THE WINTER PEOPLE
A Boston Globe Best Book of the Year
A simmering literary thriller of the unbreakable
bonds between mothers and their children, The
Winter People showcases the spellbinding talent
that has made Jennifer McMahon a bestselling
storyteller. This tale of ghostly secrets and dark
choices takes us to rural West Hall, Vermont, a
town known for strange disappearances. The most
legendary victim is Sara Harrison Shea. In 1908, she was found dead in the
field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her daughter,
A Boston Globe Best Book of the Year
A simmering literary thriller of the unbreakable
bonds between mothers and their children, The
Winter People showcases the spellbinding talent
that has made Jennifer McMahon a bestselling
storyteller. This tale of ghostly secrets and dark
choices takes us to rural West Hall, Vermont, a
town known for strange disappearances. The most
legendary victim is Sara Harrison Shea. In 1908, she was found dead in the
field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her daughter,
Gertie. More than a century later, Sara’s farmhouse is inhabited by a family
that savors the simple life, existing off the grid and practicing sustainable
farming. When their mother suddenly vanishes without a trace, it’s up
to nineteen-year-old daughter Ruthie to track her down. Desperate for
clues, she discovers Sara’s diary hidden in her mother’s bedroom, opening
Ruthie’s eyes to a world of “sleeper” souls—and the desperate mourners
who dare to wake them.
- Anchor
- Paperback
- January 2015
- 400 Pages
- 9780804169967
Buy the Book
$14.95
About Jennifer McMahon
Jennifer McMahon is the author of six novels,
including the New York Times bestsellers Island of Lost Girls and Promise
Not to Tell. She graduated from Goddard College and studied poetry in the
MFA Writing Program at Vermont College. She currently lives with her
partner and daughter in Montpelier, Vermont.
Praise
“One of the year’s most chilling novels. . . . Enthralling.”—The Miami Herald
“Crisp, mysterious and scary . . . Reminiscent of Stephen King.”—USA
Today
“A hauntingly beautiful read.”—Oprah.com
Discussion Questions
At the heart of the novel is the longing to be reunited
with a loved one who has died. How would you respond
to this possibility, even if you could only see your
beloved for one week? What risks would you take to take
to experience such a reunion?
What was it like to read Sara’s diary, alternating with scenes from other
time periods? Did Sara’s words change your vision of the spirit world?
Did her bond with Gertie remind you of your own experience with a
mother’s love?
When Alice and her family inhabit Sara’s house and her land, how does
that environment transform them? Do you believe that the history of a
locale can influence your present-day experiences there?
Ruthie and Fawn have been raised to question authority and to live a nonmaterialistic
life. What benefits and challenges does their upbringing
give them when their mother goes missing? Ultimately, what did Alice
try to teach her daughters about becoming fulfilled women?
Martin cherishes Sara and continually strives to please her. Does she
love him in equal measure, or does her ancestry make it too difficult
for an outsider to fully share a life with her?
How was Sara affected by her history with her siblings, Constance and
Jacob? Why did their father easily become dependent on Auntie, while
Sara’s mother didn’t trust her?
How did you react to Gertie’s hunger? What is its significance to the
maternal women who must care for her?
Consider the rules for waking a sleeper. What do the words and the
ingredients represent in terms of the cycles of life and the nature of death?
What were your theories about the many unsolved deaths in West
Hall? Did your instincts prove to be correct when the truth about the
Devil’s Hand was revealed?
In The Winter People and previous novels by Jennifer McMahon that
you have enjoyed, how is the author able to make surreal situations
seem highly realistic? What role do fear and courage play in each of
her books?