The Winter Vault
The Winter Vault
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2009
Book Brief
352
Novel • Fiction
Egypt • 1960s
2009
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
Set in 1964 in Egypt and Toronto, Canadian novelist Anne Michaels's historical novel The Winter Vault (2009) chronicles the lives of Avery, an engineer, and Jean, a botanist, as they navigate their love amidst the monumental relocations prompted by the construction of the Aswan High Dam and the Saint Lawrence Seaway.
Melancholic
Contemplative
Bittersweet
Emotional
Mysterious
Reviews & Readership
2,410 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Anne Michaels' The Winter Vault is a profound exploration of love, loss, and memory, resonating deeply with readers through lyrical prose and rich symbolism. Critics praise its emotional depth and evocative language, but some find the narrative pacing slow and overly contemplative. Overall, it stands as a moving, if occasionally demanding, literary endeavor.
Who Should Read The Winter Vault?
Anne Michaels' The Winter Vault will captivate readers who appreciate lyrical, profound narratives akin to those in Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient or Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day. Fans of historical fiction blended with intense emotional landscapes and poetic prose will find this novel particularly engaging.
2,410 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
352
Novel • Fiction
Egypt • 1960s
2009
Adult
18+ years
We’re just getting started
Add this title to our list of requested Study Guides!