‘In the Midst of Winter’ by Isabel Allende is the story of three ordinary-looking people, people you would not glance at if you passed by them in the street, and their extra-ordinary lives. Each has faced loss and trauma, each feels isolated, lonely. Laced throughout this deceptive novel are themes of dislocation, grief, human trafficking and the courage to free oneself of these bonds. Set in modern-day Brooklyn and Guatemala, and 1970s Chile and Brazil, it is the story of people relocated thousands of miles away from family to new countries with strange languages and customs where against the odds they must begin a new life.
Richard, Lucia and Evelyn are thrown together in Brooklyn, New York, during a momentous snowstorm. Evelyn, a young illegal immigrant from Guatemala, borrows her employer’s car and in the storm crashes into Richard. Richard is in his sixties, a loner, aesthete and reformed alcoholic, he lives his life according to routine. But when the car crash upsets his rigid ordered life, he is forced to halt his almost OCD existence and do unpredictable, often rash, things. When Evelyn turns up on his doorstep, hours after the crash, he is unable to understand her Spanish and asks Lucia, university colleague and tenant of the basement flat of his freezing cold Brooklyn brownstone, to come upstairs and help him with the hysterical girl.
The reason for Evelyn’s hysteria becomes clear the next morning. What they choose to do next constitutes ‘In the Midst of Winter’. It is a road trip with a difference as the trio set off in convoy in two cars, into a snowstorm, with a task to complete. Their choice dominates the book and, though I found it well-meaning, it seemed emotional and impractical. The journey is the technique by which Allende tells their stories; each is an unburdening, a confession of their guilt, shame, offences and regrets. I lost myself in each of these stories and came back to the modern day strand with a clunk, as I remembered the choice these three people made. It feels surrealistic, as if their horrific ‘problem’ [the reason for the road trip] doesn’t exist. The writing is beautiful, particularly the description of snow, though the stories of abuse are harrowing.
Essentially Allende tells two stories – the accident; and the historical stories of Richard, Lucia and Evelyn. They start as strangers and by the end of the trip they have shared more than a car, their experience bonds them together and shows them a life different from their own. The snowstorm has a double effect. It acts as a vacuum in which the outside world has zero presence, in which these three strangers must react to their discovery and decide what action to take. Perhaps this explains their out-of-the-real-world decision. It also focuses a magnifying glass on each individual as they confess their story, sometimes for the first time, offering themselves up to the other two strangers for rejection or redemption. In the first half I got the backstories of Lucia and Evelyn confused, but as the story went on this became clearer.
This is an unusual story exploring how ordinary people are affected by legal and illegal immigration from South America to the United States, of gang violence, trafficking and exploitation, of the American immigration rules, and of the perils of living outside the law. Which is a lot to handle in one novel. But most of all, it is the story of three people and how they struggle to overcome the challenges which life presents to them, finding friendship at the end.
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A very minor traffic accident set into motion a train of events unsought by three very different
people. Richard a human rights scholar, Evelyn an undocumented immigrant and Lucia who is Richard's tenant and a visiting lecturer from Chile.
Moving from events totally disconnected initially with the discovery of a murdered woman in the boot of the car Evelyn is driving, the story moves from Brooklyn to Guatemala to Brazil to Chile.
To human trafficking, the reasons behind why people like Evelyn move to a country which is so alien to her that it is doubtful that she will ever adapt to being in America. The stories thrown up by the past are very vivid, very emotional and traumatic but they are the reasons why people will always try to escape regimens of violence, forsaking their own country for the wide unknown.

Handled well and fairly forthrightly all the topics in the story were not for the faint hearted but it goes to the heart of the story.

Goodreads and Amazon reviews posted on 6/3/2018. Review on my blog posted end March 2018.

There is something to be said about the beautiful writing of Isabel Allende. Her depictions of the 3 main characters were wonderful. Each backstory was interesting and quite moving. I almost felt the weather as an additional character as I could actually feel the cold and snow. I felt however, the main story line to be a little far fetched for me. 3.5 stars...

I think The House of Spirits was the first book by Allende I read and it captured me straight away. Isabel Allende's books filled me with a sense of wonder and magic from the moment I was old enough to read them. There was something about her style that just worked for me. I also adored her YA-trilogy, Eagle and Jaguar. However, I lost track of Allende and her new releases, until, that is, I saw In the Midst of Winter and my interest was immediately piqued again. Thanks to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Allende's fiction has always addressed the issues in her home continent, and especially her home country of Chile. As she was related to Chilean president Salvador Allende, the CIA-backed coup against him and the turmoil it caused in her country also affected her personally. These experiences reflect differently in her various books and I was intrigued to see how it came to the forefront in In the Midst of Winter. At the heart of this novel are the issues of immigration, refugees and human rights, issues which are still incredibly timely and relevant. In the Midst of Winter focuses on these through the stories of its characters and this allows Allende to highlight the hardship and suffering refugees go through. Some of the chapters, especially in relation to Evelyn's story, are heartbreaking and not for the fainthearted. Some of Allende's descriptions are cruelly truthful and she doesn't let you look away, no matter how much you might like to. But despite the horror she describes, Allende also shows the kindness and bravery of people in the face of such horror. How people help each other, how they care for the old and sick, the young and needy, how love doesn't heal every wound but makes some of the scars easier to bare. That side of In the Midst of Winter is truly inspirational.

Allende's In the Midst of Winter brings together three different characters in the middle of a blizzard in Brooklyn. Thrown together seemingly by chance, they exchange their stories and share experiences as they try to solve a rather immediate problem. Richard, stuffy academic that he seems, hides a deeply shameful past in Rio de Janeiro; Evelyn, undocumented and scared has survived horrors on her journey from Guatemala to America; and Lucia, who escaped Santiago and is still looking for something. Lucia is Richard's tenant and their relationship is distant, but they are brought closer together when Richard accidentally hits Evelyn's car and she comes to his house seeking for help. As they try to help their stories come to the surface and Allende frequently flits between the past and the present, as well as between the different characters. Although this can initially be a little bit confusing, it really pays off as it shows how many hidden depths every person has, how much suffering hides behind a face and how much we may have in common despite our vast differences. As Allende unravels their backstories, the reader becomes more and more invested in these characters and more desperate for their problem to resolve itself.

Most of Isabel Allende's books that I have read were of that most wonderful of genres, Magical Realism. In the Midst of Winter is not that, but rather falls along the lines of Historical Fiction. However, Allende manages to infuse many of its scenes with a similar magic and beauty. Her South-America is one of both wonder and fear, just as her people are both horrid and loving. She maintains that fine balance for most of the book, and it is a truly fine balance to strike. I'm about to talk about something which the blurb already mentions and I therefore feel I can discuss as well, but it is technically a spoiler so if you really don't want to know, perhaps skip the rest of this paragraph. A large part of In the Midst of Winter is dedicated to the "love story" between Richard and Lucia and I simply couldn't have cared less for it. Usually this is a criticism I direct at YA novels and I'm frustrated that it applies so well in this case as well. Allende has a fascinating story that allows her to dig into some really crucial topics and yet I have to care for this love story? Both of those characters are more interesting apart from each other, and actually Evelyn is more interesting than either of them. I felt like Allende's focus on this betrayed the novel's potential and also went against some of the characterisation she had put in place. It really didn't work for me and left me disappointed in the novel. It may be completely different for other readers, but it felt utterly unnecessary to me.

I loved certain aspects of In the Midst of Winter and it has shook parts of me to the core. Allende's novel holds some crucial lessons about the truth of the fate of refugees. However, I felt some of Allende's plot choices betrayed what the novel could have been. I would recommend it to those interested in South-America and refugees, as well as Historical Fiction.

Much as I wanted to read this book and review it I was actually sent the frontispiece and a set of reviews for publicity purposes

Such a lovely book and again, another masterpiece by this author. This is a great book club book and one to discuss!

Isabel Allende's In the Midst of Winter is a story of romance, compassion, guilt, emotional scarring, and forgiveness. In her signature fashion, Allende blends history and culture to provide a rich backstory for the characters, Richard, Lucia, and Evelyn. All three lovable characters have South American connections. Lucia grew up in Chile during the 1973 overthrow of Salvatore Allende. Evelyn's grandmother raised her and her brothers in poverty and dire circumstances, while her mother immigrated to the United States. Richard met his wife in Brazil and lived with her family, while the couple suffered devastating losses. Alternating between a loosely-held together present-day plot line and flashbacks to the past, readers learn of each of the characters' painful journeys. The relationships between the three characters are endearing. I applaud Ms. Allende for her realistic portrayal of romantic love between middle-aged characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC of In the Midst of Winter, and to Isabel Allende for once again providing an intimate glimpse into worlds previously unknown to me.

So, you know when someone puts a plate in front of you and says 'It's hot. Don't touch the plate.' and you immediately touch the plate. You just had to see for yourself. Yeah, that's how I felt with this one. I read so many less than stellar reviews of this one but I had to find out for myself. I wanted to read this one since I first heard about it. Then I saw the wonderful Isabel Allende talk about the book and I couldn't *WAIT* to read it. Perhaps despite all the reviews, I still had such high expectations.

The story rotates between three people Evelyn, Lucia, and Richard and a minor accident that brought them all together. You move back and forth in time hearing the backstory of each and the moving back to the present time. There is just too much going on. Each one of these four story lines could be their own book. Just putting them all together gets confusing. Just as you get drawn into hearing for example Evelyn's story you are roughly brought back to a different story. And it's too much. Also, it's utterly depressing. Nothing good happens and so much of it I started to think 'oh come on, really'. It just kept piling on more and more bad things happening. I also read book books to escape....going to different countries, time in history, and more. I don't really want to read something about current events. This is just me. Perhaps another time the refugee story would be fine, hearing about MS13 gangs, political issues, etc....just all in the news right now.

I switched between print and audio, and sorry to say, I did not like the audio. I had to put this one aside for awhile and take a break, seeing if that helped. Maybe it was not the right time to read this one. I might even have gone a bit lower on my rating but tried to balance out my nit-picking (not wanting to read about current events - and perhaps going with 3 due to my love of Allende). I look forward to reading another book from Allende. And looking forward to a sweeping saga with lots of magical realism.

I have been a fan of Isabel Allende for years, so the chance to read her newest one (courtesy of Netgally and Simon and Shuster) was a wish come true. In The Midst of Winter is a story that involves three characters who's paths cross after a car crash. Together they have to decide what to do, learning about each other along the way. Like all of Allende's books you're pulled into the rich narrative of the story, discovering how the characters came to be, all the while learnng about the very real issues of the world like immigration, gang violence and relationships. I found the shift in story telling between the present situation and the back story of each of the characters a little confusing to begin with, but was able to follow the structure soon enough. I thought the book got better as I warmed to the characters and Allende's wonderful writing is always a joy to get lost in.

I cried when I finished I want to know more about everyone and more about Chile Guatemala and Mexico. I can’t brlirvr how beautifully the story and characters weaved it’s way around the circumstances of their lives and the incident that brought them together. The love that was discovered between Richard and Alicia is beautiful and the love that they felt for Evelyn joyous.
I want to meet them all and say thankyou for letting me into their lives for a short time.

Thanks for letting me read this.

In the midst of winter, during a cruel snowstorm, three people, each dealing with their own individual struggles, are brought together by a road accident and their lives become inextricably linked.

In Allende's 22nd novel, Richard, a 60-year-old, anxiety-ridden academic, rear-ends a white Lexus driven by undocumented Guatemalan immigrant, Evelyn. Taking off in a panic owing to fact that she is driving her employer's car, Evelyn returns to Richard's apartment later that evening and tells him and his colleague/tenant, Lucia, a Chilean expat, that she has found a body in the trunk. The three unite to dispose of the evidence and what follows is a cinematic story of redemption, reflection, love and yearning, with a little bit of comedy thrown in for good measure.

While this book doesn't have the elements of magical realism to it, like <I>House of the Spirits</I>, it does have some traditional Allende accents. Like many of her characters, these three lives have been touched by tragedy, fate having dealt them their fair share of darkness. This is a beautiful story with plenty of drama, also brimming with that wonderful warmth fans of Allende will be familiar with. As always, she is ambitious, taking on subjects such as murder, death, divorce, spirituality, immigration and love. While it may seem like a lot in a relatively quick read, Allende is clever with her connections and it works.

This was a three star read for me for a couple of reasons. I felt it leaned heavily, at times, on cultural stereotypes. While all three characters' pasts are explored in time hops throughout the narrative, Evelyn seems less developed and Richard's episodes are slow burners. An enjoyable read, this will be a hit with loyal Allende fans.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this.

I love Isabel Allende. Her mixture of reality and Magical Realism weaves an entertaining story with authentic characters. I will be recommending this book to patrons and my book discussion group.

IMG_2634It is the midst of winter 2016 and a huge storm is about to hit Brooklyn. 62 year old Lucia Maraz is alone in her cold apartment so she calls her landlord and colleague Richard Bowmaster to see if he wants to join her for soup, and because she’s scared. He brushes her off, terrrified of any potential intimacy. But in the middle of the night he calls her – a minor traffic accident he had earlier that day has led to a hysterical young Spanish speaker turning up on his doorstep and he needs her help.

The young woman is Evelyn Ortega—an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala. She took her bosses car to drive to the store without asking permission and the damage to it means he will know, he is a violent man.

While these three very different people are trying to work out what to do for the best a new intimacy allows us to hear their life stories from present-day Brooklyn to Guatemala in the recent past to 1970s Chile and Brazil. Along the waythe long overdue love story between Richard and Lucia sparks into life.

This book has been described by other critics as mesmerising, and to be honest I think that description fits it really well. There are quite shocking twists and turns but there is something else in the writing that keeps you reading. It’s not just that you want to know if they’ll get themselves out of the tricky situation they’re in, it’s also that the characters are so real and so easy to care about that you want to spend time with them.

All of them have suffered great tragedies in their pasts, and all have been changed by them and coped differently. There’s no element of magic realism as there is in some other of Allende’s, but the magic in this is real and it’s the magical redemption that giving and receiving love brings.

I discovered Isabel Allende when I was assigned to read House of the Spirits in 8th grade...I had a very progressive english teach, and I have read all of her novels to date. In the Midst of Winter was really three different stories, which I think were told for the contemporary reader, who may not recall, or be aware of the South American political history of the 60's and 70's and of the abuse, poverty and fear that drove Central Americans into the US in the 80's and 90's in droves. I found this book to be especially poignant in this time and place, due to our very unique political issues and struggles. Lucia, a visiting professor from Chile was truly the glue and the level-head (though with slightly macabre humor) that held this group together. Evelyn was the young, undocumented immigrant from Guatamala, with an incredibly tragic past, and Richard, a professor at NYU who leads the life of a careful hermit to escape his ghosts, wraps up the trio. This book tackled themes of aging, racism, immigration, loss, substance abuse, and ultimately, hope. Had this been any other writer, I don't think I would have quite so drawn to the story, but I cannot resist the storytelling of Ms. Allende. She writes beautifully and powerfully about extremely important, yet uncomfortable, topics. As always, I believe Isabel Allende is one of the greatest storytellers of our time.

I received a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review

So I haven't read much Isabel Allende along the way, but reading this definitely makes me want to go back and read more. Her writing is so lyrical and poetic, she can make the mundane sound lovely. I liked the plot and the characters -- it really wasn't that much of a mystery, but what made it interesting is that it brought the characters together, got them to reveal their pasts, and open themselves up to others. I'm not a big historical fiction fan, but the way the history was tucked in to the current-day story prevented it from taking over the book. The romance was a little clunky, but I'll forgive it, because how often do folks eligible for senior citizen discounts get to have passionate romances? Not very often. All in all, an interesting and enjoyable read, and I hope to get to more Allende soon.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I can't review this because I did not get the book- only the cover, the author photo, and the blurbs promoting it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely loved the author's earliest novels. This current novel fell a little short of my expectations. An "okay" story, but not great.

A good novel, one of the best compared to the recent years books, in my opinion. The story of Richard, Lucia and Eveyln is going to be one of the few I will remember for a long time, especially because even being sad it is told in a funny way and makes everything easier and bearable.

Una buena novela, una de las mejores en comparación con los libros de años recientes, en mi opinión. La historia de Richard, Lucia y Eveyln será una de las pocas que recordaré durante mucho tiempo, especialmente porque incluso estando triste se cuenta de una manera divertida y hace que todo sea más fácil y soportable.

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

Great read. Well written and loved how it was all put together with the different mix of characters, loved the cover also

Isabel Allende is one of my favorite writers and I always enjoy her novels. I was very happy to have the chance to read an advance copy of this book. This one was a good story of two different immigrants who came to the US through a chain of terrible events. Then there is Richard who has a heartbreaking story himself. Their lives intersect in the midst of a snowstorm in New York and the three of them become entangled in a conspiracy that could have turned out so badly. It's kind of far-fetched, but it was interesting.

I liked this book but I didn't love it. Even though each of the main characters had heart-wrenching stories, it was relayed so matter-of-factly that it just didn't evoke the emotion I expect to feel when reading such horrific events.

Thanks to Isabel Allende and Simon and Schuster UK / Scribner for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.