The Diplomat's Wife by Pam Jenoff

★★★ 1/2

This is the first novel that I have read by Pam Jenoff.  Looking back, I probably should have read the first book, Kommandant's Girl, beforehand that focused on some additional characters.  The author did a pretty good job of catching readers up, but it would have been nice to have more details.  

The story centered on Marta, a prisoner recently liberated from a Nazi prison camp and her life afterwards.  The book has a lot of plot twists and has an interesting perspective on post-World War II.

The Christmas Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts #8) by Jennifer Chiaverini

★★★

Another Elm Creek Quilt novel - this one goes back and forth between Sylvia and Sarah in the present preparing for Christmas at Elm Creek Manor and a variety of Christmas's from Sylvia's past.

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly (audio)

★★★★ 1/2

"Don't waste your energy on hate.  That will kill you sure as anything."

Another wonderfully written novel focusing on the events of World War II.  I enjoyed the unique perspective of an all-women concentration camp and different point of views.  This novel tells the story of three women from very different backgrounds - a wealthy American women, a German doctor, and Polish political prisoner.  It was beautifully written, well-researched, and filled with memorable characters and powerful insight on a tragic part of the past.

The Muralist by B. A. Shapiro (audio)

★★★★

Alizee Benoit is an American painter from France who is working on the WPA (Works Progress Administration) mural project in New York City when World War II breaks out.  Even though she is far away from the war, she worries constantly about the rest of her Jewish family living in German-occupied France.  As she tries to get visas for her family to come to the United States, she faces other personal and political obstacles.  And then she suddenly disappears and her family and friends never hear from her again.  

Seventy years later, her great-niece Danielle is still looking for answers.  Also an artist, Danielle finds a series of paints that she thinks may have been done Alizee.  Dealing with her own problems in her personal life, she connect with the story of her great-aunt and is determined to find the truth that she is looking for.

I have read a lot of books about World War II and the holocaust and am always surprised when I read one that looks at a new aspect of the war.  For this book, it was the obstacles that European refugees faces in order to obtain visas to immigrate to the United States.  I'm not sure how many of the details were completely accurate, but the author told an interesting and unique story of a women's struggle to save her family when she was 1,000s of miles away with essentially no power to do so.  I was struck by Alizee's families letters about the treatment of the Jewish people and their desperation to leave the country.  I also really liked the incorporation of art and the WPA and the story was very compelling.

The main reason I gave this book 4 instead of 5 stars was because it was way too predictable.  I figured out end of the story from pretty much the very beginning and there were a lot of details that seemed to fit too perfectly together in order to make the story to work.  I found myself rolling my eyes a few too many times (especially towards the end), but it was all-in-all a very enjoyable book.

The Quilter's Apprentice (Elm Creek Quilts #1) by Jennifer Chiaverini (audio)

★★★★

"Sometimes the most ordinary things are the ones we learn to miss the most."

When Sarah McClure moves to the small college town of Waterford, Pennsylvania for her husband Matt's job, she struggles to find a job and a life of her own.  While looking to find work, she agrees to temporarily help seventy-five-year old Sylvia Compson get her estate, Elm Creek Manor, ready to sell.  Sylvia is a bit offsetting at first, but the two become friends and Sylvia teachers Sarah to quilt and slowly tells her the story of her family's troubled past that left the manor in disgrace during World War II.  Sarah also meets some other local quilters and attends their weekly quilting meetings. When Sarah learns the truth about the manor's sale, she is determined to find a way to keep Sylvia and the manor in Waterford.

The Elm Creek Quilt novels is one of those series that I kept hearing about but never got the chance to read.  There are a lot of books in the series - 20 in all - and that's a big commitment.  I read Chiaverini's The Spymistress a few months ago and didn't really like it.  My usual rule before I give up on an author is three books, so I was still determined to give this book a try.  I checked it out on playaway from my library and had every intention of just listening to the first one and calling it a day.  I ended up getting completely sucked in and am currently on the sixth book after a little over a month - and counting.

This book (and series) is exactly what I needed.  After reading a lot of heavier books lately, The Quilter's Apprentice was the perfect contrast.  It was a quick read and, to be honest, the book was fairly predictable.  There wasn't a whole lot to the storyline, but the characters were so charming that I couldn't stop reading and routing for the ending - even though it was to wrapped up in a way-to-perfect package.  I enjoyed the contemporary storyline, but what really kept my interest was Sylvia's tragic story of her family's past.  I also loved the focus of quilting throughout the novel.  Sarah's quilting lessons with Sylvia and the making of a quilt sampler provided a great introduction to the intriguing and complex world of quilting.  Now I need to learn how to quilt.  I will report back soon on my progress - hopefully soon!

Sarah's Sampler quilt from the author's webiste

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (audio)

★★★★★

" 'Oh for heaven's sake, Isabelle.  Paris is overrun.  The Nazis control the city.  What is an eighteen-year-old girl to do about all of that?' "

"If I have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this: in love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are."

"Men tell stories.  Women get on with it.  For us it was a shadow war.  There were no parades for us when it was over, no metals or mentions in history books.  We did what we had to during the war, and when it was over, we picked up the pieces and started our lives over."

I have always been a fan of Kristin Hannah, but she became one of my all-time favorite authors with her first historical novel, The Winter Garden, a few years ago.  I couldn't wait to read her new novel and it was so worth the wait!  It was beautifully written and is one of the best books that I have read in a long time.  The story is essentially was 'war-time' story of Nazi occupied France during World War II.    It is a story of family and love and war and sacrifice and takes readers on a indescribable journey from the very first page to the last.  I read a lot of historical novels set during the war, but Kristin Hannah as the wonderful ability to capture a new aspect - much like she did in The Winter Garden.  

I won't give away too much of the plot, but the center of the novel is on two sisters - Isabelle and Vienne - and they're determination to survive the war one day at a time.  As the novel progresses, each is faced with unthinkable decisions that they will live with long after the war is over.  One of my favorite parts of the novel (besides the breathtakingly beautiful writing) is how each of the sisters grow and develop throughout the book.   The relationships are intense and are made even-more-so by the constant horrors of wartime France.  A wonderful and unforgettable story!!  I loved every second of it and cannot wait to see what Kristin Hannah has planned next!

This was #1 on my top ten list of 2015.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

★★★★

"So how, children, does the the brain, which lives without a spark of light, build us for a world full of light."

There is not too much that I can say about this book that hasn't been said before.  An instant best seller, still #8 on the New York Times Best Seller List almost a year and a half after it was published, and the winner more awards that I can count - including the Pulitzer Prize and the Goodreads Choice Awards to name a few.  

This novel is essentially about childhood and war and growing up in a world torn by war.  Marie-Laure  lives with her father in Paris. When she was six years old, she became blind and her father teaches her to learn to navigate the streets by building her an exact replica of their neighborhood.  She is twelve years old when the Nazis occupy France and her and her father flee to the country to live with Marie-Laure's great-uncle for the remainder of the war.  Werner is an orphan growing up in a small mining town in Germany.  He grows up with his young sister listening to the radio and dreaming of bigger and greater things than spending the remainder of his life as a minor.  When the Nazis begin to recruit for the Hitler Youth, Werner sees this as his only opportunity out.  He quickly gains a reputation as being the only one who can fix new instruments critical in the advancement of the Nazis.  As he receives one special assignment after another, Werner slowly realizes that cost that his work has on human life.  Work that will also one day lead him to Marie-Laure.

'All the Light We Cannot See' is a beautiful story of two children who grow up during the war.  Two children that grow up during unspeakable times having to make unspeakable decisions way beyond their years. The novel alternates between Marie-Laure in very short chapters, making the almost 600-page novel go by much faster than expected.  The imagery was wonderful and was, essentially, what makes this book such a masterpiece.  It was also what made it hard for me to rate this book as amazing instead of simply wonderful.  The writing was almost too beautiful - I kept thinking that I was missing something.  It was almost like reading literate poetry.  Breathtakingly beautiful, but a little hard to follow throughout an entire novel.  Especially since the chapters were so short and the development of each character's story was woven to intricately with the other.

I did really enjoy this book, but I don't think I was able to appreciate it in it's entirety.  I tend to read way to fast and so I wasn't able to grasp as much of the detail as I would have liked.  I think this may be one of the few books that I will have to re-read someday!

This book was #6 on my top ten list of 2015.

At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen (audio)

★★

"The monster - if there was one - never revealed itself to me again.  But what I have learned over the past year was that monsters abound, usually in plain sight."

After reading (and loving) Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants several years ago I was really excited to read this!  Sadly, I was rather disappointed.  

The author is a great storyteller - I love her creativity and description of language.  But, in the case, the story was not at all appealing for me.  It felt like she was pulling from too many different angles.  There were marriage problems...and an identity crisis...and the was...and then throw in the lochness monster into the mix and it was all a little too much for me.  And then there were the characters. Ugh. I find hardly anyone in the story even remotely interesting or find myself caring about what happened to them.  

There were some ok parts that I enjoyed, but overall I was expecting a lot more from the book.  I finished the book a little over a week ago and I honestly can't remember what happened at the end.

The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World's Most Notorious Nazi by Neal Bascomb

★★★

The Nazi Hunters is the account of the case of Adolf Eichmann, an SS officer and the head of the Nazi final solution during World War II.  During the war, Eichmann was responsible for carrying out Hitler’s plan in murdering millions of Jews and other groups of people that were deemed “unfit” in the eyes of German citizens.  Even though he was a highly wanted criminal after the war, he escaped to Argentina with no remorse or remission for what he had done. This non-fiction book for young adults tells of the events and individuals who played a role in Eichmann’s capture including a holocaust survivor, a teenage girl, and a group of Israeli spies.  After over sixteen year, Eichmann is finally placed on trial.  His execution serves as both justice for those whose lives were impacted by the holocaust and as a starting point for the public to be made aware of the horrors of the events.   

I’m not a big reader of nonfiction, but as far as nonfiction books go I found the book to be very informative and generally easy to get through.  I have read a lot of books about World War II and the Holocaust (primarily historical fiction) and was surprised never to have heard of Eichmann.  The author did a great job of incorporating a lot of facts into a narrative that included an intriguing storyline and a lot of action.  I was a little confused by all of the characters at times, but the photographs definitely helped to keep everyone straight.  I wouldn’t generally read this book on my own, but I appreciate the author’s research and would recommend this book to young adults who are interested in learning more about World War II.

Day After Night by Anita Diamant (audio)

 ★★★★

"Sometimes luck was just another word for creation, which was as relentless as destruction."

This novel covers the post-World War II experience of four young girls.  Their lives shattered after the Holocaust, Shayndel, Leonie, Tedi, and Zorah struggle to find new lives for themselves in a holding camp for illegal immigrants in Israel.  Each women deals with their loses and memories in different ways and come together as a support system.

I first read Anita Diamant many years ago when I read The Red Tent.  I believe I was around 14 at the time and it was one of earlier attempts at reading historical fiction.  Today it remains one of my favorite books.  Day After Night was no comparison, but I did enjoy reading it.  I read a lot of Holocaust historical fiction, and this one gave the unique perspective of what happened to people directly after the events of the war.  Usually novels end in 1944-1945 or shortly after or flash back between the past and the present.  Day After Night had really unique characters that processed their past in different ways.  It was interesting to see the direct effects that the war had on them.  I did get a little confused sometimes with all of the story lines, but listening to the audio at work might have had some effect on that as well!

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult (audio)

★★★★ 1/2
"History isn't about the dates and places and wars.  It's about the people who fill the spaces between them."

Sage Singer is a loaner in her small town - which is why working the late night shift at a bakery is the perfect job for her.  She loves her job, but has been a in a bit of a rut lately.  Both of her parents have recently died, she hardly talks to her sisters, her boyfriend is married, and her only real friend is her boss.  One day at the bakery, she strikes up a unique friendship with an elderly man named Josef.  Josef is seen as legend in the town - teaching German at the high school and coaching baseball - and frequently comes to the bakery with his dog.  Sage and Josef begin spending a lot of time together, but one day Josef asks her to help him die.  Sage is shocked at the request and Josef confesses that he was a Nazi during World War II.  Unknown to Josef (or so she thinks), Sage also has a link to the holocaust.  Her grandmother was a survivor of Auschwitz.  As Sage struggles to make a decision, she also learns the story of her grandmother.  She is left with many questions about family, forgiveness, and acceptance.

I really enjoyed this book!  I've been wanting to read this for awhile - being a Jodi Picoult fan and having read lots of holocaust/World War II novels.  This book was a little different from her usual.  I had the ending pretty much figured out (which usually doesn't happen) towards the middle of the book, but I kept second guessing myself.  I liked Sage's story, but what really kept me going was the story of Minka, Sage's grandmother, and her experiences during the war.  For awhile, I almost forgot that Minka was just one part of the novel.  I also loved her writing of a fairy tale that ultimately saved her live in the camps.  It was really unique and has so many connects to her life.  This novel brought up a lot of questions about what was right and wrong and if someone can ever truly be forgiven for their past.

Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian (audio)

 ★★★★

"She didn't care so much whether the world would ever forgive her people; but she did hope that someday, somehow, she would forgive herself."

I came across the book as I was going though the Chris Bohjalian audio books.  I read A LOT of World War II/Holocaust historical fiction, and I was surprised that I hadn't really heard of this one before.  I wouldn't say it was one of the best books I've ever read, but I did enjoy it.  

It's the beginning of 1945 and World War II is finally coming to an end.  Left in chaos, a group of Germans begin a journey to reach the allied forces near the Rhine.  The group includes Anna - a privileged daughter and her lover, Callum - a Scottish prisoner of war and Manfred - a Jew posing as a Nazi soldier after escaping Auschwitz.  Travelers also include Anna's mother and younger brother.  As the head away from the only home they have ever known, they begin to comprehend the horrors of the war as they fight to survive.

This novel painted an interesting perspective of World War II - that of a story of the German refugees.  War is never simple.  There is no "good" and "bad."  It's easy to classify the German Nazis as the "bad guys," but it's not that easy.  Many of the things that happened to aristocrats like Anna and her companions were similar to what the Nazis did to there enemies as well.  A lot of the detail about the horrors of World War II did not come out until the end of the war, and a high percentage of Germans didn't even know they were going on until years later.  The author did a wonderful job of capturing the time period and what the characters were going though.  A very powerful novel.

China Dolls by Lisa See (audio)

 ★★★★ 1/2

"When fortune comes, do not enjoy all of it; when advantage comes, do not take all of it."

This is the second book I've read by Lisa See - the first one being Snow Flower and the Secret Fan back in August of 2011.  

The novel tells the story of three "China Dolls" - Ruby, Helen, and Grace who find themselves auditioning to be showgirls in 1938 San Francisco.  All three girls are from very different background and have their own secrets and reasons for leaving their family lives to pursue show business.  I really liked the story and how each of the girls acted with each other and the situations.  I was expecting it to be a "best friends forever" type story - and it sort of was - but there were many ups and downs through the friendships and many acts of betrayal that they each had to overcome.  I also enjoyed that the story was set during World War II.  It was really interesting to see how the girls reacted and how their lives were changed by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the war.

All Our Worldly Goods by Irene Nemirovsky

★★★ 1/2

"Everyone waited for the war to start the way people wait for death: knowing it is inevitable, asking only for a little more time."

I read Nemirovsky's novel Suite Francaise a few years ago and loved it!  This novel is also set in France and covers the period from right before World War I in 1911 through the beginning of World War II.  It end quite optimistic in 1940 - a bit ironic considering Nemirovsky was killed in Auschwitz before she could finish Suite Francaise.  

The story follows Pierre and Agnes, who are disowned by Pierre's grandfather when he decides to marry for love and not marry Simone who he was promised to.  Brought up in a rich family, Pierre and his family are forced to make their own lives in the world.  He survives the first war only to send his son off to the second war years later.  Simone also appears through out the story, and Pierre's decisions have great consequences for him and his family.  

I'm not sure why this took me so long to get through.  It was beautifully written and brings to live small-town France during a unique time period between the world wars.  There is a lot of character development and themes of family, abandonment, war, and community.  It also is a great prequel to Suite Francaise - even though the characters and story are completely different.

Eight Girls Taking Pictures by Whitney Otto (audio)

★★

"Later, Jenny would say she seldom knew what she would take a picture of when she picked up a camera, that she only knew once she peered through the viewfinder, as if the photograph had finally found her."

This book was not at all what I was expected.  I guess I thought it would be a novel - but it was actually eight short stories about eight different girls who were photographers in the late 1900's to 1980's.  The research was excellent (from what I could tell) and the writing rather good in some parts, but I guess this book just wasn't for me.

My main issue with the book was that all of the eight characters seemed exactly the same.  One of the stories might have been a great stand alone short-story, but after reading a few, I couldn't really tell one apart from another.  They all seemed like the same person, but in a different time period and slightly (and I mean slightly...) different circumstances.  Many this was the author intention?  Either way, it got annoying after awhile.  It also was way to feminist for me.  All of the girls had major conflict between their photography careers and their family/love interest.  Being set in the time period that it was, I understand there was a real battle here (you couldn't usually be a famous photographer and a wife/mother at the same time), but I felt like each character made the same choice.  It was annoying.  The books only saving grace was the reference to different characters through out the stories - espeically at the end reference to Cymbeline (the first women's story).  I felt like this book could have been great, but it just wasn't.

Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole (audio)

★★★★

"You glided over to me and, as I was struggling to think of something intelligent to say, you said 'There you are.'  I often think of that, Sue.  Here I am.  No matter where I am in the world, 'Here I am.' "

Goodreads Summary: A sweeping story told in letters, spanning two continents and two world wars, Jessica Brockmole’s atmospheric debut novel captures the indelible ways that people fall in love, and celebrates the power of the written word to stir the heart.

March 1912: Twenty-four-year-old Elspeth Dunn, a published poet, has never seen the world beyond her home on Scotland’s remote Isle of Skye. So she is astonished when her first fan letter arrives, from a college student, David Graham, in far-away America. As the two strike up a correspondence—sharing their favorite books, wildest hopes, and deepest secrets—their exchanges blossom into friendship, and eventually into love. But as World War I engulfs Europe and David volunteers as an ambulance driver on the Western front, Elspeth can only wait for him on Skye, hoping he’ll survive.

June 1940: At the start of World War II, Elspeth’s daughter, Margaret, has fallen for a pilot in the Royal Air Force. Her mother warns her against seeking love in wartime, an admonition Margaret doesn’t understand. Then, after a bomb rocks Elspeth’s house, and letters that were hidden in a wall come raining down, Elspeth disappears. Only a single letter remains as a clue to Elspeth’s whereabouts. As Margaret sets out to discover where her mother has gone, she must also face the truth of what happened to her family long ago.

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This novel is told completely in letters: in 1912 between Elspeth and David and years later in 1940 between Margaret and Paul and Margaret and her mother.  The style reminded me a bit of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrow - another novel told through letters.  I loved the idea of letter writing - something that is rare in today's modern world of texts and emails.  With all of the instant communication, it's hard to imagine a time when it messages would take weeks to reach someone!  There is something wonderfully romantic about getting to know someone and falling in love through letters.

Brockmole tells the epic love story of Elspeth and David, who develop an unexpected correspondence when David writes Elspeth a fan letter after reading her book of poetry.  They quickly realize they have a lot in common and their friendship slowly develops into something more.  The two fall in love in unexpected circumstances - Elspeth is already married and David has recently enlisted as an ambulance driver in France. Over the years, the two struggle with finding a way to make their relationship work.  Call me old-fashioned, but it sort-of bothered me that Elspeth was developing a relationship with David when she was married to someone else (similar to how I felt about the characters in Loving Frank by Nancy Horan).  I understood where they were coming from, but I still didn't exactly like it.  That being said, the situation did bring about a lot of complex emotions and decisions that might not have otherwise been there.  

Overall, I enjoyed this book.  I was a little cliche at times, but I liked the story really liked the author's description of the time period and setting (particularly the island of Skye).  It was also really interesting to read Elspeth and David's letters while learning about Margaret's journey to find out about her mother's past.

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

★★★★

"What if we had a chance to do it again and again, until we finally did get it right?  Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Goodreads Summary: On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born, the third child of a wealthy English banker and his wife. Sadly, she dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in any number of ways. Clearly history (and Kate Atkinson) have plans for her: In Ursula rests nothing less than the fate of civilization.

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This was somewhat of a difficult novel for me.  It was a bit confusing and I wasn't sure I "got" everything. Even though I struggled to get through it at times, there were many things that I loved about this book.  I read a lot of books, and I sometimes find myself reading the "same story" over and over again.  Kate Atkinson managed to take a simple concept (being born over and over again into the same life) and create a unique and complex story.

Each time Ursula is reborn, her life takes a slightly different path.  She managed to avoid one disaster after another, but then ends up with a different problem. I kept hoping that Ursula would finally "get it right," but that wasn't really the goal of the story. This novel is more about life more than anything and how it is effected by the everyday choices that we make.  I also loved the the novel was set in England during both World War I and II.  Usually books tend to focus on one war or the other.  I also really loved all of the different characters that Atkinson created to weave in and out of Ursula's life.

This book was #8 on my top ten list of 2014.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

★★★★★

"I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right."

"I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality.  But what could I tell her about those things that she didn't already know?  I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimated the human race - that rarely do I ever simply estimate it.  I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant."

Updated: 5/7/2014

The movie is coming out, so I listed to his as an audio book this past week.  I loved it just as much as I did a few years ago and it remains one of my favorite books.  The story is subtle, yet extremely powerful.  I have always loved the character of Liesel and the connection between books and words throughout the novel.  I enjoyed listening the the audio version, but I missed a lot of the formatting and drawings that were in the print version - especially Max's stories that he wrote for Liesel. 

Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas (audio)

★★★ 1/2

Set in Colorado during World War II, Rennie's life changes when a Japanese internment camp is opened up nearby.  When a young girl is murdered all eyes turn to the Japanese for answers.  Thirteen-year-old Rennie's isn't sure what to believe at first, but when her family hires young Japanese workers, she is forced to stand up against prejudices of the camp.  

I enjoyed this book.  I haven't read too much about the Japanese internment camps - except for Jamie Ford's Hotel of the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - and liked the perspective of World War II in the United States.  I always found it surprising that there is so little mention of these camps in histories of the war.  While very different from concentration camps in Europe, we did segregate individuals based solely on their race.  I am also wondering why there was not camps for Germans?

Anyways, I really liked that the story was told from the eyes of a young girl.  As the novel unfolded, she grew up and was faced with many situations that were far beyond her age.  Rennie's didn't always know as much as the readers did, but she began to put the pieces together of those around her.  All in all, a good historical fiction novel.

Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah (audio)

★★★★★

"Nina stared at the women who had raised her and aw the truth at last.  

 Her mother was a lioness.  A warrior.  A women who'd chosen a life of hell for herself because she wanted to give up and didn't know how. 

And with that small understanding came another, bigger one. Nina suddenly saw her own life in focus.  All these years, she'd been traveling the world over, looking for her own truth in other woman's lives.

But it was here all along, at home with the one woman she'd never even tried to understand.

How could any women know her own story until she knew her mother's?"

"They would always be a family, but if she'd learned anything in the past few weeks it was that a family wasn't a static thing.  There were always changes going on.  Like with continents, sometimes the changes were invisible and underground and sometimes they were explosive and deadly.  The trick was to keep your balance.  You couldn't control the direction of your family any more than you could stop the continental shell from breaking apart.  All you could do was hold on for the ride." 

Goodreads Summary: 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. 

As one reader stated, Winter Garden was a "truly mesmerizing and enchanting novel about survival, enduring love, family, and the choices that can forever haunt you."  I have been a huge fan of Kristen  Hannah (especially with Firefly Lane and Night Road) and was excited that she had ventured in the genre of historical fiction.  I absolutely loved this book!  I am a huge fan of anything World War II and this novel had an unique perspective of the Siege of Leningrad in Russia.  I really enjoyed learning about Anya's story as she told it to her daughters as a fairy tale (which I love) and seeing how it shaped their lives both as children and adults.  Hearing the story told this way made the novel extremely powerful and showed the importance of family and learning to live with the past.  I cried through the entire last hour or so on the way home from work.  This was an amazing book and one that I will remember for a long time!

This book was #3 on my top ten list of 2014.