Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    In the Midst of Winter
    Unavailable
    In the Midst of Winter
    Unavailable
    In the Midst of Winter
    Audiobook9 hours

    In the Midst of Winter

    Written by Isabel Allende, Alma Cuervo and Jasmine Cephas Jones

    Narrated by Dennis Boutsikaris

    3.5/5

    ()

    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    **THE NEW YORK TIMES ?BESTSELLER**
    The captivating new novel from the multi-million-bestselling author of The House of the Spirits and The Japanese Lover. Now the New York Times bestseller. 

    New York Times bestseller Isabel Allende returns with a beautifully crafted, multi-generational novel of struggle, endurance and friendship against the odds.

    Amid the biggest Brooklyn snowstorm in living memory, an unexpected friendship blossoms between three people thrown together by circumstance. Richard Bowmaster, a lonely university professor in his sixties, hits the car driven by Evelyn Ortega, a young, undocumented migrant from Guatemala. But what at first seems an inconvenience takes an unforeseen and darker turn when Evelyn comes to him and his neighbour Lucia Maraz, desperately seeking help.

    Sweeping from present-day Brooklyn to Guatemala to turbulent 1970s Chile and Brazil, and woven with Isabel Allende's trademark humanity, passion and storytelling verve, In the Midst of Winter is a mesmerizing and unforgettable tale read for you by Dennis Boutsikaris, Alma Cuervo and Jasmine Cephas Jones.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio UK
    Release dateNov 2, 2017
    ISBN9781471167027
    Unavailable
    In the Midst of Winter
    Author

    Isabel Allende

    Isabel Allende is the author of twelve works of fiction, including the New York Times bestsellers Maya’s Notebook, Island Beneath the Sea, Inés of My Soul, Daughter of Fortune, and a novel that has become a world-renowned classic, The House of the Spirits. Born in Peru and raised in Chile, she lives in California.

    More audiobooks from Isabel Allende

    Related to In the Midst of Winter

    Related audiobooks

    General Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Sad Farewell

      Jul 2, 2021

      FOR readers there’s a real poignancy to seeing The Missing Sister by Lucinda Riley at the top of the SA fiction bestseller list because it’s the last book that will be released by the much-loved Northern Irish author. Riley’s family recently announce

      1 min read

    • Article

      The World Of Writing

      Jan 7, 2021

      The World Of Writing
      4 min read

    • Article

      Satire, Sci-fi And A Sting In The Tale

      Nov 30, 2023

      A BOOKISH FRIEND SAID TO ME recently, “It’s been a terrible year for books.” Well, up to a point. The sheer volume of new novels, together with the difficulty of seeing through the thickets of bandwagonesque trendcentred publishing, mean it’s easy to

      5 min read

    • Article

      Tuesday New Release Day: Starring Mahmoud, Davidson, and More

      Oct 26, 2021

      Here’s a quick look at some notable books—new titles from Doma Mahmoud, Craig Davidson, and more—that are publishing this week. The post Tuesday New Release Day: Starring Mahmoud, Davidson, and More appeared first on The Millions.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Autumn Book Reviews

      Mar 7, 2024

      Autumn Book Reviews
      4 min read

    • Article

      Biography & memoir

      Sep 20, 2023

      MARK O'CONNELL Granta, 288pp, £16.99 Reviewers were unanimous: this true-crime book was outstanding, surpassing its genre limits. Rob Doyle in the Guardian called it something new and dizzying, Borgesian’. O'Connell, he was delighted to discover, had

      9 min read

    • Article

      Graphic Novels

      Dec 17, 2021

      Over the last 12 months, graphic novels have explored everything from injustice to hedonism. But perhaps unsurprisingly in a year that saw many reflect on their lives, a crop of fine memoirs dominated the shelves. The biggest event of the year was th

      3 min read

    • Article

      Past IMPERFECT

      Oct 2, 2023

      Past IMPERFECT
      10 min read

    • Article

      'Day' Is A Sad Story Of Middle-aged Disillusionment

      Nov 18, 2023

      Michael Cunningham's Day joins a new wave of pandemic novels, including Ann Patchett's Tom Lake, Chris Bachelder and Jennifer Habel's Dayswork, and Sigrid Nunez's The Vulnerables.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Dr Lee Jackson On Why Charles Dickens Remains Relevant Today

      Nov 23, 2023

      MEET THE EXPERT DR LEE JACKSON is a writer and historian with an interest in the social history and geography of Victorian London. He is the author of numerous books, including Dickensland: The Curious History of Dickens’s London (Yale, 2023), and is

      2 min read

    • Article

      Monster

      Apr 21, 2021

      RELEASED 29 APRIL Publisher Jonathan Cape Writer/artist Barry Windsor-Smith GRAPHIC NOVEL Originally conceived by Barry Windsor-Smith (best known for his work on Wolverine) in the ’80s as an Incredible Hulk story, this mammoth 365-page graphic novel

      1 min read

    • Article

      Letter For Letter

      Mar 4, 2024

      A KIND OF CONFESSION by Alex Miller (Allen & Unwin, $40) Australian author Alex Miller is 87 and still writing. Even 48 years after his first piece was published, he can observe in one of his letters, “I’m still learning so much about writing! I kno

      2 min read

    • Article

      Books To Read On The Black Experience: 5 From Chicago

      Jun 17, 2020

      It feels as though a reckoning is underway, as citizens join together in protests to demand police reform after the death of George Floyd. If this moment has left you wondering how we got here, we've put together some recommended reading lists. Here'

      2 min read

    • Article

      Gabriel Krauze

      May 19, 2021

      Gabriel Krauze
      8 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Jan 10, 2024

      Books
      16 min read

    • Article

      Tuesday New Release Day: Starring Scott, Bucak, Zeh, Steinberg, and More

      Aug 20, 2019

      An intriguing near-future dystopian thriller, two innovative short story collections, and a remarkable portrait of Britain at its Brexit inflection point. The post Tuesday New Release Day: Starring Scott, Bucak, Zeh, Steinberg, and More appeared firs

      5 min read

    • Article

      8 LGBTQ+ Novels To get Stuck Into This Pride season

      Jun 17, 2022

      Us queers know that reading is fundamental, and in recent years there’s been a breadth of rich, insightful, entertaining and emotional LGBTQ+ literature for get stuck into. If you’re looking for a good read this Pride Month, there’s a massive array o

      4 min read

    • Article

      Animating the Atlantic Archives

      May 2, 2018

      Some of the most notable and enduring works from the magazine’s past come to life in a new series of videos.

      5 min read

    • Article

      A Sense Of Place: Brooklyn Writers On Why They Love The Borough

      Dec 21, 2023

      The Brooklyn borough of New York has long attracted writers. And whether a book was written today or a century ago, Brooklyn stories often follow a theme: the struggle of ordinary folks, along with the shadier characters around them, to survive and t

      4 min read

    • Article

      The Great Divide

      Apr 22, 2022

      It’s easy to imagine a conversation about Louise Kennedy’s debut novel, Trespasses, that goes something like this: “What’s it about?” “Well, it’s about a young Catholic woman in Belfast in the 70s, at the height of the Troubles.” “Punishment beatings

      2 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Apr 8, 2024

      Books
      6 min read

    • Article

      Tuesday New Release Day: Starring Coates, Jamison, Patchett, Krasznahorkai, Ware, Smith, and More

      Sep 24, 2019

      In case you've been living under a rock, Ta-Nehisi Coates has a new book out (and so do Patti Smith, Ann Patchett, Leslie Jamison, and Chris Ware. The post Tuesday New Release Day: Starring Coates, Jamison, Patchett, Krasznahorkai, Ware, Smith, and M

      7 min read

    • Article

      Liz Hayes

      Nov 23, 2023

      Liz Hayes
      2 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for In the Midst of Winter

    3.5/5

    331 ratings33 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      It was more beautiful than I expected. Love, justice, South American’s politics and of course a plot to be discovered ...
    • 3/5
      Tells the stories of 3 Latino immigrants who end up in Brooklyn. This story was very simple and slow at times. I did learn a lot about current Chilean history. I tagged teamed this book with audio when I was driving. I probably will not read any other books by this author as reviewers said this was Allende's "only" novel that did not contain magic realism--of which I am not a fan. 353 pages
    • 4/5
      I am a fan of Isabel Allende though not every book has captured my attention as did In the Midst of Winter. It tells the story of 3 people forced together by circumstances beyond their control. Richard is a professor at NYU and owns a brownstone in Brooklyn. He rents out the lower apartment to Lucia, also a professor, a women he has known for years through work related conferences. Lucia is Chilean and has a one year contract to teach and she has always been attracted to Richard; however, sees another side of him (stingy with heat and comfort) as a tenant. So Lucia has been there 3 months when the book begins and Richard rear ends another vehicle in a snow storm. The person he hit was an illegal immigrant, Evelyn, driving her employer's Lexus without permission. Richard apologizes and gives her his business card so that the matter can be settled with insurance companies. Instead, several hours later Evelyn shows up at his door but can't speak. Richard wakes Lucia so that she can go up and help. Evelyn is from Guatemala and has trouble speaking to strangers. There is a reason that Evelyn cannot go home and Richard and Lucia get involved with her for the next few days trying to resolve "the situation". So during the raging storm and a road trip they took because of "the situation", they told each other the story of their lives each night. All of them experienced extreme tragedy in the past that had marked them in different ways. Under cover of darkness and blanketed by snow, their lives are revealed through Allende's masterful storytelling.
    • 3/5
      Tells the stories of 3 Latino immigrants who end up in Brooklyn. This story was very simple and slow at times. I did learn a lot about current Chilean history. I tagged teamed this book with audio when I was driving. I probably will not read any other books by this author as reviewers said this was Allende's "only" novel that did not contain magic realism--of which I am not a fan. 353 pages
    • 5/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, which I read in preparation for a book club discussion.
    • 4/5
      An unforeseen event brings three people together during winter storm Jonas in New York. One is an undocumented Guatemalan immigrant, one a visiting writer-lecturer from Chile, and the other an academic working in New York. Each has been through heart-breaking tragedies and the story revolves around sharing these events from their past.

      A significant crime is involved, but this is not a detective novel or a mystery-suspense-thriller. It is a slow-burning, character-driven narrative focused on the three individuals and the close-knit relationships they develop as they share their stories. Together they find a warm space “in the midst of winter” coldness. Woven through the personal narratives are themes related to current issues such as immigration laws, human trafficking, military coups, gang violence, political corruption, alcoholism, and responses to aging. Ultimately this is a story of the curative power of love and compassion.

      In the Midst of Winter does not employ the magical realism present in many of her works. It is set in contemporary times but contains elements of historical fiction via the stories related by the three main characters. I enjoyed the international flavor of this novel, which contains scenes from Brazil, Canada, Chile, Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States.

      I found the backstories of the three individuals engaging and extremely moving. I wish the current day plotline had been as absorbing. I find Allende excels as a storyteller and this book is no exception. Recommended to readers that appreciate well-written character studies.
    • 3/5
      In the Midst of Winter is a novel about three lost souls who come together during a blizzard in January of 2015. When Richard Bowmaster, a NYU professor, accidentally runs into a Lexus driven by a young illegal immigrant, he provides his insurance information and dismisses the mishap, but when Evelyn Ortega shows up at his door, shaken and stuttering, he calls on his downstairs tenant, Lucia, to help him resolve the concern. Once Evelyn reveals her predicament, (the car is her employer's and there is a body in the trunk), these three take on the challenge of trying to help. In the next few days, they all share in the telling of their immigrant stories, and each is a tale of loss and unhappiness. However during this harrowing storm and the quest they undertake, perhaps some kind of happiness can evolve. This is the first story I've read by this prolific author and perhaps I need to try her famous first novel The House of Spirits, but I was not that impressed with the actual writing except for her ability to weave together a nice plot. Having recently read American Dirt, I was also interested in more descriptions of the journeys that the immigrants suffer in order to try for a better life in a land that is less than welcoming.
    • 3/5
      Three people, each a refugee with a back story, meet in New York and have an adventure together. The main events seem rather improbable, but the backstories are very interesting.
    • 4/5
      A great exploration of the migration difficulties of those trying to enter USA currently and in the past from central and South America through the stories of 3 people linked through one incident.
    • 5/5


      „Nicht die Schwerkraft hält unser Universum im Gleichgewicht, sondern die Liebe.“ (Zitat Seite 319)

      Inhalt:
      Richard Bowmaster, 60, ist Professor an der Universität New York und holt eine Kollegin, Lucía Maraz aus Chile, 62, als Gastdozentin für sechs Monate an seine Fakultät. Sie wohnt als Untermieterin mit ihrem alten Chihuahua in Richards Haus, doch sie haben persönlich weniger Kontakt, als sie gehofft hatte. Es ist später Abend an einem Samstag Ende Januar 2016, als gerade ein eisiger Schneesturm über Brooklyn tobt, als Richard sie dringend um Hilfe bittet. In seinem Wohnzimmer sitzt Evelyn Ortega, eine junge Frau aus Guatemala. Auf dem Weg zum Tierarzt war Richard einige Stunden zuvor auf ihr Auto aufgefahren. Was wie ein Bagatellfall aussah, hat ungeahnte Folgen für alle. Denn Evelyn hatte für einen dringenden Weg in die Apotheke das Auto ihrer Arbeitgeber genommen, ohne zu fragen und im Kofferraum eine Leiche entdeckt. Zur Polizei können sie nicht gehen, da Evelyn sich illegal in den USA aufhält. Für Lucía gibt es nur eine Lösung – sie müssen das Auto und die Leiche loswerden und das möglichst rasch.

      Thema und Genre:
      In ihrem neuesten Roman rund um einen Mordfall im eisigen Winter 2016 erzählt die Autorin von Schicksalsschlägen, Flucht und Hoffnungen. Es geht um die Lebensumstände der ungemeldet und illegal in den USA arbeitenden Menschen aus Mittelamerika, sowie um die aktuelle politische Lage. In den Geschichten von Lucía und Evelyn erhält der Leser einen Einblick in die Situation in Chile, Guatemala und Mexiko. Vor allem jedoch handelt dieses Buch vom Leben, von starken, mutigen Frauen und von der Chance auf einen Neubeginn.

      Charaktere:
      Die Autorin stellt drei Personen in den Mittelpunkt der Handlung: Richard, den etwas schroffen, durch das Schicksal gezeichneten Einzelgänger. Die patente Lucía, deren Leben nie einfach war, die dennoch fröhlich und positiv geblieben ist. Evelyn, die nach einer abenteuerlichen Flucht durch Mexiko bei ihrer Mutter in den USA gelandet ist, jedoch abgeschoben werden soll, kümmert sich seit 2011 in New York rund um die Uhr um ihren Schützling Frankie und oft auch um seine Mutter. Sie alle sind speziell, etwas schrullig und gerade deswegen einfach liebenswert.

      Handlung und Schreibstil:
      Die spannende Handlung spielt im Januar 2016, dazwischen immer wieder Kapitel mit Rückblenden, in denen die einzelnen Protagonisten sich in Gedanken an wichtige Ereignisse in der Vergangenheit erinnern, oder den anderen auch Geschichten aus ihrem Leben erzählen. Manche Rückblenden, wie zum Beispiel der abenteuerliche Weg Evelyns durch Mexiko, sind packend beschrieben und sehr spannend. Jedes Kapitel trägt als Überschrift die Namen der betreffenden Personen und auch eine Ortsangabe. Dies macht die Handlung für den Leser sehr übersichtlich und nachvollziehbar.
      Isabel Allende erzählt diese besondere, sehr originelle Geschichte mit sprachlich beeindruckenden Schilderungen und vor allem wieder mit viel Wärme für alle menschlichen Facetten, Klugheit und Humor.
      Etwas verwundet bin ich über den deutschen Titel, denn übersetzt würde der Originaltitel „Jenseits des Winters“ lauten, was wesentlich mehr Bezug zur Handlung hat.

      Fazit:
      Eine spannende Geschichte mit politischen und sozialen Hintergründen, humorvoll und großartig erzählt. Die Charaktere sind originell und prägend für die Handlung, in der auch Freundschaft, Verständnis und Liebe nicht zu kurz kommen.


    • 4/5
      We chose this book for our Family Book Club and our phone discussion of the book is this weekend, so I should probably wait until then to write this. But instead....This book is the story of three people brought together one night by an auto accident. One is an immigrant working as a nanny/caregiver, one a visiting scholar from Chile, and the third a widowed professor living an increasingly lonely life. The current time intersects with each person's backstory. The present time story is somewhat improbable, but serves to carry the action quite well as we grow to know our protagonists and see their relationships developing.
    • 4/5
      I truly love the way Isabel Allende tells a story,. While , in my opinion,this is not her best novel I still enjoyed it very much. I enjoyed the character of Lucia Maraz from Chili and Evelyn Ortega an undocummented immigrant. Through them we learn of the political injustices in Chile.
    • 2/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      Three characters meet in the mostly unlikely circumstances to the most unlikely events. While the premise is far-fetched, the entire story works, just grazing the magic realism of Allende's first novels.What makes the book truly touching, however, is the past through which the reader travels to Chili, Guatemala and Brazil, showcasing not only the scale of human emotion but the tormented history of these countries. A wonderful tribute to resilience, courage and love.
    • 5/5
      When Richard Bowmaster hits the back of the Lexus that Evelyn Ortega is driving in the middle of a snowstorm, he is suddenly enmeshed in a much more serious crime. He asks Lucia Maraz, his basement tenant for advice, and the three are off on an adventure none could have foreseen. Along the way, the reader learns the backstories of each: Richard is a professor at NYU who lived in Brazil for many years, Lucia is also a professor from Chile, and Evelyn is an undocumented refugee from Guatemala. Their stories are especially important in today's world, dealing with refugees seeking asylum, human rights, and human trafficking. Meanwhile, the growing relationship between Richard and Lucia is sweet and is the perfect anchor that holds the disparate sections of the story together. Some of the scenes dealing with what's happening in Guatemala and what happened in Chile are hard to read but are also something Americans should know.The title comes from a quote from Albert Camus: "In the midst of winter, I finally found there was within me an invincible summer." It not only represents the senior romance between Richard and Lucia, but also the resiliency of each of the three main characters. The writing is excellent, humorous without preaching. I very much enjoyed this book.
    • 2/5
      A bit dull didn’t finish it.
    • 4/5
      A minor traffic accident turns into a convoluted farcical attempt to hide a dead body. Along with the silliness, is a very sobering retelling of three lives, A native of Chile shares her story of growing up under dictatorship, an illegal Guatemalan girl tells her nightmare of a life and a college professor shares his former life of loss and alcoholism. This is perhaps one of my most favorite Allende books.
    • 4/5
      In the midst of winter by nick Castor, Isabel Allende, Amanda HopkinsonNY in 1970's and a blizzard hits. Richard owns the building and rents out basement to a woman, Luciana from S. America.While Richard is bringing his cat to the vet during the blizzard he hits a woman in her car. Later she shows up in his apartment and is not able to say what she wants. He gets Luciana and after some laced brownies they can understand one another better.She ends up staying as it's not safe to be outside due to the storm. Chapters go back in time to their lives as to how they were raised, where and under what circumstances.Abaleen is undocumented and has a body in the trunk. Luciana understands and wants to help her out of the mess.They each have their tragic starts as the story alternates with the present day...I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
    • 5/5
      I loved this book! One of the things that makes a book so meaningful for me is when and how the reason for the title is revealed. This book was no exception and I found it absolutely beautiful.

      Many thanks to netgalley and Atria Books for this advanced readers copy.
    • 2/5
      Boring. This felt like a rewrite of an earlier story. Just not engaging in terms of plot or characters.
    • 4/5
      The intertwining stories of Richard, Lucia and Evelyn on a stormy weekend in Brooklyn. This is a novel where you have to suspend belief at certain points, however, the characters and their backgrounds make it all worthwhile.
    • 4/5
      Solid mystery with a few predictable events. Well written.
    • 4/5
      Richard Bowmaster is depressed, 60 yr. old university department chair, who has invited Lucia, a survivor of the Pinochet Regime in Chile, for a one year faculty residency in his department. Complete with the offer is the basement apartment in his Manhattan brownstone.On a stormy winter night, Richard has a minor collision with Evelyn, and undocumented Guatemalan refugee, who has taken her boss's Lexus to get diapers for her charge during this storm. It turns out there is a dead body in the trunk of the Lexus.The rest of the story unfolds through this winter storm as these three people share the stories of their pasts in South America while they hatch a plan to deal with the body in the trunk in a way that minimizes the risks for Evelyn.The novel deals with harsh realities of refugees, human trafficking, and oppressive regimes in a way that is enlightening but not heavy handed. There is some gentle humor and love in the midst of pain and dealing with villains.I give it 4 stars.
    • 5/5
      A thoroughly enjoyable book. Thank you to my daughter for this perfect Christmas gift. It had everything. A fast paced narrative. Many life insights, really little pearls of wisdom. There were observations on modern world social inequalities and social problems, but never heavy handed ones. A fine and wry humour throughout the book, as well as interesting theme parallels e.g. friendships, that add another layer of meaning. There was a deep and rich character development which basically formed the structure of the book, the life stories of the main characters woven among their current adventure. And above all, there was romance, a mature one at that.
    • 4/5
      IN THE MIDST OF WINTERIsabel AllendeMY RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️▫️PUBLISHERSimon and Schuster AudioPUBLISHEDNovember 2, 2017A relevant and lyrical novel that runs the gamut of emotions, blending humor, tragedy, depression and love. SUMMARYIN THE MIDST OF WINTER begins with a minor traffic accident on a snowy morning in Brooklyn. Richard Bowmaster, a depressed 60-year-old human rights professor slides on the snow into the rear a white Lexus causing some minor damage. The Lexus is driven by Evelyn Ortega, a young undocumented Guatemala immigrant who works as a nanny for a New York gangster. She immediately drives off, as Richard throw his business card through her window. The accident takes a serious turn when Evelyn shows up on Richard’s doorstep later that evening in immense distress and uncommunicative. Not knowing what to do, Richard calls his downstairs tenant Lucia Maraz, a 62-year-old visiting professor from Chile, for help. After several hours, Richard and Lucia are finally able to understand the full extent of Evelyn’s plight regarding the accident and they agree to help her. Later the next day the three travel together to upstate New York in an attempt to resolve Evelyn’s issue. During this trip the story branches into the backstories for each of three protagonists. The backstories, a significant part of the novel takes the reader to Guatemala, Chile and Brazil. Ultimately, a charming unexpected love story develops between Richard and Lucia, who both had given up on ever finding love again. REVIEWISABEL ALLENDE has artfully woven a lyrical novel running the gamut of emotions. This spellbinding novel creatively blends humor, tragedy, depression and love. It takes us places we have never been and shows us things we have never seen. The backstories for each of the three protagonists are tragic, yet here they are in New York trudging though the snow and helping a stranger. The novel is informative and revealing, and at the same time gives us hope, that after the worst thing that could ever happen to you happens, good may ultimately follow, in the most unexpected circumstances. Lucia’s character was adorable and steals the show, she is feisty and full spunk. She sums up this amazing story when she tells Richard, “Enough wallowing in the sorrows of the past. The only cure for so much misfortune is love.” Richard, on the other hand, adds much levity to the story by his eccentricities and his stomach problems. Evelyn, is in a word, resilient. She has been through more than we can imagine and she still manages to show care and compassion for others. All three diverse characters uniquely come together to form the perfect ensemble in a most relevant book. “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.”- Albert Camus
    • 3/5
      In The Midst of Winter, Isabel Allende, Author; Dennis Boutsikaris, Jasmine Cephas Jones, and Alma Cuervo, NarratorsOver a period of almost five decades, working backwards into the past, the author follows and reveals the lives of three unhappy and lonely individuals. Each had traumatic experiences in their lives, and each carried the scars of those events. Each had a unique and distinct personality which was fashioned, in part, by those incidents. Even the pets and children in this novel have some sort of ordeal in their past that altered their lives. Although each of the characters lives in Brooklyn, they also have, in common, a past connected to Latin America by way of Brazil, Chile and Guatemala. Two of the characters, Richard and Lucia, are in the sixth decade of their lives and one, Evelyn, is barely out of her teens when they meet. Richard Bowmaster and Lucia Maraz both live at the same address and work at NYU. Evelyn Ortega works as a caretaker for Frank and Cheryl Leroy’s disabled child. One snowy night, as 2016 begins, Richard and Evelyn are each out on the road in less than optimal conditions. Distracted, Richard crashes his car into the back of the “borrowed” Lexus Evelyn is driving. Although he attempts to exchange information and accepts responsibility for the accident, Evelyn leaves the scene in a hurry, but not before he throws a business card into her car. When she knocks on his door, later in that day, he calls on Lucia to help him communicate with the woman. Lucia has a good command of her native tongue. Richard, an American, does not have a good command of Evelyn’s language.As the story of each of their lives is revealed, the reader will be hard pressed not to feel deeply touched by their plights. Each of them is escaping or running from a horrifyingly, painful past, a past from which they are trying to recover and renew their lives. The book deals with the tragic experiences of immigrants who try to come to America to escape the violence and corruption of their native land. It deals with the unexpected and horrific tragedies that occur in all our lives, such as Cancer, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and the brutality of the gang called MS13. It covers the evils of alcoholism, the dangers of mental illness and even touches on the modern day issue of gender identity. The ideas of motherhood, devotion, depression, loyalty, infidelity, bigamy, government corruption, drugs, and domestic violence are additional issues touched upon in descriptive detail. There are so many arcs to the story, that it was sometimes hard to keep track of them all. Each character was well meaning, but each was prone or forced into making some difficult and sometimes foolish choices.In the end, the novel seemed to be a story about two people, who, late in their lives, rediscovered love and purpose. It was a story about how one should age and live a more hopeful and fruitful life. It was a story about behavior, choices and secrets. It addressed whether or not one should do the right thing even when it would cause more harm in the end, or the wrong thing because it might produce the best end results. The novel cuts across class, gender and ethnic lines as friendships develop and each character influences and interacts with the other. Most often, rules and laws were disregarded and broken with impunity as the author seemed to applaud and mock the moral, legal, and immigration codes of the United States, taking the side of those who preferred to do what they thought was right, regardless of whether or not it was appropriate or lawful. As a matter of fact, the less above-board the behavior seemed, the more the behavior seemed to appeal to the characters. The characters had secrets and many fears. They seemed to be influenced by superstitions and even mysticism.The narrative wrapped itself around the concerns and issues that face the world today, and covered every tragic experience that flesh is heir to, with an obviously progressive agenda since Obama is mentioned kindly and Trump is trashed. Big bad America was raising corrupt Americans and was indifferent to the plight of those less fortunate, mistreating and underpaying the immigrants regardless of whether or not they were legal. The laws seemed to be arbitrary, rather than binding, and those upholding the law seemed to enjoy wielding their power over those who were powerless. The story is told alternately from the point of view of each of the three characters and that is how the hardships and catastrophes of their lives are revealed. The book seemed well researched and was full of interesting information. Learning about the superstitions and customs of both Lucia and Evelyn, who were indigenes (native to Latin America), was extremely informative. Exploring the plight of those that sought asylum in the United States and Canada was eye-opening, as well. Revealing how they view the country and its laws and customs was illuminating, but the story often felt contrived, as if the author simply picked the current issues that divide us today and wrote in a character to appropriately fit a narrative to promote her political and social agenda. I was disappointed because I admire this author.The novel takes place in the winter season, in the borough of a gentrified Brooklyn that has passed through the winter of its life and has begun to have a rejuvenated image, in much the same way as the characters, in the winter of their lives found renewal.
    • 4/5
      I admire the author's humanitarian concern which shines through in this novel. The story itself was a bit too melodramatic to take seriously.
    • 3/5
      In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.—Albert CamusIn the middle of a blizzard, Richard is moved to shed his twenty-five year long isolation and dares to love again, guided by Lucia, who has lost everything several times but still takes a chance on love. What brings them together is Evelyn, an undocumented alien, the loving caretaker of a boy with Cerebral Palsy whose parents' toxic relationship and troubled lives has left her knowing more than is safe for her to know. The trio resolve to undertake a dangerous mission to protect Evelyn, a journey into a silent landscape of deep snow and journeys to their pasts.Isabel Allende's In the Midst of Winter is a story of rebirth, forgiveness, and love. The character's back stories take up the most space, told piecemeal in long chapters between the action.Lucia is an immigrant, a professor, who escaped Chile when her brother's involvement with a gang led to his death and made her life unsafe. Lucia is a character women will love. Evelyn is an illegal alien from Guatemala who also took the dangerous journey to America to save her life. Both women understand what it is like for a loved one to simply disappear.Richard is Lucia's boss at New York University and had invited her to be a visiting professor. He rents Lucia a basement room. He has lived in a winter world ever since the loss of his baby to SIDS left his wife severely depressed. Richard drank and partied his sorrows away. A tragic accident took their remaining child's life, and later he lost his wife.I felt sympathy for the characters and appreciated Allende addressing the violence that causes most of today's immigration to America. She demonstrates the horrors that force people to leave their homeland and family and give a face to illegal immigrants. Allende's passion for the plight of women and children is evident throughout the novel.The novel shows that in the midst of great disappointment and pain people can find new life, that the possibility of love can come unexpectedly. The love story between Richard and Lucia is very beautiful.I was not a fan of how the story was presented. The characters tell their stories to each other, but the authorial voice is telling the reader, not the characters.I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
    • 5/5
      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
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed the character development in this book. I haven't studied the political history of parts of Latin America in years, but this book had a good review for me as the characters flashed back. I like how the snow storm brought the characters together as they began to trust each other. Isabel Allende is a wonderful story teller and makes the reader feel like they are there with the characters. I love the international elements she incorporates in her books. I also love the title and the meaning of it! I recommend this book to people that enjoy strong characters and historical elements.