I saw a reference book in the bookstore an hour ago, and it claimed
that cyclamen is winter hardy to zone 3

I don't know about zone 3, but I grow them here in zone 4/5. Many species of
hardy cyclamen are hardy to -10 to -20 degrees:
Cyclamen coum, Cyclamen hederifolium,
Cyclamen pseudibericum, Cyclamen purpurascens. They come in shades of white,
pink, and lavender. Some bloom in spring, but most in late summer to early
fall.
sed5555