Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

 So, another Kristin Hannah. Again, not great writing, but some insightful moments of being human. The first 134 pages were a frustrating re-hash of the daughters' frustration with their mother and one daughter's deteriorating marriage. On and on. Finally, things started to break loose as the daughters convinced their mother to share her story. 

We get the story in increments, and it is a harrowing story of suffering, starvation, and hope lost during the siege of Leningrad under Stalin. I've read of this before. It's hard stuff. Up close and personal descriptions of the loss, the pain, and the hunger. Anya (Vera) is the mother-story-teller and is an example of post-trauma suffering, and eventual redemption. 

We're reading this in the Monterey book club; otherwise I wouldn't have chosen it and I will never choose it again. However, it did hold my interest and the daughters and their dialogue and relationship had elements of truth... I'm sure they'll (book clubbers) will all want to drink vodka shots at our meeting; something the daughters begin as a tradition with their mothers. I gert a little tired of their (book clubbers) glorifying each others' drinking, but I'm hanging in there for now...

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

 My neighbor, Blanche Rich, put this in my hands a couple of weeks ago. She reads books by the stack and this is one of her favorites. The copy she gave me is her "loaner;" she won't lend her original copy out because it's too dear to her. This intrigued me! I let it sit a few days because I'm in the middle of the Sue Grafton marathon, and I'm up to "T." I was afraid I would forget the characters and plot if I took a little break from "T," but a couple of nights ago, I was in the mood to be swept away. And once I began The Snow Child, I didn't want to stop. It consumed me for several days, and I enjoyed every moment.

It's not a happy story, but it's a sweet and real story. It's not depressing, per se, but rather more philosophical. I kept wondering if it was "real" or a metaphor. I just read some reviews and one called it "fantastical reality." The characters are interesting, and the interplay between fantasy and reality moved the plot and my curiosity forward. 

I enjoyed the beauty of the writing. Beautiful language and poetic descriptions abound. The Alaskan backdrop is breathtakingly described. And the inner life of the characters is also beautifully rendered with sympathy and frankness. These homesteaders live a hard, cold life. Yet the joy they stumble upon is palpable and understandable. I especially enjoyed the character of Esther, who befriends shy Mabel and insists on becoming her friend. I also liked how the characters, especially Mabel and Jack developed over the years. They had lonely times and bonding and joyful times. They read each other's moods and wondered about each others' silences. The author described the development beautifully. 

One thing that I wondered about was whether or not there would be any reliance on God. He is mentioned occasionally, but is not a central driver of any of these characters. They had a strong sense of integrity and of keeping their word, but no ultimate expectation of help in dark times. Mabel's suicide attempt at the beginning of the story showed her hopelessness. There were lots of opportunities for faith to be exercised but it didn't enter the story in any explicit way. It was faith of a subtle type, perhaps; a hope in the words of Mabel's sister, for example. Interesting for me to ponder what was missing there. 

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

While residing in the Sun River community in St. George, I wandered into the library hoping for a good read. Their selection is heavy on popular suspense novels, which I don't particularly enjoy. However, this one caught my eye because I'd read some Amazon reviews about this particular book, and the cover notes looked intriguing.

It was a good read that held my interest. Good dialogue with interesting characters. The story of domestic abuse of a returned Viet Nam POW was hard to read at times, but probably true to life. The time setting also attracted me--the early 70's, and I enjoyed all of the cultural references to that time. One pervasive force in the novel is the setting. Alaska and its beauty and its terror are described poetically. The hardships and rewards of life in "the great alone" are fascinating to read about. I was unaware of the way people lived "off the grid" and what they did to survive... Like raising goats and chickens, hunting moose, and fishing and smoking their catch for the winter were all interesting to read about. I also enjoyed the description of the remote school, and how the few people in this area relied on each other. 

I had also assumed that the long summer days were spent enjoying the summer and light--wrong. They were spent in intense toil and preparation for the long winters. I understand better now the impacts of long, dark winter on the psyche. It was fascinating to read about.

This author drew real characters with real struggles. The abusive father and devoted mother and their struggles are depicted with empathy and understanding. The pain of Leni, their daughter is evident, as is her strength and resilience. The neighbors are also real-seeming people, who kind of reminded me of some of our old Redwood Road neighbors back in the day... Rough cut, independent, and self-sufficient. I didn't realize that Alaska was (and maybe still is) a refuge for the lawless and crazy who want to get out of society as we know it. All of this was fascinating in the context of the story.

The way the author describes the beauty of Alaska is compelling! I haven't really wanted to visit there before, because to me it's no fun to travel to places that are COLD. However, after Jane's trip and this book, maybe I will reconsider. It sounds overwhelmingly beautiful! 

This was the perfect St. George read on the days that were too cold to spend much of it outside (30's and 40's). I read with a hot cup of cider or herb tea and was taken away. Enjoyable but not enough to read again... Some interesting plot twists and turns with some beautiful descriptions of human devotion, resilience and love.