In the Midst of Winter

Isabel Allende is a talented writer, but this new book is disappointing.

Multiple narrators can make a story more interesting by presenting multiple viewpoints and insight into character motivations, but the multiple narrators in “In the Midst of Winter” simply created a disjointed story line. Three different voice actors are used on the audiobook, which also doesn't help (and is often a really nice way to present the audio version).

Also, I never found myself connecting with the characters. It is not because I have a different background, but because the book is rather ham-fisted. The dramatic backgrounds of the main characters should have been compelling, but it seemed as though the characters were made to carry historical context without really “living” it (and fictional characters can live!).