Even though the characters from the previous book remain active in this sequel, the plot focuses on their descendants, as it would be expected. The five families that had been presented in Fall of Giants – American, English, Welsh, German and Russian – continue to star in this narrative, playing key roles whether as spies or as socialites. The second part, starting in 1940 and lasting until 1945, is a detailed recount of the events of the World War II. It was a turning point in the Nazi movement, for it led to the establishment of restrictions and authoritative rules.
One of the most crucial episodes recreated in the novel is the Reichstag fire, shortly after Hitler had been appointed as chancellor. A long cast of characters, coming from different backgrounds and countries, join forces to resist to the rising power of the Third Reich. These people were admirably brave and enduring, having chosen to manifest their discontentment in a pacific way, hence the reference to the mentioned saying. Therefore, it focuses mainly on the German citizens who became aware of the true nature of the so-called saviors of the nation after the humiliation and financial struggles that came at the expense of being defeated at World War I. The first one is most likely an allusion to the Christian saying “turn the other cheek”, which is representative of the attitude of the people who opposed to the rising of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, the infamous Nazi party.
Winter of the World, a book with over eight hundred pages (in the Portuguese edition), portraits the global situation from 1933 to 1949, divided in three historically significant sections: “The Other Cheek”, “The Bloody Era” and “The Cold Peace”. Ken Follett is a master of this type of literature. You have guessed correctly if you’re picturing me in your mind as an avid reader of historical fiction. Nevertheless, I find myself devouring another blockbuster from Follett’s catalogue: Pillars of the Earth, his most famous book, and hopefully the subject of my next review. I haven’t delayed this post because I needed to read this sequel first – I actually read it last summer – in fact, I was eager to talk about other writers and books I admired, instead of insisting in the same topic. It’s been roughly eight months since I published one of my earliest reviews, and one of my favorites – the one about the historical novel Fall of Giants, by Welsh author Ken Follett ( ).
“Why is it that those who want to destroy everything good about their country are the quickest to wave the national flag?”
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