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All the Winters After
From the International bestselling author of The Underside of Joy comes an atmospheric novel about a man who returns to his Alaskan hometown after twenty years
Alaska doesn't forgive mistakes. That's what Kachemak Winkel's mother used to tell him. A lot of mistakes were made that awful day twenty years ago, when she died in a plane crash with Kache's father and brother—and Kache still feels responsible. He fled Alaska for good, but now his aunt Snag insists on his return. She admits she couldn't bring herself to check on his family's house in the woods—not even once since he's been gone.
Kache is sure the cabin has decayed into a pile of logs, but he finds smoke rising from the chimney and a mysterious Russian woman hiding from her own troubled past. Nadia has kept the house exactly the same—a haunting museum of life before the crash. And she's stayed there, afraid and utterly isolated, for ten years.
Set in the majestic, dangerous beauty of Alaska, All the Winters After is the story of two bound souls trying to free themselves, searching for family and forgiveness.
Alaska doesn't forgive mistakes. That's what Kachemak Winkel's mother used to tell him. A lot of mistakes were made that awful day twenty years ago, when she died in a plane crash with Kache's father and brother—and Kache still feels responsible. He fled Alaska for good, but now his aunt Snag insists on his return. She admits she couldn't bring herself to check on his family's house in the woods—not even once since he's been gone.
Kache is sure the cabin has decayed into a pile of logs, but he finds smoke rising from the chimney and a mysterious Russian woman hiding from her own troubled past. Nadia has kept the house exactly the same—a haunting museum of life before the crash. And she's stayed there, afraid and utterly isolated, for ten years.
Set in the majestic, dangerous beauty of Alaska, All the Winters After is the story of two bound souls trying to free themselves, searching for family and forgiveness.
388 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 19, 2014
98 people are currently reading
3839 people want to read
About the author
Seré Prince Halverson
10 books212 followersSeré Prince Halverson is the author of the international bestseller, THE UNDERSIDE OF JOY, published in 2012 and translated into 18 languages, and ALL THE WINTERS AFTER, published in February, 2016--novels that explore grief, forgiveness, nature, and the intimate layers of family.
She and her husband have four grown children and live in Northern California in a house in the woods.
She and her husband have four grown children and live in Northern California in a house in the woods.
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May 11, 2017
Audiobook .....EXCELLENT....FULLY ENGAGING!!!!!!
This is TRULY A GREAT novel......
It opens the windows on the human soul and allows us to see inside! I enjoyed this much more than expected. The book cover is gorgeous and I purchased the audiobook awhile ago on a 'daily-deal' sale. I had concerns that it would be slow... too slow to hold my interest in 'listening'. Not at ALL!!! Wonderful narrator!!!
The story takes place in a fictitious town of Caboose on the Kachemak Bay in Alaska. It's a soul stirring novel dealing with trials and tribulations within a family. Themes deal with loss, loneliness, isolation, grief, forgiveness, and love. There have been secrets. There has been abuse. There have been memories that hurt to look at. There is also healing.
I loved the small things .... paddling a canoe -- hiking - working in the garden - playing with Leo the dog -- the animals - goats - fish - baskets of herbs and veggies - the smiles - long braids on women - homemade cookies- the books -the many descriptions of the Alaskan landscape....[THIS IS ESPECIALLY HIGHLIGHTED ON THE AUDIOBOOK]....
Nadia, was from Russia. She once belonged to a group called "Old Believers"....a sect that broke off from the Russian Orthodox Church that located in different regions of Alaska wanting Religious Freedom. She is not the first character we meet in the book.... but she's an interesting women living an interesting life when we first meet her.
Kachemak Winkel...*Kache*......is the first person who meets Nadia. He finds her living in his house-- his childhood home that he's been away from for 20 years. I loved this part of the story. The house was not in shambles after twenty years ...rather respected, cared for.
There is a reason he comes back to his home town after all these years.....and that's where the story begins.
We meet wonderful characters ( people I was sad to say goodbye to when the story ended).
You'll meet Aunt Snag, Grandma Lettie, Nadia, and my favorite Kache.
I can't wait until I have time to read "The Underside of Joy". Reading Sere Prince Halverson is a wonderful new discovery!!
This is TRULY A GREAT novel......
It opens the windows on the human soul and allows us to see inside! I enjoyed this much more than expected. The book cover is gorgeous and I purchased the audiobook awhile ago on a 'daily-deal' sale. I had concerns that it would be slow... too slow to hold my interest in 'listening'. Not at ALL!!! Wonderful narrator!!!
The story takes place in a fictitious town of Caboose on the Kachemak Bay in Alaska. It's a soul stirring novel dealing with trials and tribulations within a family. Themes deal with loss, loneliness, isolation, grief, forgiveness, and love. There have been secrets. There has been abuse. There have been memories that hurt to look at. There is also healing.
I loved the small things .... paddling a canoe -- hiking - working in the garden - playing with Leo the dog -- the animals - goats - fish - baskets of herbs and veggies - the smiles - long braids on women - homemade cookies- the books -the many descriptions of the Alaskan landscape....[THIS IS ESPECIALLY HIGHLIGHTED ON THE AUDIOBOOK]....
Nadia, was from Russia. She once belonged to a group called "Old Believers"....a sect that broke off from the Russian Orthodox Church that located in different regions of Alaska wanting Religious Freedom. She is not the first character we meet in the book.... but she's an interesting women living an interesting life when we first meet her.
Kachemak Winkel...*Kache*......is the first person who meets Nadia. He finds her living in his house-- his childhood home that he's been away from for 20 years. I loved this part of the story. The house was not in shambles after twenty years ...rather respected, cared for.
There is a reason he comes back to his home town after all these years.....and that's where the story begins.
We meet wonderful characters ( people I was sad to say goodbye to when the story ended).
You'll meet Aunt Snag, Grandma Lettie, Nadia, and my favorite Kache.
I can't wait until I have time to read "The Underside of Joy". Reading Sere Prince Halverson is a wonderful new discovery!!
January 26, 2016
When I, someone who has never personally been there, think of Alaska, I think of snow, vistas like you've never seen before, and miles between you and your closest neighbor. Whether this is true or not, I couldn't tell you for certain but based on Seré Prince Halverson's newest book All The Winters After, my guess is that I'm pretty close.
Initially attracted to the stunning cover of this particular book, I picked it up and was drawn in my the description on the back. A tale of heartache, loss, new love, and the troubles that come when they all converge under one roof - to me, this sounds like a perfect read. I don't have a lot of patience for petty drama so I was a little worried that this might fall under that category but since I had heard so many things and the description really did sound enticing, I decided I should go for it anyway.
About 50 pages in, I knew I had made a good decision. Despite any hesitancy I had felt initially, I soon found that this story is as beautiful as it's cover. It's in no way over dramatized, it feels realistic in a very emotional sense, and it's beautifully written such that I wanted to relish in every word. As someone who often flies through books in order to find out what happens next, I took my time with this one. Over the course of the week I became acquainted with Kache, who's been away in Texas after a plane crash killed those closest to him, Nadia, who has run away from everything she knows and is on the path to figuring our who she really is, and the land of Alaska.
In the end, I was left only wanting to walk where they had walked, and give them hugs to let them know how meaningful their stories are. I was reminded of the fact that even when things seem cold and dark and unlikely to get better, that's usually just our own minds holding us back from our potential. But on a book-level, I was reminded of just how much beautifully crafted stories can touch you. My heart is thankful for this read, and I highly recommend that you take in this incredible story as well.
WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
Initially attracted to the stunning cover of this particular book, I picked it up and was drawn in my the description on the back. A tale of heartache, loss, new love, and the troubles that come when they all converge under one roof - to me, this sounds like a perfect read. I don't have a lot of patience for petty drama so I was a little worried that this might fall under that category but since I had heard so many things and the description really did sound enticing, I decided I should go for it anyway.
About 50 pages in, I knew I had made a good decision. Despite any hesitancy I had felt initially, I soon found that this story is as beautiful as it's cover. It's in no way over dramatized, it feels realistic in a very emotional sense, and it's beautifully written such that I wanted to relish in every word. As someone who often flies through books in order to find out what happens next, I took my time with this one. Over the course of the week I became acquainted with Kache, who's been away in Texas after a plane crash killed those closest to him, Nadia, who has run away from everything she knows and is on the path to figuring our who she really is, and the land of Alaska.
In the end, I was left only wanting to walk where they had walked, and give them hugs to let them know how meaningful their stories are. I was reminded of the fact that even when things seem cold and dark and unlikely to get better, that's usually just our own minds holding us back from our potential. But on a book-level, I was reminded of just how much beautifully crafted stories can touch you. My heart is thankful for this read, and I highly recommend that you take in this incredible story as well.
WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
February 19, 2016
Don't think a picture of Alaska would call to me, make me move my spouse and I to the frozen tundra to start a new life. But that is exactly what it did for Lettie, who convinces her husband to move from Kansas to the Alaskan town of Caboose, modeled loosely on the real town of Homer.
A very engrossing storyline filled with families, a tragedy, misunderstandings, cruelty and a young woman who attempts to save herself by secluding herself. Old Believers, a group fairly prominent in a few towns of Alaska, sects that broke off from the Russian Orthodox Church and relocated to Alaska for religious freedom. Made for a very interesting reading and learning experience having never heard of this group or beliefs before but they play a pivotal role in this story.
Some wonderful characters needing to forgive themselves before they can move on. Strong women characters needing to put the past and their mistakes to rest. Love and how sometimes just the simple act of loving someone can work miracles even if it means letting the person find out the best that they can be. Far from a pat ending, but satisfactory all the same and definitely in keeping with the storyline. A story to embrace and enjoy. An author whose last few books I have really enjoyed.
ARC from publisher.
A very engrossing storyline filled with families, a tragedy, misunderstandings, cruelty and a young woman who attempts to save herself by secluding herself. Old Believers, a group fairly prominent in a few towns of Alaska, sects that broke off from the Russian Orthodox Church and relocated to Alaska for religious freedom. Made for a very interesting reading and learning experience having never heard of this group or beliefs before but they play a pivotal role in this story.
Some wonderful characters needing to forgive themselves before they can move on. Strong women characters needing to put the past and their mistakes to rest. Love and how sometimes just the simple act of loving someone can work miracles even if it means letting the person find out the best that they can be. Far from a pat ending, but satisfactory all the same and definitely in keeping with the storyline. A story to embrace and enjoy. An author whose last few books I have really enjoyed.
ARC from publisher.
May 17, 2016
This is a gorgeous love story set in the wilds of Alaska in a mythical town called Caboose. Kachemak Winkel (Kache), named after Kachemak Bay near his family's homestead, has returned to Caboose after fleeing 2oy ago. He blames himself for an accident which took the lives of his parents and brother but has finally returned to visit his aunt and his ailing grandmother.
The family homestead outside Caboose, has not been visited since his grandmother became frail and went into a Nursing Home. However, when Kache arrives there he discovers it in good repair and inhabited by a young woman called Nadia who ran away from a strict religious sect and has been eking out a solitary existence off the land for the last 10y.
As Kache helps Nadia step out into the modern world and Nadia helps Kache rediscover his family's heritage and story, they not only fall in love but learn to leave their pasts behind and look to the future. Kache also falls in love again with Alaska, which is painted with a wide sweeping brush in this novel. As most of my GR friends will know I'm not a big reader of romances but this is a love story with a lot more going on and is beautifully told. I think this will be one of my favourite books this year.
The family homestead outside Caboose, has not been visited since his grandmother became frail and went into a Nursing Home. However, when Kache arrives there he discovers it in good repair and inhabited by a young woman called Nadia who ran away from a strict religious sect and has been eking out a solitary existence off the land for the last 10y.
As Kache helps Nadia step out into the modern world and Nadia helps Kache rediscover his family's heritage and story, they not only fall in love but learn to leave their pasts behind and look to the future. Kache also falls in love again with Alaska, which is painted with a wide sweeping brush in this novel. As most of my GR friends will know I'm not a big reader of romances but this is a love story with a lot more going on and is beautifully told. I think this will be one of my favourite books this year.
June 17, 2017
The Northern Lights
Although this novel has a cast of remarkable charterers and a couple of nee’r-do-wells, the beauty of Alaska, a state like no other, is the shining star.
After a deadly plane crash Kache Winkel flees his Alaskan home and moves to Texas. Twenty years later, after a failed relationship with a long time girlfriend and the loss of his job, he returns to Alaska. When he visits his house, which he thinks has been shut down, he meets Nadia who is living there. The two are quite a pair. Nadia is withdrawn and humiliated after suffering from her husband’s brutality. She’s left her family, a Russian clan called The Old Believers, and she’s hiding out in Kache’s family home. He is struggling with his past and doesn’t quite know what to make of this mysterious woman even though he is quickly drawn to her.
This is a beautifully written love story set against the wilds of Alaska. It is the kind of novel that I wanted to read in one sitting but I made myself slow down and savor every word and every page. It drew me in until I felt like part of this engaging story. It is truly a satisfying read and I hope there is a sequel. I believe this is going to be my favorite book of 2017 and it gets a solid five stars from me!
April 3, 2016
ALL THE WINTERS AFTER is a story of grief, loss, guilt, and the difficulty of moving on. Author Sere Prince Halverson does a good job of describing the Alaskan landscape where the story takes place.
One of the main characters, Kache, is a man in his thirties who still grieves over the loss of his family that happened 20 years ago in an airplane crash in Alaska. After his Mom, Dad, and brother died in the crash, Kache fled to Austin TX where he distracted himself with work. After getting laid off, he decides to go home to Alaska to see his aging Grandmother and Aunt, and confront his loss.
Nadia is a young woman in her twenties who fled a psychotic and abusive husband ten years ago. Nadia came from an obscure and fundamentalist Russian Orthodox religious order called “the Old Believers”. Because of that culture, she was stuck in a horrific marriage that she needed to escape.
The two character’s stories become entwined when Kache comes back to Alaska and visits his family home and finds Nadia squatting and hiding there.
The first third of the book was engrossing for me. The second third was long and drawn out. The last third was painful. For me, the story was predictable. Halverson’s prose was, for me, mediocre. The story line dragged. I am in the minority, but it wasn’t a great read for me.
One of the main characters, Kache, is a man in his thirties who still grieves over the loss of his family that happened 20 years ago in an airplane crash in Alaska. After his Mom, Dad, and brother died in the crash, Kache fled to Austin TX where he distracted himself with work. After getting laid off, he decides to go home to Alaska to see his aging Grandmother and Aunt, and confront his loss.
Nadia is a young woman in her twenties who fled a psychotic and abusive husband ten years ago. Nadia came from an obscure and fundamentalist Russian Orthodox religious order called “the Old Believers”. Because of that culture, she was stuck in a horrific marriage that she needed to escape.
The two character’s stories become entwined when Kache comes back to Alaska and visits his family home and finds Nadia squatting and hiding there.
The first third of the book was engrossing for me. The second third was long and drawn out. The last third was painful. For me, the story was predictable. Halverson’s prose was, for me, mediocre. The story line dragged. I am in the minority, but it wasn’t a great read for me.
March 21, 2017
ARC requested through Netgalley, and kindly provided by SOURCEBOOKS Landmark in exchange for an honest review.
This book, like it’s book cover, was STUNNING! Seré Prince Halverson brings to life very engaging and endearing characters. After reading the description and looking at the book cover, I just HAD to see how the story would unfold. Each time I picked up the book, I felt like I was settling into the beautiful Alaska and the lives of Kache, Lettie, Snag and Nadia. Each had their own story that felt like it leaped off the pages.
I didn’t want it to end. I found the story to be heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once. I’m suffering from a major case of “book hangover” right now.
Fantastic story!!!
This book, like it’s book cover, was STUNNING! Seré Prince Halverson brings to life very engaging and endearing characters. After reading the description and looking at the book cover, I just HAD to see how the story would unfold. Each time I picked up the book, I felt like I was settling into the beautiful Alaska and the lives of Kache, Lettie, Snag and Nadia. Each had their own story that felt like it leaped off the pages.
I didn’t want it to end. I found the story to be heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once. I’m suffering from a major case of “book hangover” right now.
Fantastic story!!!
November 28, 2015
Set in the majestic yet dangerous natural beauty of Alaska, "a land that does not forgive mistakes," All the Winters After is ultimately a story of the healing power of forgiveness, of love, and of place. from the publisher
The Story
Alaska offered freedom and new life to Lettie. She had the tenacity and courage to embrace this new world. Even after her son died in a plane crash with his wife and eldest son Lettie loved Alaska. But her youngest grandson Kache couldn't wait to escape. Newly orphaned, he went to Texas for college, giving up a music scholarship for mathematics, the emotion of song writing for the logical work of crunching numbers. For twenty years he left Alaska in the past. But the past persisted in haunting and tormenting Kache.
After a lucrative career Kache was let go from his job. He returned to Alaska and his grandmother Lettie and his father's sister Snag. Snag admits she never dealt with his family home, never gathered the mementos and books, all left to the elements. He races to the cabin expecting to find devastation. Instead he see smoke rising from the chimney and the cabin almost untouched by the passing of time.
A young woman is living in his family home, wearing his family's clothing, and marking the passing of days with a knife on the walls. Nadia has been squatting there for ten years, having escaped from her Old Believer's community and the abusive husband of her teenage marriage. Ten years spent in total isolation, reading Kache's family library and magazines--and the diary left by Kache's mother. Lettie had found Nadia and learned the girl had faked her death to escape a cruel life. Lettie kept Nadia's secret, bringing her food and a puppy. At 98 Lettie is in a wheelchair, trapped in the old age home, leaving Nadia without human support.
Kache tries to connect with Nadia by helping her with the cabin and slowly exposing her to the world beyond the woods. Thinking her husband has left the area, and under Kache's protection, Nadia blossoms into the kind of woman she has always dreamed of becoming. Working in the garden with Nadia, Kache discovers a love for Alaska he never knew as a boy. As they help each other come to terms with their past they fall in love, but the future lures them in different directions. What will they choose?
All the Winters After is a story of personal growth, a mystery, and a suspense story. Most of all it is a love story, the love between people and the love people have for the wild and dangerous land of Alaska.
Spoiler Alert!
The novel caught my interest when Kache returns to Alaska and is confronted by Nadia's occupation of his family cabin. I was compelled to read and find out more about Nadia's history, why she left her family of Old Believers to live in hiding. Kache's family story is revealed by his Aunt Snag and by Nadia sharing his mother's diaries. His parents had their secrets, protecting the boys from cruel or difficult realities.
I found Nadia well drawn, but her transformation too quick. Growing up in a society where women married at age thirteen, followed by ten years in isolation, Nadia has a year with Kache, visits into the modern world, and a computer. Within months, Nadia sports piercings and short hair and dreams of studying film in San Francisco. Also, her commencing on a love affair with Kache after only knowing the abuse of her husband should have included false starts and a slow gaining of trust.
Kache's struggles seemed more in line with his experience. His childhood memories of his family left him with a hatred of his father. He was an exceptionally supportive friend to Nadia, almost idealized. Kache struggles with wanting to keep Nadia from the world.
The author leaves us an open ending; we can decide if love will bring them together again after Nadia sees the world, or perhaps after Kache has had enough of farming and living in an isolated cabin.
Alaska is the big success of the novel. We see the country through Lettie's loving eyes in its alluring majesty and magnificence.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
"All the Winters After is a vivid exploration of landscape and community. Sensual, insightful, and deeply affecting...I read this book quickly, compulsively, and thought about it long after I turned the last page." Jilian Medoff, author of I Couldn't Love You More.
The Story
Alaska offered freedom and new life to Lettie. She had the tenacity and courage to embrace this new world. Even after her son died in a plane crash with his wife and eldest son Lettie loved Alaska. But her youngest grandson Kache couldn't wait to escape. Newly orphaned, he went to Texas for college, giving up a music scholarship for mathematics, the emotion of song writing for the logical work of crunching numbers. For twenty years he left Alaska in the past. But the past persisted in haunting and tormenting Kache.
After a lucrative career Kache was let go from his job. He returned to Alaska and his grandmother Lettie and his father's sister Snag. Snag admits she never dealt with his family home, never gathered the mementos and books, all left to the elements. He races to the cabin expecting to find devastation. Instead he see smoke rising from the chimney and the cabin almost untouched by the passing of time.
A young woman is living in his family home, wearing his family's clothing, and marking the passing of days with a knife on the walls. Nadia has been squatting there for ten years, having escaped from her Old Believer's community and the abusive husband of her teenage marriage. Ten years spent in total isolation, reading Kache's family library and magazines--and the diary left by Kache's mother. Lettie had found Nadia and learned the girl had faked her death to escape a cruel life. Lettie kept Nadia's secret, bringing her food and a puppy. At 98 Lettie is in a wheelchair, trapped in the old age home, leaving Nadia without human support.
Kache tries to connect with Nadia by helping her with the cabin and slowly exposing her to the world beyond the woods. Thinking her husband has left the area, and under Kache's protection, Nadia blossoms into the kind of woman she has always dreamed of becoming. Working in the garden with Nadia, Kache discovers a love for Alaska he never knew as a boy. As they help each other come to terms with their past they fall in love, but the future lures them in different directions. What will they choose?
All the Winters After is a story of personal growth, a mystery, and a suspense story. Most of all it is a love story, the love between people and the love people have for the wild and dangerous land of Alaska.
Spoiler Alert!
The novel caught my interest when Kache returns to Alaska and is confronted by Nadia's occupation of his family cabin. I was compelled to read and find out more about Nadia's history, why she left her family of Old Believers to live in hiding. Kache's family story is revealed by his Aunt Snag and by Nadia sharing his mother's diaries. His parents had their secrets, protecting the boys from cruel or difficult realities.
I found Nadia well drawn, but her transformation too quick. Growing up in a society where women married at age thirteen, followed by ten years in isolation, Nadia has a year with Kache, visits into the modern world, and a computer. Within months, Nadia sports piercings and short hair and dreams of studying film in San Francisco. Also, her commencing on a love affair with Kache after only knowing the abuse of her husband should have included false starts and a slow gaining of trust.
Kache's struggles seemed more in line with his experience. His childhood memories of his family left him with a hatred of his father. He was an exceptionally supportive friend to Nadia, almost idealized. Kache struggles with wanting to keep Nadia from the world.
The author leaves us an open ending; we can decide if love will bring them together again after Nadia sees the world, or perhaps after Kache has had enough of farming and living in an isolated cabin.
Alaska is the big success of the novel. We see the country through Lettie's loving eyes in its alluring majesty and magnificence.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
"All the Winters After is a vivid exploration of landscape and community. Sensual, insightful, and deeply affecting...I read this book quickly, compulsively, and thought about it long after I turned the last page." Jilian Medoff, author of I Couldn't Love You More.
August 27, 2016
Kachemak Winkel hasn't been back to his childhood home in Alaska in over twenty years, not since his parents and brother died in a plane crash. But now that he's lost his job and his girlfriend has dumped him, he's out of excuses to stay away. He makes the long trip back to Alaska, and when he finally arrives, his aunt tells him that she never went back to his childhood home to clean it out or even maintain it after his family was gone. Angry, Kache immediately drives to the old house, fully expecting it to be in shambles. Much to his surprise, though, the house is as well-maintained as ever--all because Nadia, a Russian woman hiding from her crazy religious family, is living there...and has been for the past ten years. Kache and Nadia eventually become friends and are able to help each other heal from past hurts so they can both finally move forward in life.
Oh, how I loved this book. The premise of the story is unlike anything else I've read before. Certain aspects are maybe slightly farfetched, but themes of love, friendship, family secrets, and abuse are certainly familiar. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Kache, Kache's grandma, Kache's aunt, and Nadia. I fell in love with Kache immediately. He's got that old soul vibe--like he's been through some things, but life's only made him sweet, not bitter. He is the best part of the book, in my opinion. I also enjoyed getting to know Kache's aunt and grandma. Nadia is probably my least favorite character, but I still appreciated what she brought to the table, and I liked where things ended up between her and Kache.
Overall, this was such a wonderful read. The story is long, but I loved every second of it and was actually sad when it was over. Seré Halverson, you've got yourself a life-long fan, my friend. Wow.
ARC provided through Amazon Vine.
See more of my book reviews at www.BugBugBooks.com.
Oh, how I loved this book. The premise of the story is unlike anything else I've read before. Certain aspects are maybe slightly farfetched, but themes of love, friendship, family secrets, and abuse are certainly familiar. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Kache, Kache's grandma, Kache's aunt, and Nadia. I fell in love with Kache immediately. He's got that old soul vibe--like he's been through some things, but life's only made him sweet, not bitter. He is the best part of the book, in my opinion. I also enjoyed getting to know Kache's aunt and grandma. Nadia is probably my least favorite character, but I still appreciated what she brought to the table, and I liked where things ended up between her and Kache.
Overall, this was such a wonderful read. The story is long, but I loved every second of it and was actually sad when it was over. Seré Halverson, you've got yourself a life-long fan, my friend. Wow.
ARC provided through Amazon Vine.
See more of my book reviews at www.BugBugBooks.com.
September 30, 2016
Beautiful Alaskan setting....heartbreaking characters....and a compelling plot...makes this a great book! A bit predictable but a terrific story of love, guilt and loss.
February 11, 2015
I would like to thank Harper Collins Uk via Net Galley for allowing me the pleasure of reading and reviewing this super love story
I've not read a love story lately, I've been reading thrillers and other genres so it was lovely to come back fresh to another genre. Romance which was so superbly written with suspense.
There was a lovely family home in Alaska, it had remained empty for some times because of a family tragedy [which I am not going to tell you as it may spoil the story]
Kache came back to his homestead, there were secrets to be unlocked. Whilst there, he didn't envision himself meeting a mysterious person who took his heart away.
Ghosts from the past. Can they both rid themselves of them?
Its tenderly told, captivating and mysterious. Love it!
I've not read a love story lately, I've been reading thrillers and other genres so it was lovely to come back fresh to another genre. Romance which was so superbly written with suspense.
There was a lovely family home in Alaska, it had remained empty for some times because of a family tragedy [which I am not going to tell you as it may spoil the story]
Kache came back to his homestead, there were secrets to be unlocked. Whilst there, he didn't envision himself meeting a mysterious person who took his heart away.
Ghosts from the past. Can they both rid themselves of them?
Its tenderly told, captivating and mysterious. Love it!
February 17, 2016
A few chapters in to this novel I was in love, thinking I may have stumbled upon an unknown treasure. Sadly, as I read on, the story took some turns that I just didn't find appealing. My genre classification turned from great literary fiction to average romance. Oh well, on to the next.
February 8, 2018
I really liked this story but had to knock off a star because, for me, the ending was too far fetched.
September 19, 2016
I picked this book up because of the small town Alaska setting. And I was not disappointed; this author writes descriptions of the landscape that give a wonderful sense of place as the backdrop to this story. And the story tells of long carried burdens of loss, guilt, and loneliness, that transitions to a story of love, courage, and redemption. This was a heart-warming read, beautifully written, with characters that this reader quickly came to care about.
June 7, 2016
This was a very engaging story, set in Alaska on the kachemak bay in the fictitious town of Caboose. It is about overcoming tragedies, finding love, trying to overcome ones past and finding out who one should become. The story follows four main characters, Kachemak Winkel or (Kache) named after the bay and Nadia, a Russian woman who left a group called the Old Believers, a sect of the Russian Orthodox church, who carry on long-forgotten traditions abandoned when the church enacted reforms. There is also Lettie (Kache's grandmother, and Snag (Kache's aunt).
After a tragedy hits the Winkel family, Kache, leaves Alaska for Texas where for twenty years, mourns his loss and deals with guilt, but finally heads back to Alaska to see his grandmother and aunt and to see the old homestead. Meanwhile for the last ten years Nadia has been hiding out in their homestead, to avoid what happened to her in her past and living a very solitary life.
This story is beautifully told, and the descriptions of the area, beautiful. The story delves into the many emotions, of the characters and how they each help each other to overcome their greatest fears. There is suspense, secrets, forgiveness and a wonderful look into what each characters specific weaknesses or strengths are, and how they developed them.
Besides the story, I also fell in love with the cover of this book. So beautifully illustrated, a real eye catcher.
After a tragedy hits the Winkel family, Kache, leaves Alaska for Texas where for twenty years, mourns his loss and deals with guilt, but finally heads back to Alaska to see his grandmother and aunt and to see the old homestead. Meanwhile for the last ten years Nadia has been hiding out in their homestead, to avoid what happened to her in her past and living a very solitary life.
This story is beautifully told, and the descriptions of the area, beautiful. The story delves into the many emotions, of the characters and how they each help each other to overcome their greatest fears. There is suspense, secrets, forgiveness and a wonderful look into what each characters specific weaknesses or strengths are, and how they developed them.
Besides the story, I also fell in love with the cover of this book. So beautifully illustrated, a real eye catcher.
December 26, 2016
Contents: A little sex. Some sexual violence /spousal abuse. Some swearing and religious cussing.
Even though I really liked the heroine Nadia and the small-town isolated setting, this felt like a fairly predictable cross between women's fiction and romantic suspense. It's told in 3rd person and set in contemporary 2005 Alaska, at a small fictional town on the Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay, several hours from Anchorage.
I gave it only three stars because it felt too slow for me, and at times I felt bored, listening to the audiobook. If I'd read it, and could therefore skim it, I might go with 3 stars.
The main story centers on Nadia, a 28-year-old Russian runaway from the "Old Believer" sect, and Kachemak, a 38-year-old analyst who hasn't even slightly begun to deal with a family tragedy that occurred 20 years ago. Hello??
Gradually Kach and Nadia fall in love. Sweet sex ensues, about half-way through the book, but it's not graphic. Kach deals with his past (but the scene with his dad's ghost at the end felt trite). Nadia learns to trust.
The pace slowed whenever the POV switched to Snag, Kach's 65-year-old aunt, including Snag's relationship with her elderly mother Lettie (I liked Lettie's character) and her gradual sexual "coming out" to freely admit her love for another woman.
There is a fair amount of internal reflection and rumination, which also slowed the pace.
The most engrossing plot-thread centers around Nadia -- why she ran away, whether she is safe.
Even though I really liked the heroine Nadia and the small-town isolated setting, this felt like a fairly predictable cross between women's fiction and romantic suspense. It's told in 3rd person and set in contemporary 2005 Alaska, at a small fictional town on the Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay, several hours from Anchorage.
I gave it only three stars because it felt too slow for me, and at times I felt bored, listening to the audiobook. If I'd read it, and could therefore skim it, I might go with 3 stars.
The main story centers on Nadia, a 28-year-old Russian runaway from the "Old Believer" sect, and Kachemak, a 38-year-old analyst who hasn't even slightly begun to deal with a family tragedy that occurred 20 years ago. Hello??
Gradually Kach and Nadia fall in love. Sweet sex ensues, about half-way through the book, but it's not graphic. Kach deals with his past (but the scene with his dad's ghost at the end felt trite). Nadia learns to trust.
The pace slowed whenever the POV switched to Snag, Kach's 65-year-old aunt, including Snag's relationship with her elderly mother Lettie (I liked Lettie's character) and her gradual sexual "coming out" to freely admit her love for another woman.
There is a fair amount of internal reflection and rumination, which also slowed the pace.
The most engrossing plot-thread centers around Nadia -- why she ran away, whether she is safe.
March 5, 2016
This is not an earth-shattering book but rather something slow and sweet that eased its way in and gave me a lot to reflect upon. Admittedly, I ended up reading it piecemeal during a busy work week, which may have diluted the story somewhat. And yet...
Halverson has written some delightful characters with vivid personalities evident through their strengths, flaws, and idiosyncrasies – something that not all writers manage to capture so effectively. If things sometimes happened a little too conveniently or tidily between people, I could overlook that because I found myself invested in their well-being. I think this story underscores what true and unselfish love really means. Put simply, Nadia and Kache’s relationship embodies the old adage “if you love someone, set them free,” because that is exactly what they do for each other. It’s not the easy road but it’s the right one for them.
Set against the beautiful backdrop of Alaskan wilderness, this is the story of a family coming back to life after a period of hibernation. Well written and paced, it flows along with changing seasons in Alaska: from the long dark winter, through the break up, and into the land of the midnight sun.
Halverson has written some delightful characters with vivid personalities evident through their strengths, flaws, and idiosyncrasies – something that not all writers manage to capture so effectively. If things sometimes happened a little too conveniently or tidily between people, I could overlook that because I found myself invested in their well-being. I think this story underscores what true and unselfish love really means. Put simply, Nadia and Kache’s relationship embodies the old adage “if you love someone, set them free,” because that is exactly what they do for each other. It’s not the easy road but it’s the right one for them.
Set against the beautiful backdrop of Alaskan wilderness, this is the story of a family coming back to life after a period of hibernation. Well written and paced, it flows along with changing seasons in Alaska: from the long dark winter, through the break up, and into the land of the midnight sun.
Read
March 2, 2016Suspending listening for North & South & probably a DNF even tho readers I trust liked it. Very slow to develop. Slavic syntax is funny. Nyet. Is excruciating. Is Boris in Goldfinch. Other characters who are knocking themselves out to be "characters" sport hideously ugly names like Katch, Snag, & Gillie, like demons in Screwtape Letters. Style veers from cutesy vulgar ("dude in tights") to excessively literary (stepping into the chest cavity of a freshly killed moose a spiritual experience like going into a confessional - pleeze). I think there is a very good story waiting to develop but I haven't the time to indulge the author. Sorry.
December 2, 2015
This novel has many layers yet does not get bogged down with details. It flows smoothly and the characters were well thought out and likeable. Using beautiful Alaska as a backdrop, it is the story of two people who meet by chance, each trying to escape from their past, one due to job loss and a broken relationship and the other from something more sinister. Burdened by painful memories, can Kache and Nadia open themselves up to a new world of possibility? Or will the walls they’ve built around themselves be impossible to break down. It was a page-turner for me, one encompassing love, secrets, and redemption. My thanks to Sourcebooks/Landmark for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 14, 2015
I received an e-version of this through NetGalley
Thank you so much for letting me read this book - it is absolutely beautiful!
This was a truly stunning read. First of all, the cover is just amazing. Simple and loud all at the same time which lead you wonderfully in to the story. This is one of those books that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. I cared deeply about the characters and found myself wanting to know more and more about their story. I loved how things intertwined and setting felt very vivid in my mind.
You just have to read the other reviews to know that it is worth picking up.
I would definitely recommend this!
Thank you so much for letting me read this book - it is absolutely beautiful!
This was a truly stunning read. First of all, the cover is just amazing. Simple and loud all at the same time which lead you wonderfully in to the story. This is one of those books that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. I cared deeply about the characters and found myself wanting to know more and more about their story. I loved how things intertwined and setting felt very vivid in my mind.
You just have to read the other reviews to know that it is worth picking up.
I would definitely recommend this!
June 7, 2016
I was cruising through this interesting Alaskan tale of loss and redemption, falling in love with the characters and setting, when about 2/3 of the way through, it fell apart for me.
It grew a little sappy, very predictable and filled Witt too many easy transitions.
So it's an easy read and a good read, but I felt he potential for a great read and it fell short of that.
It grew a little sappy, very predictable and filled Witt too many easy transitions.
So it's an easy read and a good read, but I felt he potential for a great read and it fell short of that.
June 19, 2015
A hauntingly beautiful story of life and living and love and loving. A story of the evolution of feelings and of people. A story filled with fear and anticipation and trepidation. I read this in the heat and humidity of a Midwest summer, and yet I was chilled. At the end, I was breathless and in tears.
July 13, 2016
Premise of the book started strong: grief stricken man returns to scene of disaster where family was killed. The book is about loss, love, guilt and in some ways lack of resiliency. Descriptions of the Alaskan landscape were the best part. First part of the book was the most engaging and then it just kept falling apart. Too dramatic...too much coincidence...over the top. Mediocre writing.
November 30, 2018
Enjoyable, but no where in the league of her Underside Of Joy.
September 6, 2016
This book was just not for me. I'm sure it will be fine for lovers of women's fiction. I abandoned it at the 38% point. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
June 17, 2015
I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but this one is so striking that I was immediately drawn into the blue and white cold of an Alaskan wilderness and the story of two people who have been irreparably damaged by the catastrophic events of their lives.
Nadia has been living in the Winkel's homestead for the past ten years. She has had virtually no contact with the outside world and apart from her dog Leo, has been isolated and alone.
Kache Winkel returns to his abandoned homestead after two painful decades of trying to come to terms with the tragedy of his life. When he finds Nadia in the home he thought long abandoned, painful memories from his past threaten to rise to the surface.
What then follows is a beautifully written story about love and loss and of painful memories and lasting hurt, and of the need we all have to keep our memories and our loved ones safe. The writing is evocative and glorious and conjures an image of cold, crisp air in such striking detail that I actually felt the cold and experienced the isolation of living in a community that was full of secrets, controlled by lies and isolated to the point of loneliness.
Nadia’s and Kache’s story is allowed to evolve slowly but is no less dramatic because of this. We learn of their lives, their hopes and their dreams, and ultimately their fears, and as their individual stories begin to coalesce, a relationship starts to develop, which is both heartbreaking and uplifting in equal measure.
Without doubt, this is a lovely, lovely story and one that will stay with me for quite a time.
Nadia has been living in the Winkel's homestead for the past ten years. She has had virtually no contact with the outside world and apart from her dog Leo, has been isolated and alone.
Kache Winkel returns to his abandoned homestead after two painful decades of trying to come to terms with the tragedy of his life. When he finds Nadia in the home he thought long abandoned, painful memories from his past threaten to rise to the surface.
What then follows is a beautifully written story about love and loss and of painful memories and lasting hurt, and of the need we all have to keep our memories and our loved ones safe. The writing is evocative and glorious and conjures an image of cold, crisp air in such striking detail that I actually felt the cold and experienced the isolation of living in a community that was full of secrets, controlled by lies and isolated to the point of loneliness.
Nadia’s and Kache’s story is allowed to evolve slowly but is no less dramatic because of this. We learn of their lives, their hopes and their dreams, and ultimately their fears, and as their individual stories begin to coalesce, a relationship starts to develop, which is both heartbreaking and uplifting in equal measure.
Without doubt, this is a lovely, lovely story and one that will stay with me for quite a time.
February 7, 2016
This beautiful and haunting novel has already secured a spot on my best books of the year list. It's not just words written on paper, but a multilayered story of a family and their grief over time.
Kachemak Winkel lost his family 20 years earlier in a plane crash. His aunt Snag and grandmother Lettie are still living in Alaska while he fled the cruel winters to lose himself in Austin, Texas. When he returns home to check on the family's homestead, he discovers a frightened woman who has been seeking shelter there for 10 years.
As Kache begins to untangle his family history, we learn that this woman's background isn't so simple, either.
The setting is chilling and the story is full of hope and promise. Thank you to Sourcebooks for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 stars.
Kachemak Winkel lost his family 20 years earlier in a plane crash. His aunt Snag and grandmother Lettie are still living in Alaska while he fled the cruel winters to lose himself in Austin, Texas. When he returns home to check on the family's homestead, he discovers a frightened woman who has been seeking shelter there for 10 years.
As Kache begins to untangle his family history, we learn that this woman's background isn't so simple, either.
The setting is chilling and the story is full of hope and promise. Thank you to Sourcebooks for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 stars.
March 24, 2016
If you have ever dreamed of living in Alaska this novel gives you the beauty, but also the harsh reality. The characters are strong and have depth, the writing puts you right where you want to be...Alaska.
March 1, 2016
This is an absorbing story full of emotional complexity about loss, loneliness, and love, which takes place over four seasons in Alaska. The seasons are reflected in the evolution of the characters, from the frozen winter to the awakening of spring.
Kache Winkel, named for the place he was conceived (Kachemak Bay in Alaska), is 38, but his life has been on hold for the last 20 years, ever since the rest of his immediate family died in a plane crash and he blamed himself. He has been living in a self-imposed exile in Austin, Texas, but his grandmother Lettie can no longer travel, and he wants to see her.
Back in Alaska, 28-year-old Nadia Oleska has been living in the Winkels' abandoned family homestead for the last ten years, also in a petrified [double entendre] state - never leaving, and carefully preserving the look of the house and memories of the Winkel family.
When Kache returns, he finds out from his late father’s sister Aunt Snag, that she has not in fact been maintaining the old homestead all this time as she had averred. Rather, she too has been avoiding it from her own sense of guilt. Upon driving out to the house, Kache discovers Nadia there, and takes to this odd, brave woman. In an awkward reverse that puts Kache in the position of visitor, he begins to go to the house daily to help with repairs, and soon an intimacy develops between them. Kache, of course, thinks he is rescuing Nadia, but they each need rescuing, as does Snag.
After a year, with the renewing strength of the seasons, as well as the wise insights of Kache’s grandmother Lettie, they all come to grips with their pasts as well as their futures. The ending is a good one, but unconventional and unexpected.
Discussion: This is not just a story of love and redemption; nothing is that easy. And it's not just love for a person that is transformative in this book; the characters come to find that the emotion of love alone - the feeling of it, itself, can help you get over a bridge in your life. Moreover, there is a note of sinister menace that rumbles through the plot and keeps you turning the pages far faster than you might for a book only focused on journeys of the heart.
Finally, you never are meant to forget the magnificent surroundings of Alaska, whether the characters are looking at the window, or looking at each other:
"...there was another type of smile that Kache was learning to appreciate: the shy, rare smile that presented itself as a gift. It wasn't given freely; it had to be earned. Nadia's face had been fearful, watchful. But now and then, her smile came through like determined sunlight working its way down through spruce and aspen branches, and he wanted to close his eyes and tilt back, expose his face to the unexpected warmth of it."
Evaluation: This is a surprising and engaging story with an unusual Alaskan setting fully as integral to it as each character. With its unconventional plot lines and ending, it would make a very good choice for book clubs.
Rating: 4.5/5
Kache Winkel, named for the place he was conceived (Kachemak Bay in Alaska), is 38, but his life has been on hold for the last 20 years, ever since the rest of his immediate family died in a plane crash and he blamed himself. He has been living in a self-imposed exile in Austin, Texas, but his grandmother Lettie can no longer travel, and he wants to see her.
Back in Alaska, 28-year-old Nadia Oleska has been living in the Winkels' abandoned family homestead for the last ten years, also in a petrified [double entendre] state - never leaving, and carefully preserving the look of the house and memories of the Winkel family.
When Kache returns, he finds out from his late father’s sister Aunt Snag, that she has not in fact been maintaining the old homestead all this time as she had averred. Rather, she too has been avoiding it from her own sense of guilt. Upon driving out to the house, Kache discovers Nadia there, and takes to this odd, brave woman. In an awkward reverse that puts Kache in the position of visitor, he begins to go to the house daily to help with repairs, and soon an intimacy develops between them. Kache, of course, thinks he is rescuing Nadia, but they each need rescuing, as does Snag.
After a year, with the renewing strength of the seasons, as well as the wise insights of Kache’s grandmother Lettie, they all come to grips with their pasts as well as their futures. The ending is a good one, but unconventional and unexpected.
Discussion: This is not just a story of love and redemption; nothing is that easy. And it's not just love for a person that is transformative in this book; the characters come to find that the emotion of love alone - the feeling of it, itself, can help you get over a bridge in your life. Moreover, there is a note of sinister menace that rumbles through the plot and keeps you turning the pages far faster than you might for a book only focused on journeys of the heart.
Finally, you never are meant to forget the magnificent surroundings of Alaska, whether the characters are looking at the window, or looking at each other:
"...there was another type of smile that Kache was learning to appreciate: the shy, rare smile that presented itself as a gift. It wasn't given freely; it had to be earned. Nadia's face had been fearful, watchful. But now and then, her smile came through like determined sunlight working its way down through spruce and aspen branches, and he wanted to close his eyes and tilt back, expose his face to the unexpected warmth of it."
Evaluation: This is a surprising and engaging story with an unusual Alaskan setting fully as integral to it as each character. With its unconventional plot lines and ending, it would make a very good choice for book clubs.
Rating: 4.5/5
May 28, 2017
Review follows-What an extraordinary novel!!!
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