Discuss the similarities and differences between Meredith and Nina. How do the two women reflect different aspects of their upbringing and the relationship between family ties and identity?

While the characters and plot in Winter Garden are fictional, the novel draws on real historical events from Soviet Russia. Research some of the history behind the novel. How does the author blend fact and fiction? How does a fictional treatment of these historical events compare to what a non-fiction work typically does or does not do?

Explore the novel’s treatment of female identity and motherhood. How are these elements depicted? How do Anya, Meredith, and/or Nina wrestle with these aspects of their lives in different or similar ways?