Set at the turn of the 20th Century, A Place Called Winter tells the moving story of Harry Cane who is forced to abandon his wealthy, easy life in England for the harsh and unforgiving world of the Canadian prairies after an affair. Switching between the past and present, his difficult and life-changing journey is slowly revealed. It is a quietly powerful story of love, escape and self-discovery.
Gale is a masterful storyteller who is able to create a wonderfully atmospheric story that quickly draws in the reader and keeps them hooked. The characters in A Place Called Winter are complex and compelling. Gale does well to create interesting characters who reflect the historical period in their views and actions. It is also a very well researched novel which is rich with historical detail about the various places, the major events of the time and the struggles and cruelty that people faced. It is a bittersweet, poignant epic of one man but it probably reflects the wider struggle of many at the time. Extremely memorable and haunting, it is one of those stories you can’t stop thinking about once you’ve finished it.
Overall, if you are looking for a gripping character-based read full of love, tragedy and history, then this is the book for you. This will be one of the best books of 2015.
