What do you think?
Rate this book
The Winterhouse
"My father has married me to a mad old man." These words, written on a slip of paper inside a fading brocade collar, are a clue to the unlikely marriage of a Jewish remittance man and a 14-year-old orphan in a remote Newfoundland fishing station. More curious still are the connections that entangle a retired schoolteacher and an Israeli scholar almost two centuries later. When the bereaved Rosehannah Quint and her mysterious "mister" retreat into winter quarters at the back of Ireland's Eye, the two begin to develop an understanding based on curiosity as well as upon need - an understanding that works its way down the years. The Winterhouse is a compelling novel about finding oneself and creating one's own community.
217 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
3 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 24, 2020
Finally… some Canadian content! This is another book club choice. I was excited to read it, especially as it won a Jewish book award last year.
What it’s about
In 1820 in rural Newfoundland, an illiterate mans sells his store after his wife dies, so he can move away and start a new relationship. He marries off his teenage daughter, Rosehannah, to a Jewish man, Jacob Harris, as part of the sale. The strangers, Rosehannah and Jacob, are stuck together in the harsh climate. This is the story of how they ultimately pull together to survive, getting to know each other along the way.
It seems initially that Jacob is doing Rosehannah a great favour by letting her stay around as his servant, but in the end Jacob is very dependent on Rosehannah for his survival.
Their story is interwoven with the modern-day correspondence of John Harris with an Israeli scholar. John is researching the history of the Jews in Newfoundland and investigates what happened to Jacob Harris, who may be his ancestor.
What I liked
The description of life in rural Newfoundland was so detailed — I’m glad to be living now and not 200 years ago, especially there. It’s like a cross between Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gables for grownups.
What I liked best was learning how people survived there and were content with much less than we have today. I feel petty for complaining about the bad subway service.
What I didn’t like
I didn’t really engage with the characters. Jacob is a very unsympathetic person. He probably treated Rosehannah better than many men would have under the circumstances at the time, but I was still turned off. Maybe that’s just how men and women interacted 200 years ago. Again, happy that I didn’t live then.
Rosehannah seemed too perfect to be real. She’s so capable, so intelligent, and so mature at 14. Even assuming that people matured more quickly then, she doesn’t seem real. Jacob, her foil, is undeveloped. We hardly every know what he is thinking or feeling. As a result I didn’t care what happened to either character.
There’s not much suspense in this story. It’s pretty predictable. I’m not sure if I would have finished if not for the book club and my general compulsion to finish reading what I start.
Should you read this book?
This book seems an odd choice for a Jewish-theme book club and recipient of a Jewish book award, as there wasn’t much Jewish content. If you were looking to gain some insight into Jewish life in the New World in the 1800’s, you won’t find it here. Jacob Harris assimilates, and while there were likely many Jews like him, I don’t find it particularly interesting from that perspective. We don’t see any conflict within Jacob about how he reconciles his identity with his surroundings.
If you are interested in how people lived nearly 200 years ago in rural Newfoundland, the descriptions are very detailed and interesting. The book seems well researched and historically accurate, although I don’t have sufficient knowledge to really be sure.
Or, if you’re at a low point generally about your life — maybe you’ve had too much cold and snow and darkness at this time of year, or maybe you just can’t stand your job — start reading this book. Your life will seem a lot less grim, and you will be grateful to be living in this century.
What it’s about
In 1820 in rural Newfoundland, an illiterate mans sells his store after his wife dies, so he can move away and start a new relationship. He marries off his teenage daughter, Rosehannah, to a Jewish man, Jacob Harris, as part of the sale. The strangers, Rosehannah and Jacob, are stuck together in the harsh climate. This is the story of how they ultimately pull together to survive, getting to know each other along the way.
It seems initially that Jacob is doing Rosehannah a great favour by letting her stay around as his servant, but in the end Jacob is very dependent on Rosehannah for his survival.
Their story is interwoven with the modern-day correspondence of John Harris with an Israeli scholar. John is researching the history of the Jews in Newfoundland and investigates what happened to Jacob Harris, who may be his ancestor.
What I liked
The description of life in rural Newfoundland was so detailed — I’m glad to be living now and not 200 years ago, especially there. It’s like a cross between Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gables for grownups.
What I liked best was learning how people survived there and were content with much less than we have today. I feel petty for complaining about the bad subway service.
What I didn’t like
I didn’t really engage with the characters. Jacob is a very unsympathetic person. He probably treated Rosehannah better than many men would have under the circumstances at the time, but I was still turned off. Maybe that’s just how men and women interacted 200 years ago. Again, happy that I didn’t live then.
Rosehannah seemed too perfect to be real. She’s so capable, so intelligent, and so mature at 14. Even assuming that people matured more quickly then, she doesn’t seem real. Jacob, her foil, is undeveloped. We hardly every know what he is thinking or feeling. As a result I didn’t care what happened to either character.
There’s not much suspense in this story. It’s pretty predictable. I’m not sure if I would have finished if not for the book club and my general compulsion to finish reading what I start.
Should you read this book?
This book seems an odd choice for a Jewish-theme book club and recipient of a Jewish book award, as there wasn’t much Jewish content. If you were looking to gain some insight into Jewish life in the New World in the 1800’s, you won’t find it here. Jacob Harris assimilates, and while there were likely many Jews like him, I don’t find it particularly interesting from that perspective. We don’t see any conflict within Jacob about how he reconciles his identity with his surroundings.
If you are interested in how people lived nearly 200 years ago in rural Newfoundland, the descriptions are very detailed and interesting. The book seems well researched and historically accurate, although I don’t have sufficient knowledge to really be sure.
Or, if you’re at a low point generally about your life — maybe you’ve had too much cold and snow and darkness at this time of year, or maybe you just can’t stand your job — start reading this book. Your life will seem a lot less grim, and you will be grateful to be living in this century.
May 4, 2021
great mystery engaging
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews