The Winter Garden

Having followed this book’s sale on B&N for awhile, I was delighted to find it for a friend in a used books store in NYC. This time it wasn’t just the cover page, but the blurb as well with its hauntingly beautiful and ethereal note depicting coldness, sadness and something more.

Meredith and Nina Whitson are sisters by blood but strangers in real life. One chooses family life over her dreams while the other is just the opposite, but they share a common trait – inability to rely on their families/partners in the hour of need. This trait is deeply rooted in their relation with their mother Anya, a woman they’ve known only to be cold and distant. The only semblance of any communication or connection the 3 ladies share is a fairytale, of a Russian Pheasant girl Vera and her Prince Sasha…a tale magical yet dark and dreadful. Meredith, Nina are forced to reunite with Anya on the death of their father Evan, who insists that Anya complete the fairytale once and for all. The reunion doesn’t come easily either..for when Anya retells the fairytale, the sisters begin to make the connection with their mother’s past.

Anya’s fairytale is set during the Siege of Leningrad (Russia) in WW II, when Russian women were witnesses to a number of inconceivable atrocities committed by Stalin’s government. These come to light through the Vera’s thoughts, her tribulations in her role as a young daughter and mother and her struggle to survive with meagre hopes and abundant grief that constantly shadows her. It is described at the beginning that Anya is color blind through reference to the decor of her home, Belya Nochi but as the tale progresses, you get that strong feeling that it is a metaphorical description of Anya’s mental state, a residue of her past. Evan brings her a new life and with it the hopes of recreating everything she lost, and here the author leaves it to the readers’ imagination to conclude whether Anya ever accepted her life in America.

The other symbolic reference to Anya’s past is the book title, The Winter Garden, which originates from Anya’s own garden at Belya Nochi that characterizes Anya’s past…her country, her family and the people she lost, and is the source of Anya’s comfort and connection to reality. As with other books by Kristin Hannah, the subject of this tale is mother – daughter relationship and the imprints that parents leave on their children. Although parents may brush off their children’s attributes as not being related to them, they will find on introspection that it is quite the opposite…for a child can learn only from its parents. That is what happens to Meredith and Nina as they subconsciously pick on Anya’s cold and aloof nature and project it on each other and their confused partners. Gradually as Anya opens up to her children, the sisters’ find new beginnings. For all the above reasons, I’m still pondering whether a physical copy or an ebook would make sense for my personal library.

The Virgin Blue

Set in France, The Virgin Blue revolves around 2 protagonists – Ella Turner and her ancestor Isabel du Moulin or Isabel Tournier. Ella Turner is excited to settle in France and to the amusement of her husband, she embarks on a project to reconnect with her French relations. However, she begins to dream about the color blue, the shade worn by the virgin Mary.. In a parallel universe i.e. 16th century France, Isabel du Moulin or La Rousse is forced to give up her religion and marry the local bully Etienne Tournier, one of the descendants of the Huguenots clan. Its a tumultuous period as a wave of religious persecutions sweep across the country. The story switches between past and present like a pendulum clock showcasing Ella and Isabel’s lives, their personalities and similarities in their situations.

Chevalier’s meticulous research and knowledge of the old world shine through her articulate sketch of Isabel’s life, as she transports her readers instantly transported to France and to Isabel’s side, watching her go about her daily duties from the bylines. Turns out that the author’s inspiration came from her own family history – Tracy Chevalier is a descendant of the French Huguenots of the Cevennes region. She drew inspiration from her sister’s move to France, as represented by Ella Turner’s relocation. What followed is Chevalier’s own adventure which contributed the bulk of content for this book.

While the story’s backdrop is an amalgamation of many events that occurred in the 16th century France, the most noteworthy are: The St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. There is one another aspect that is subtly described through Isabel’s life, that of the Human sacrifice…the later part of the story does constantly refer to the hearth of the house often throwing sinister hints of what lies beneath the hearth. More info can be found on the author’s website. Another theme that is a constant in the current fiction is that of relationships – marriage, adultery or finding love again. Having come across this theme in quite a number of books this year, I couldn’t help being annoyed by Ella’s demeanor at times probably when it came to the disastrous turn her relationship takes. As for Isabel, she could’ve chosen to reject the Tourniers or even flee from them but it doesn’t appear to be so. Instead she appears to have adhered to the family principles and suffered both mentally and physically for her choices. Again Chevalier has portrayed 2 extremities of the spectrum – A woman with a loving husband chooses a rustic life in France with a French dude whereas her ancestor chooses a life of fear, unhappiness and despair in order not to retain the sanctity of her marriage.

Setting aside these facts, I can only say that this book was a fast paced read for I completed it in a day. The Virgin Blue is well worth adding to your library for its unique blend of history and fiction not to mention a powerful story.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Down

Down an 80 foot waterfall…Jurassic Park ride at Universal Islands of Adventure

Looking at the water for crabs and small fish, Florida Keys

Looking down the cliffs at Cabo Rojo lighthouse