In the Midst of Winter
A Novel
by Isabel Allende
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Pub Date Oct 31 2017 | Archive Date Oct 31 2017
Simon & Schuster Canada | Atria Books
Description
During the biggest Brooklyn snowstorm in living memory, Richard Bowmaster, a lonely university professor in his sixties, hits the car of Evelyn Ortega, a young undocumented immigrant from Guatemala, and what at first seems an inconvenience takes a more serious turn when Evelyn comes to his house, seeking help. At a loss, the professor asks his tenant, Lucia Maraz, a fellow academic from Chile, for her advice.
As these three lives intertwine, each will discover truths about how they have been shaped by the tragedies they witnessed, and Richard and Lucia will find unexpected, long overdue love. Allende returns here to themes that have propelled some of her finest work: political injustice, the art of survival, and the essential nature of—and our need for—love.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781501183263 |
| PRICE | CA$22.00 (CAD) |
| PAGES | 336 |
Featured Reviews
Adrienne B, Educator
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.
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