Winter in Paradise

Although Russ never appears in the present timeline of Winter in Paradise, his death serves as the novel’s inciting incident that brings his double life to light, redefining the lives of all of the novel’s central characters. Russ’s ability to maintain two separate lives is predicated on a fractured identity—a complex division of self that prevents him from being fully present in either sphere. In Iowa, he’s a loving husband and father, but often absent and distant. In St. John, he’s devoted to Rosie and Maia, yet he’s only present in snatches of time before he’s pulled back to the responsibilities of his other life. When Irene questions Maia, his status on St. John as the “Invisible Man” (19) underscores his success at living a hidden, sequestered life that leaves no mark on the community outside of his villa. The separation between these two selves is so complete that when Irene first learns of his island home, she insists, “My husband did not own a home in the Virgin Islands. I would obviously know if he owned a home” (50). Her certainty and disbelief highlight the airtight seal between his two worlds.

Hilderbrand suggests that Russ’s betrayal creates a complex grief, forcing his loved ones to mourn not only the person they lost but also the person they never truly knew.