Let me start by saying: grab your tissues. No, seriously—Winter Garden isn’t just a book; it’s an emotional marathon. I found myself sniffling by Chapter 3 and full-on sobbing by the halfway mark. Kristin Hannah doesn’t just write characters; she resurrects souls on paper.

The story follows two sisters, Meredith and Nina, who reunite when their distant, cold mother falls ill. Through a haunting fairytale, they uncover her traumatic past in WWII Leningrad—a history that reshapes everything they thought they knew about her. The cultural details? Immaculate. I could *feel* the Russian winter’s bite and the desperation of siege survivors.

Confession: the first half tested my patience. It’s slow-burn, like trudging through snow. But then—BAM. The second half hit me like a freight train. The raw portrayal of maternal sacrifice (how war scars generations) left me staring at the ceiling at 2 AM.

Bonus? The digital edition includes Soviet-era recipes (I tried the beet soup—surprisingly good) and an author Q&A that deepened my appreciation for Hannah’s research. Pro tip: Don’t read this in public unless you enjoy explaining tear-streaked Kindle screens to strangers.

Winter Garden isn’t just a novel; it’s a mirror held up to how trauma echoes through families. Five stars—but emotionally hazardous.