Described as a chilling, nightmare-inducing mystery that will haunt you for days, The Mind of Winter by Laura Kasischke was a book I knew nothing about before reading.
"Something had followed them back from Russia".
It seemed promising when NPR said it was leave-the-lights-on-tonight frightening, but I really, really, disliked it.
On a Christmas morning so snowy that her husband becomes stranded while picking up family from the airport, Holly oversleeps which she feels angers her daughter Tatania. Being a teenager, Tatiana is moody and causes Holly no end of stress both angering her and then apologizing for everything she does to her perfect daughter. Adopted from Russia thirteen years ago, the teenager is argumentative, secretive etc. so Holly concludes something Evil has taken over Tatania, something has travelled back from Russia that is emerging now - she used to be so sweet! To me, Holly's frustration and desperation to be loved became increasingly annoying as she lashes out and then simpers to be forgiven, the pressures of motherhood seeming to overcome her.
There is a reason for her behaviour, but it wasn't pleasant to be in the house with her for the length of a novel. Flashing back to the adoption in Siberia created some mystery, but the idea a daughter is a mother's possession, or that a teenager not acting the way you would like is inherently Evil was grating. I almost didn't see the point of finishing it.
Not in the least, in any way, frightening.
Kasischke won a National Book Critics Circle Award for poetry, has eight collections of poetry and ten novels published, including three which were made into films. An accomplished writer but I won't read another of her novels.
Not recommending it.
2014 / Tradeback / 276 pages
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