Structure

Overall, the book’s structure is such that the book as a whole comes across as more contemplative than narrative. There is a broad-strokes linear shape, in that the author uses a sequence of seven calendar months to define the boundaries around her meditations. She does define parallels between the qualities of each of those months and the qualities of her experiences of winter, but some are more exact than others. “October,” for example, contains considerations of Halloween, while “December” contains considerations of Christmas. In many cases, however, the parallels between the qualities of the months referenced and the ideas the author considers are not exacting – her contemplations of snow in “February”, for example, do not refer only to snow in February, but to snow in general. There is a sense, in fact, that the section / calendar headings are more about organizing content in a balanced way...