The Snow Child {book review}

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

This is one of the few books that I've spotted by chance in a bookstore, read to completion and finally laid it down, thoroughly satisfied.

What really attracted me to and sustained my interest in this book were: the convincing, emotional undulations perfected in believable situations and lyrical language; as well as the magical realism that hovered intriguingly to the very last page.

Before the curtain opens during the early 1900s, a middle-aged couple, Jack and Mabel, move away from Pennsylvania, their families and the memory of a lost child to a homestead in rural Alaska. Though they've filled their lives with entirely new worries and hardships, the old hurts continue to plague and divide them. Then, one night, in a rare fit of playfulness, they take a break from their never-ending work and build a snowman, or rather, a snow girl.

The carefree moment passes, and reality resurfaces; however, the next day, the snow girl and all the clothes they'd dressed her in have disappeared. Soon thereafter, a young girl begins to appear unexpectedly around their farm. Tentatively, she begins to communicate with Jack, eventually expertly leading him through the forest to a moose. The kill enables him and Mabel to stay on their land instead being forced to leave rather than starve. Through Jack's interactions with the girl, Faina, he comes to view her a utterly self-sufficient yet friendless child. Mabel's experiences with her leave her convinced that Faina is the real life incarnation of a story from her childhood, where an old, childless couple created a snow girl who came to life. The tale's ending varies, but each version closes with the old couple ultimately losing their snow girl.

Throughout The Snow Child  Faina's existence, nature and future remain in question. The book's conclusion maintains that uncertainty while still providing the reader with a sense of closure.

The book parallels the common, human experience delicately, without heavy handedness. The ebbs and wanes of joys and sorrows are relatable and moving, while the physical setting is fresh and intriguing. It is certainly a worthy choice to curl up with on a cold, winter night.

Readalikes (If you liked...)

If you liked the magical realism of The Snow Child, you may like The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly or Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley.

If you like reading about the pleasures and trials of Jack and Mabel's rustic life, you may like The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder or Mrs. Mike by Benedict and Nancy Freedman.