate lives. It reminded me of the way people acted after the Great Depression . These people remember what it is like to be cold and hungry. The war in Leningrad explains so many mysteries featured in the earlier part of this novel. In the end the story is about the relationship between mother and daughters. The epilogue is so fantastic and a perfect ending to this novel. I didn't cry, but I was close many times throughout the novel. I highly recommend this novel. I became highly invested in the characters lives and wanted to know the ending of the fairy tale.I loved this novel and I'm so glad to call this book mine as I will cherish this novel.