The Winter Garden: A Novel

This is a story about a woman named Ika who travels back to the home of her childhood to confront the memories of her past. She longs to find out the name of her biological father and she commits to helping with the care of her dying mother with the hopes that she will give her some answers.

Ika has to deal with the social ramifications of refusing to speak with her family for years, and then being thrown back into that same family and even the same house! As she cares for her mother she strives to work out her feelings toward her sister. Ika meets her sister’s family and finds a connection.

This journey to Ika’s past was very depressing. I usually look forward to reading a book, but this one was a chore. I found her childhood very sad and that made it a hard read.