While the story is well fleshed out, the plot device used to tell it is a bit awkward the characters spend three days together while they slowly tell pieces of their stories. Unfortunately, not everything in In the Midst of Winter is as effortlessly portrayed as the three protagonists and their memories.
Lucia tells Chile's history and Evelyn describes Guatemala's present, yet the patterns are the same, the dangers are palpable, and the reality of the situation is brought into sharp focus. Lucia and Evelyn both paint a grim picture of developing Latin American nations where nothing is as it seems what may look like wealth is a gilded cover for shambling poverty, what looks like democracy hides severe corruption and unspeakable cruelty. Sharply juxtaposing this sweet, slowly developing relationship are the stories of extreme violence and pain that each character, in turn, unfolds. It is also refreshing to find a not-so-young couple going through the ups and downs of a budding romance Richard and Lucia both come with a great deal of baggage and experience, yet more often than not their interactions are timid, and their flirtation is subtle and gentle they are like shy teenagers finding their confidence. The characters are engaging, their dialogue is funny and modern there is a sense that they really could be living in a Brooklyn brownstone. In many ways, the story is a pleasant surprise.
Over the course of a tumultuous weekend in January, the three recount their tragic histories and create solace where before there was only fear and isolation. Finding themselves irrevocably linked by an act of violence, Richard and Lucia work to help Evelyn escape unscathed. Set in present-day Brooklyn, the story follows an unexpected trio Richard, an aging academic determined to avoid personal entanglements Lucia, a vibrant émigré from Chile on a quest to live her life to the fullest and Evelyn, a young, undocumented immigrant from Guatemala with a job that has proven to be more dangerous than she imagined.
Although In the Midst of Winter is a charming tale, it does not hit, unfortunately, quite the same highs as Allende's earlier works.
Isabel Allende is a seasoned author and has a rich collection of works on which to build those expectations. When you are familiar with an author, picking up their new book comes with many expectations you hope to find the same flow and style, similar themes, and characters that remind you of your old favorites. A sweeping novel about three very different people who are brought together in a mesmerizing story, journeying from present-day Brooklyn, to Guatemala in the recent past, to 1970s Chile and Brazil.
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