"Can a woman ever really know herself if she doesn't know her mother? From the author of the smash-hit bestseller "Firefly Lane "and "True Colors "comes a powerful, heartbreaking novel that illuminates the intricate mother-daughter bond and explores the enduring links between the present and the past "Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard; the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, Meredith and Nina find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters. As children, the only connection between them was the Russian fairy tale Anya sometimes told the girls at night. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale will be told one last time--and all the way to the end. Thus begins an unexpected journey into the truth of Anya's life in war-torn Leningrad, more than five decades ago. Alternating between the past and present, Meredith and Nina will finally hear the singular, harrowing story of their mother's life, and what they learn is a secret so terrible and terrifying that it will shake the very foundation of their family and change who they believe they are.
克莉丝汀·汉娜（Kristin Hannah）1960年9月出生于南加州，在海边堆沙堡和玩冲浪长大。曾在广告公司工作，也当过律师，而在她决定要去读律师时，她母亲说：“但你将来注定要当作家的。”事实证明母亲的话永远是正确的。
现在，克莉丝汀·汉娜已经是《纽约时报》23本畅销书作者，最新作品《伟大的孤独》雄踞纽约时报畅销书榜首，代表作《夜莺》被翻译成三十余种文字。
《冬季花园》以双线故事，讲述了一位母亲不堪回首的过去，并指引着整个家庭奔向更加幸福的未来。
克莉丝汀·汉娜现在是一个儿子的母亲，与丈夫生活在太平洋西北地区和夏威夷。