Love Begins in Winter is a collection of short stories by Simon Van Booy. The book is connected thematically by the intercession of strangers into one another's lives and by the power of community. Dealing with isolated individuals, Van Booy brings each of his protagonists and narrators closer to human connection, offering them hope out of otherwise unfortunate situations.
The interplay of female and male narrators offers a unique perspective on the role of community in Van Booy's stories. Hannah, the pediatric doctor, and Molly each live with some constraint from their pasts lingering. As they walk through the present, they are somehow entangled by the past. When they meet strangers, these women are offered opportunities to redefine their futures free of these past ties. On the other hand, the men, like Bruno, Walter, and George are painted without this loyalty to nostalgia. They lead lonely, but otherwise fulfilling lives. They aren't looking for anyone to change them, but they do accept opportunities for community when they arise.
This dichotomy of representation in Van Booy's writing offers insight into his own experience of community. He views the roles of men and women in community differently. For women, the draw is necessary. They need an external force to come alongside and help them establish a future. For men, community is tangential yet fulfilling. They gain a kind of authority and autonomy in their relationships. Although this view demonstrates a strict bias toward traditional gender roles, the insight is merely an expression of Van Booy's own life. He has a natural bias toward the male experience of community, being able only to observe the female experience from the outside.
