Interesting psychological thriller. It was enjoyable but predictable. I love period pieces and this one does not disappoint.. ( )

Beautifully written, an intense psychological mystery/journey. Covering the period of World War II and the decade after, the story moves back and forth in time, across continents, narrated in turn by three of the main characters. At least two of the characters appear to be running as fast as they can from their past lives. The mystery to be solved is who, what and how they will escape.

The novel deals with hard to take subjects, but if the reader can persevere, the story is ultimately one of redemption and determination. A tough read, but a rewarding one. ( )

Serious minded novel that attempts to delve into the minds of its characters as they struggle to deal with surviving WW2. Maybe a bit too serious and overly complex in its weaving of multiple story lines. Held my interest for awhile but ultimately did not take me somewhere new. ( )

Separate yet, ultimately, interconnected stories of 3 characters in pre-WWII Shanghai, London and New York. I really only liked the 1st part - entitled, and about, Christine - which takes place in Shanghai. Perhaps it's because the other 2 locations are more familiar to me, but I just found the writing to be ...richer.... in its evocation of Shanghai and the characters that populate that part of the book. The novel itself just seemed to tail off after that part.... until the very end when the interconnectedness of the stories began to become clear. ( )

A Mind of Winter was a very interesting read, but it really took until the ending to figure out how the three characters related to each other. Each character's section could almost be read as a standalone, and would have made for interesting linked novellas. Overall, it is rather evocative of other literary works yet still unique in its own right. ( )