The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

It’s 1920, and Alaska is a harsh place to try to build a life but that is exactly what Jack and Mabel have done.  Having never been able to have a child of their own, the couple now growing older seem to be drifting apart as Jack struggles to maintain the farmland and survive the brutal winters while Mabel suffers from loneliness and depression. 

When the seasons first snowfall comes, in a rare moment of lightness the couple build a child out of snow covering her with Mabel hat and scarf.  In the morning the snow child is gone, but the couple start seeing a mysterious young girl in the woods wearing the hat and scarf. 

At first the girl is a rare sighting, they only see her in the winter months and they speak to their friends about the girl in the woods they are told that no child lives in the area.  Yet Jack and Mabel continue to see her and one day she comes out of the woods, and when invited into their home she comes in.  The girl says her name is Faina and even though she comes for supper with the older couple, she always leaves and when spring comes she is gone until the following years snowfall…

Mabel’s sister sends her a book that their father used to read to them as children about a child made of snow, and to Mabel it almost seems as though the child has stepped right out of the pages of this fairy tale!  But the ending in the book is not a happy one and Mabel refuses to believe that Faina is merely something magical and will suffer the same fate, although seems seem to be following the books story line…

Why did I choose to read this book?  I blame the book bloggers!  A while back I seen this title popping up everywhere and it sounded like a sweet read.  When I found it on audible.com I had to give it a try.

The Snow Child is everything I hoped it would be.  The story line is filled with a richness that takes your breath away.  Told in this fairy tale like way I could easily picture the couple so desperately wanting a child that bring one to life out of snow.  You could envision the cold long winters of early Alaska and I would imagine being in a small house for months on end with little to do but try to make the food last and stay warm could wear on a person…. but now imagine if you could break up these long days with the chance of seeing a young girl who has become like a daughter to you.  You sew coats for her and talk to her and she appears to be everything you have been missing in life. 

The Snow Child is a book that makes you believe. 

Amazon Review

Goodreads

I purchased my copy of this audio from audible.com

Morning Meanderings…. Ever just feel weepy? (And The Midwest ROCKS!)

Good morning.  Its a bit nippy here in Minnesota this morning.  Currently a whopping 40 degrees with a high today of 59.  Ugh…. I finally have to admit, fall is here.  So, is that what is making me weepy?

Weepy could be because I am so close to have my book shelves done that I can taste it (wow, that don’t seem right…) and hopefully today will be the final day my home is invaded by the awesomeness of construction and alas when I come home from work I will be able to start moving books on to them.  SSQQQUUUEEEEE!

OR am I weepy because last night I watched Hunger Games and teared up when Prim’s name was called and Katniss says the all so famous line:

“I volunteer as tribute!”

OR…

was it Rue’s final moments and while Katniss weeps (apparently like me), she also shows she is still strong…

And just when I thought it was only last night where I was weepy, alas no…. because this morning I watched the World Book Night Video for the Midwest (give it up for my peeps!) and again… I tear up.

 

 

Awesome huh?   And as I sit here this morning I realize I still have not written my review for our book club book of September that rated the all time lowest rating we have ever given a book as a whole since we began in 2001. 

And that will have to wait for tomorrow because…

I already wrote today’s review last night and I have to go get ready for work as I want to be out of here and have the dogs settled before the construction begins today…

plus…. I really want a Caribou Coffee….

Whats the last big project you did at your home?

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