I loved this Isabelle Allende novel. It was thought provoking, interesting and fast moving. Highly recommended.

A special thank you to NetGalley, Atria, and Simon & Schuster Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Three different people are brought together in an interesting premise that travels from present-day Brooklyn to Guatemala in the recent past to Chile and Brazil in the 1970s.

The story opens with a minor car accident which becomes the catalyst for an unexpected relationship between two people who thought they were living in the winter of their lives. Richard Bowmaster is a 60-year-old American human rights scholar that had lived for a time in Brazil. During a snowstorm, Richard hits the car that Evelyn Ortega is driving. She is a young, undocumented immigrant from Guatemala working as a nanny in the city. At first it seems like a just a minor fender bender, but when Evelyn turns up at the professor’s house needing help, the situation becomes serious. Richard doesn't know what to do with the young woman so he calls on his tenant, Lucia Maraz for her advice. Lucia is a 62-year-old lecturer from Chile who is attracted to Richard but has given up any hope of a more intimate relationship.

These three very different people are brought together in a captivating story. Allende's narrative moves from present-day Brooklyn to Guatemala in the recent past to 1970s Chile and Brazil and sparks the beginning of a long overdue love story between the two older characters, Richard and Lucia.

Allende explores the timely issues of human rights and the plight of immigrants and refugees. It is a much needed novel in these regards. However, having the story unfold the way it does is a disservice to the weighty topics that she depicts. The structure is disjointed—the life stories are much more interesting than the modern day storyline that binds the characters together and I felt that Allende should have used another narrative style. The backstories are beautifully written and incredibly moving in their harsh realities but again, the present day plot takes away from this. Perhaps this was done on purpose, to juxtapose a love story against the darkness.

Allende is one of my favourite authors, especially when she seamlessly blends historical characters with modern day events. However, I found these specific characters to be a bit shallow and caricature-like. It was still fun to read, but it lacked the depth that I have come to expect from Allende.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in return for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this author's previous books, so I was thrilled to get this one to read. I was very disappointed. I did not like this book. I felt like it had too much political information in it, I did not bond with the main character, I found the storyline boring. I had so much hope for this book, but sadly, it was my least favorite of this author's books. I hope her next book is better.

In The Midst Of Winter is written by Isabel Allende, a gifted storyteller.
There are three main characters in this novel. Richard is a 60 year old professor, Lucia is a visiting professor from Chile,living in Richard's Brooklyn basement apartment, and Evelyn is a Guatemalan refugee working as a caregiver for a young boy with cerebral palsy.
Brooklyn is blasted by a freak winter storm which leads Richard to rear-end Evelyn's vehicle, causing them to open the trunk where they find a dead body. While there is mystery surrounding the dead body the focus of this story is mostly on the characters as they connect with each other while dealing with harrowing memories of past heartbreak and loss.
This is a story of reawakening, forgiveness and love. Throughout the novel the author's passion for the plight of women and children is evident. She also addresses the violence that force illegal immigrants to leave their homeland and family.
I thoroughly enjoyed Isabel Allende's writing and look forward to more of her work.

Sorry I did not have time to read this book before the publication date. No review.

This was really beautifully written and a deeply personal look into these characters lives. It was short but it was good

Isabel Allende impresses with this poignant narrative that illuminates the humanity of all its characters, and culminates with a satisfying climax where closure is meaningfully achieved!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
“In the Midst of Winter” is the newest novel by the great Isabel Allende. In this novel, a minor traffic accident brings together three people from different walks of life. When a 60 year old human rights scholar, Richard, hits the car of a young, undocumented Guatemalan woman named Evelyn, both parties are equally stunned but unhurt. Later, when Evelyn shows up at Richard’s door for help, he must ask his tenant Lucia (a 62 year old professor from Chile) to help translate the girl’s fractured English. Soon the three of them are embarking on an unexpected trek through a snow-covered New York, breaking more than a few laws, and developing relationships.
Allende is a beautiful writer, so poetic and descriptive, and her talents are on display with this novel as well. An exceptionally honest love story of two average adults in the “midst of winter” (the ‘almost elderly’) and a young woman who also has a story to tell.
Both Lucia and Richard are fabulous characters, and they fall in love honestly and without pomp and circumstance, “slowly, and then all at once” (to quote John Green). It is refreshing to see a genuine love story like this, with two characters who are past middle aged and beyond the point where society would see them as people capable of being passionate. Allende always teaches me something in her novels, which I can appreciate. In this case, the history of Latinos (from both Chile and Guatemala) and the challenges they face in a world so different from our own.
“The Midst of Winter” is a charming story full of sweetness, spunk and gumption. Lucia is a powerhouse of a woman, strong and slightly demanding, seeking out what she wants and forsaking what society thinks about how she should behave. Richard is meek and shy, but likable in his sweetness and charm. Evelyn is naïve but honest and genuine, and will instantly connect with readers. Allende also shows her connection to today’s society, with Lucia having a daughter who “does not identify as male or female”, and the pure acceptance of a mother’s love.
A highly recommended, delight of a novel that should be experienced by everyone, especially those who believe they are beyond the age when good things should happen, and those who don’t wish to follow society’s expectations.

Despite a raging snowstorm, Richard Bowman, a seemingly standoffish professor at NYU, had taken his sick cat to the vet. When his car slides into the back of a Lexus, he gives the driver his information but, instead of responding, she drives away. Later, she appears at his door. She doesn’t seem to speak English so he decides to ask his tenant and fellow professor, Lucia Marez, to help. Originally from Chile, Lucia is used to earthquakes, tsunamis, and political upheavals but this storm has left her shaken and she is happy for the opportunity for companionship.

She soon discovers that the woman is named Evelyn, she is from Guatemala, works as a nanny, and had borrowed her employer’s car without permission. She is now terrified to go home. As the three wait out the storm, they discuss their lives including Lucia’s youth during the 1973 coup and Evelyn’s horrifying encounters with gang violence. Eventually Evelyn tells them that she can’t return the car because the damage has revealed that there is a dead body in the trunk, presumably put their by her employer. Notifying the police is not an option because Evelyn could be deported so the three hatch a plan to get rid of the body.

Isabelle Allende’s writing has become synonymous with lyrical prose, complex characters, magical realism and intricate plots and her latest book, In the Midst of Winter is no exception. It is a beautifully written book, both heartwarming and heart wrenching, about friendship, love including the possibility of love in middle age, and family.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

Richard, Lucia and Evelyn's lives collide and intertwine in a way that none of them could have predicted. Richard, a man who struggling with his own inner demons is forced into a situation where he needs to react, make decisions and take control of his own happiness. Lucia is a feisty woman who is originally from Chile but has carved a life out for herself in Brooklyn, NY. Lucia is an optimist who is always able to help those around her but when it comes to making decisions for herself she is unusually hesitant. Evelyn is a young woman from Guatemala who has struggled and been forced to see and experience things that no one should ever have to endure. An unexpected accident thrusts these three individuals together into a journey it seems only lifetime could have prepared them for.

I really appreciated Isabel Allende's newest novel <b>In the Midst of Winter</b>. She dug deep into the hearts of what would otherwise be unremarkable people. She took an underpaid young house maid and gave her a history that is unimaginable but real at the same time.

Allende also explores some BIG, real social and political events in Latin American history. I might argue that one of these events would be enough for the novel. <b>In the Midst of Winter</b> tackles three characters each with very different and very tragic lives. At times some of the political events got lost in transition for me. I found myself stopping to think about which thread was being described, which country and which character.

The beginning of the novel was very good in my opinion. It drew me in and kept my attention. Once the action began for the conflict I was reading quickly and cared less about how Richard, Evelyn and Lucia resolved their situation. The climax seemed rushed, almost like you could see the author writing and someone over their shoulder saying, "alright, now resolve and finish this novel in 5 pages or less".

However, there are too many good elements to this story for me to give it less than a four. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to my friends and I think it would be excellent for a book club.

Liover this book! Will benjoy posting a video review on my YouTube channel (link in bio) within the next two weeks.