Wednesday, January 24, 2018

In the Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende

5 Star

In the Midst of Winter begins with a minor traffic accident—which becomes the catalyst for an unexpected and moving love story between two people who thought they were deep into the winter of their lives. Richard Bowmaster—a 60-year-old human rights scholar—hits the car of Evelyn Ortega—a young, undocumented immigrant from Guatemala—in the middle of a snowstorm in Brooklyn. What at first seems just a small inconvenience takes an unforeseen and far more serious turn when Evelyn turns up at the professor’s house seeking help. At a loss, the professor asks his tenant Lucia Maraz—a 62-year-old lecturer from Chile—for her advice. These three very different people are brought together in a mesmerizing story that moves from present-day Brooklyn to Guatemala in the recent past to 1970s Chile and Brazil, sparking the beginning of a long overdue love story between Richard and Lucia.


Sabrina-Kate - 5 Star

Isabel Allende has such a unique and strong voice and the stories that she tells are like no other. Therefore, I was so pleased to receive this surprise in the mail as I have been looking forward to reading it since I first heard about it and saw its gorgeous cover.

Again set in a place I love, her descriptions of New York, but especially Brooklyn, brought me back to that city in a heartbeat. Part of her immense talent is her ability to do that without being overly descriptive but creating a feeling that I can remember all to well.

This story is one that I was not quite ready for or exactly expecting. And what I mean by that is that I could not imagine living these events. The synopsis does not prepare you for all of the things that Richard, Lucia and Evelyn face, either past or present.

I love stories that build up by going back and forth from different times and perspectives and this book was a masterful telling in this fashion. Set in many countries and with different experiences, there were so many heartaches and trials that these three relived while dealing with a very difficult situation.

Possibly one of my favorite books of this year, I have not stopped pondering it since I put it down and I certainly cannot wait to pick it back up!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for our review copy.  All opinions are our own.

Connect with Isabel Allende:
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