Mind of Winter: A Novel

· Harper Collins
4.4
5 reviews
Ebook
304
Pages
Eligible
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About this ebook

“Leave-the-lights-on-tonight frightening, with a quiet edge of horror that is much more effective than gore.” — NPR

“If I could stand on a mountaintop and shout over the land, I would do it now: This book is magnificent! It’s a gripping psychological thriller, at once both charmingly domestic and flat-out terrifying.”  — Elin Hilderbrand, author of Beautiful Day

From Laura Kasischke, the critically acclaimed and nationally bestselling poet and author of The Raising, comes a dark and chilling thriller that combines domestic drama with elements of psychological suspense and horror—an addictive tale of denial and guilt that is part Joyce Carol Oates and part Chris Bohjalian.

On a snowy Christmas morning, Holly Judge awakens with the fragments of a nightmare floating on the edge of her consciousness. Something followed them from Russia. Thirteen years ago, she and her husband Eric adopted baby Tatty, their pretty, black-haired Rapunzel, from the Pokrovka Orphanage #2. Now, at fifteen, Tatiana is more beautiful than ever—and disturbingly erratic.

As a blizzard rages outside, Holly and Tatiana are alone. With each passing hour, Tatiana’s mood darkens, and her behavior becomes increasingly frightening . . . until Holly finds she no longer recognizes her daughter.

Ratings and reviews

4.4
5 reviews
Jade Epperson
February 6, 2017
I wasn't sure really what to expect from this book upon being gifted it and although at the beginning it almost felt slow going I now believe that was the point. The ever present tension like a pot of water waiting to boil on the stove, goes from warm to simmer to rapid boil eventually. Or you could also describe this book as a pressure cooker that has been left unattended. It slowly grabs hold of you until you're engrossed in the story and the characters. I certainly began to feel for Holly the Mom and her beautiful teenage daughter Tatiana. At times I will admit i was confused about what was even going on in the story and especially inside Holly's head but the ending answers and seals up all those questions and loose ends neatly. Yes, the ending is a shocker and usually I would be left as an invested reader wanting to know more but this is a book where I didn't need the more. Very surprising, and very well written and I definitely recommend it for it's worth the read even if to find out the ending.
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Dmitri Deke
April 17, 2014
Not 5 stars, because the endings of Laura Kasischke novels are a constant thorn in my side. Amasing talent at blending illusion and reality, bending perception and weaving it all into perfectly orchestrated chaos. This book is all about the most dangerous of places, the inside of the human mind.
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About the author

Laura Kasischke teaches in the MFA program at the University of Michigan. A winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for poetry, she has published eight collections of poetry and ten novels, three of which have been made into films, including The Life Before Her Eyes.

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