Helpful Score: 9
Enchanting. Magical. A fairy tale. These and similar words and phrases describe this book and rightfully so.
An older man, Jack, and an older woman, Mabel, move to Alaska in the 1920s to establish a homestead. Their reasons for moving away from family were many - adventure, no children of their own, a chance to establish and build their own lives. Both have longed for a child since they lost their son but it was never to be. The longing lingers in Mabel's heart every day of her life.
Jack believes his role is to protect and provide for this wonderful fragile and creative woman. She wants to help with clearing the land and planting the crops and until he injures his back he refuses her help. With the injury, he must rely on friends, neighbors, and his wife who is not nearly as fragile as he thought. Their life changes dramatically as they work together to establish their home and raise their crops.
Also part of their lives is the gentle and lovely Faina whose father dies and leaves her alone. Faina is independent and capable of taking care of herself in this rugged land even though Jack and Mabel long to "adopt" her as their own. She comes and stays with them only during the winter. When the snow melts she moves north, leaving them to wonder how she manages.
No one believes that she is real until neighbor friends arrive unexpectedly while she is visiting. As might be expected, the neighbor boy falls in love with Faina and the story moves on like the fairy tale on which it is based.
I loved reading this light, delightful book but felt that the author worked too hard to stay true to the Russian folk tale on which this book is based. Thus the ending did not seem appropriate but I enjoyed the read nevertheless.
An older man, Jack, and an older woman, Mabel, move to Alaska in the 1920s to establish a homestead. Their reasons for moving away from family were many - adventure, no children of their own, a chance to establish and build their own lives. Both have longed for a child since they lost their son but it was never to be. The longing lingers in Mabel's heart every day of her life.
Jack believes his role is to protect and provide for this wonderful fragile and creative woman. She wants to help with clearing the land and planting the crops and until he injures his back he refuses her help. With the injury, he must rely on friends, neighbors, and his wife who is not nearly as fragile as he thought. Their life changes dramatically as they work together to establish their home and raise their crops.
Also part of their lives is the gentle and lovely Faina whose father dies and leaves her alone. Faina is independent and capable of taking care of herself in this rugged land even though Jack and Mabel long to "adopt" her as their own. She comes and stays with them only during the winter. When the snow melts she moves north, leaving them to wonder how she manages.
No one believes that she is real until neighbor friends arrive unexpectedly while she is visiting. As might be expected, the neighbor boy falls in love with Faina and the story moves on like the fairy tale on which it is based.
I loved reading this light, delightful book but felt that the author worked too hard to stay true to the Russian folk tale on which this book is based. Thus the ending did not seem appropriate but I enjoyed the read nevertheless.
Helpful Score: 8
Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com/2012/02/snow-child.html
The Snow Child is a re-interpretation of an old Russian tale. This version tells the story of Jack and Mabel, an older couple who long to have a child but have given up of hope of ever doing so. They have recently relocated to Alaska in an effort to escape a life surrounded by other people's children. Yet, their sadness accompanies them.
As the story goes, one day after a snow storm, they build a child out of snow - a little girl. Lo and behold, the child comes to life. They name the child Faina and grow to think of her as their own. The book follows what happens over the coming years.
The book does make reference to the Russian tale fairly early and reveals the ending of that tale. However, even knowing the possible ending had no effect on how much I enjoyed the book. The story is beautifully written. The writing makes you feel the longing of Jack and Mabel. It draws you into the solitude and the beauty of the Alaskan wilderness. It captures the wild and ephemeral nature of Faina.
This story blurs the distinction between what is real and what exists in our imagination. I am still reflecting on who Faina was. However, as the quote above suggests, perhaps I will stop looking for explanations and just enjoy the wonder of the story. This is Eowyn Ivey's debut book. I can't wait to read more!
The Snow Child is a re-interpretation of an old Russian tale. This version tells the story of Jack and Mabel, an older couple who long to have a child but have given up of hope of ever doing so. They have recently relocated to Alaska in an effort to escape a life surrounded by other people's children. Yet, their sadness accompanies them.
As the story goes, one day after a snow storm, they build a child out of snow - a little girl. Lo and behold, the child comes to life. They name the child Faina and grow to think of her as their own. The book follows what happens over the coming years.
The book does make reference to the Russian tale fairly early and reveals the ending of that tale. However, even knowing the possible ending had no effect on how much I enjoyed the book. The story is beautifully written. The writing makes you feel the longing of Jack and Mabel. It draws you into the solitude and the beauty of the Alaskan wilderness. It captures the wild and ephemeral nature of Faina.
This story blurs the distinction between what is real and what exists in our imagination. I am still reflecting on who Faina was. However, as the quote above suggests, perhaps I will stop looking for explanations and just enjoy the wonder of the story. This is Eowyn Ivey's debut book. I can't wait to read more!
Helpful Score: 8
It is the 1920s, and Jack and Mabel have moved to Alaska to homestead and to escape the shame and sadness of being unable to bear children. And then one winter they meet Faina, a young girl who seems to have materialized from the snow and who lives in the forbidding Alaskan wilderness. The mysterious Faina alters the hearts and lives of Jack and Mabel in ways that echo a Russian fable which Mabel recalls from her youth.
Gorgeously written and richly atmospheric, The Snow Child enthralled me. The characterizations are superb, the storytelling is utterly compelling, and the homesteading lifestyle and Alaskan landscape are vividly conveyed. The narrative weaves together strands of harsh reality and enchanting mysticism into a mosaic of wonderment. The lines dividing reality from fantasy are indistinct and the reader is swept into a mesmerizing story of hope and heartbreak.
One of the blurbs on the cover states, If Willa Cather and Gabriel Garcia Marquez had collaborated on a book, The Snow Child would be it. That accurately conveys all that is wonderful about this novel. The Snow Child is complete perfection and is at the top of the list of favorite books I have read this year.
Gorgeously written and richly atmospheric, The Snow Child enthralled me. The characterizations are superb, the storytelling is utterly compelling, and the homesteading lifestyle and Alaskan landscape are vividly conveyed. The narrative weaves together strands of harsh reality and enchanting mysticism into a mosaic of wonderment. The lines dividing reality from fantasy are indistinct and the reader is swept into a mesmerizing story of hope and heartbreak.
One of the blurbs on the cover states, If Willa Cather and Gabriel Garcia Marquez had collaborated on a book, The Snow Child would be it. That accurately conveys all that is wonderful about this novel. The Snow Child is complete perfection and is at the top of the list of favorite books I have read this year.
Helpful Score: 7
This is a beautiful story, reminiscent of a fairy tale. Set in the 1920s, an older Alaskan couple is childless. Jack and Mabel are trying to make a life in the harsh environment. Hard work and isolation is their daily way of life; love and loyalty keeps them going.
During a snowfall, Jack and Mabel playfully create a "snow child". The next morning, a tiny set of footprints are found in the snow. The snow child is gone.
Thereafter, Jack and Mabel, at different times, each sees a little girl in the woods. A fox seems to always be nearby the girl. They don't speak of these unusual and unexplained sightings. They fear that speaking of the girl may make her disappear.
When the girl comes to the cabin, she calls herself Faina. Jack and Mabel are entranced by her seemingly surreal existence. They struggle to understand how she can survive in such harsh conditions, the tiny little thing that she is. They also don't know how she fits into their own lives.
This magical story is beautiful and enchanting. I was captivated. The depiction of homesteading the Alaskan frontier is realistic. The story of Jack, Mabel and Faina is a heartfelt one of love, resilience, hope, and possibilities.
Eowyn Ivey has written a novel that is sure to be a classic. It will remain with you, to be read again and shared with others.
During a snowfall, Jack and Mabel playfully create a "snow child". The next morning, a tiny set of footprints are found in the snow. The snow child is gone.
Thereafter, Jack and Mabel, at different times, each sees a little girl in the woods. A fox seems to always be nearby the girl. They don't speak of these unusual and unexplained sightings. They fear that speaking of the girl may make her disappear.
When the girl comes to the cabin, she calls herself Faina. Jack and Mabel are entranced by her seemingly surreal existence. They struggle to understand how she can survive in such harsh conditions, the tiny little thing that she is. They also don't know how she fits into their own lives.
This magical story is beautiful and enchanting. I was captivated. The depiction of homesteading the Alaskan frontier is realistic. The story of Jack, Mabel and Faina is a heartfelt one of love, resilience, hope, and possibilities.
Eowyn Ivey has written a novel that is sure to be a classic. It will remain with you, to be read again and shared with others.
Helpful Score: 6
This is an absorbing read. I didn't want to put it down. It made me appreciate the comforts of home while pulling me into 1920's life in Alaska and the hardships experienced there. It stirs the emotions on many levels and is both magical and harsh. For me, I loved it! A wonderful winter's read!
Helpful Score: 2
This is not my type of book but I like period novels so I took a chance on it. I was pleasantly surprised for the first 300 pages of the book but the ending was anti-climactic and an emotional dud. It was like listening to a pianist who could not find the right note at the end of an otherwise nice performance. My reaction was to shrug "That's it? Eh!" But I think most people will probably like this book. It's a fast and easy read.
Helpful Score: 1
You can really feel the cold of an Alaskan winter while reading this, even in the warmth of the SouthWest Florida coast, where I am. I found it very sad, even when the child is around .
Helpful Score: 1
As there are already a few reviews which tell the story, I will not. Ivey's writing is flawless. If every author has a single story, this one flows effortlessly and I did not want to put the book down. My 14 yr. old daughter also read it, as I found nothing that was age inappropriate.
As someone who has wintered in rural Maine, I enjoyed reading about one room in Alaska, for long....winters, warmed only with a wood stove with just each other for company, but alone so much of the time. Someone explained them as an older couple, but to put it in modern perspective, at the beginning of the book they were probably not yet 40. In that time period, she would have been considered a bit of a failure, or at best weak not to have any children. I could feel Mabel's heart and enjoyed her neighbor friend, all characters were well fleshed.
As someone who has wintered in rural Maine, I enjoyed reading about one room in Alaska, for long....winters, warmed only with a wood stove with just each other for company, but alone so much of the time. Someone explained them as an older couple, but to put it in modern perspective, at the beginning of the book they were probably not yet 40. In that time period, she would have been considered a bit of a failure, or at best weak not to have any children. I could feel Mabel's heart and enjoyed her neighbor friend, all characters were well fleshed.
Helpful Score: 1
Who was Faina? Was she human? Was she a fairy? Was she magic? I still can't answer these questions. Set in the wildness of frontier Alaska in the 1920's, an older, childless couple is found by a mysterious girl. The girl comes and goes with the snow. The mystery child's tale is interwoven with an old Russian fairy tale of a snow child. This novel explores love, longing, faithfulness, and death in an intriguing way. The timeless themes are set in a beautiful, but harsh place. This was an excellent book!
Helpful Score: 1
This is a story about Jack and Mabel. A couple from Philadelphia who decide to move to Alaska, at the urging of Mabel, after the still birth of their only child. The year is 1920 and life is hard in the Alaska wilderness. Jack is kept busy on the homestead trying to make their living, Mabel is still mourning their lost child.
One snowy night, on a whim, they build a small figure from the snow in the form of a child. Jack carefully sculpts a face and Mabel dresses it in a scarf and gloves. The next morning it is nothing but a small pile of snow, scarf and gloves gone, but there are small foot prints leading from it into the woods.
The story is based on a Russian fairy tale and it is a wonderful story - part fairy tale, part mystery, part romance. I enjoyed the setting of the story in the Alaskan wilderness and the references to the wildlife that live in the woods. It is a mystical tale, and you never quite know if the child is real, or a spirit that Jack and Mabel have imagined.
One snowy night, on a whim, they build a small figure from the snow in the form of a child. Jack carefully sculpts a face and Mabel dresses it in a scarf and gloves. The next morning it is nothing but a small pile of snow, scarf and gloves gone, but there are small foot prints leading from it into the woods.
The story is based on a Russian fairy tale and it is a wonderful story - part fairy tale, part mystery, part romance. I enjoyed the setting of the story in the Alaskan wilderness and the references to the wildlife that live in the woods. It is a mystical tale, and you never quite know if the child is real, or a spirit that Jack and Mabel have imagined.
Helpful Score: 1
A realistic fantasy novel full of surprises and lovely descriptive passages. Some scenes from this book will stay with me forever.
Helpful Score: 1
This was the January 2013 pick in my neighborhood book club. And although it was very well-written, it just wasn't my cuppa book.
It's based on a Russian fairy-tale and I just don't think it worked as a full length novel. The first 50 or so pages were engaging as the reader learns about Jack and Mabel struggling to maintain their lives on a frigidly cold Alaskan homestead. But once the "mystery girl" begins showing up outside in the snow, the story takes a bizarre turn as the fairy-tale aspect torpedoes the narrative...and it then becomes boring with a capital B. I'm still yawning as I type this.
Jack and Mabel's reaction to the sporadically appearing and disappearing "snow child" just doesn't make any sense, and the relationship they and others develop with her is even more strange and implausible.
I know this book has received lots of rave reviews, and I wish I could join the bandwagon...unfortunately, I can't. C-
It's based on a Russian fairy-tale and I just don't think it worked as a full length novel. The first 50 or so pages were engaging as the reader learns about Jack and Mabel struggling to maintain their lives on a frigidly cold Alaskan homestead. But once the "mystery girl" begins showing up outside in the snow, the story takes a bizarre turn as the fairy-tale aspect torpedoes the narrative...and it then becomes boring with a capital B. I'm still yawning as I type this.
Jack and Mabel's reaction to the sporadically appearing and disappearing "snow child" just doesn't make any sense, and the relationship they and others develop with her is even more strange and implausible.
I know this book has received lots of rave reviews, and I wish I could join the bandwagon...unfortunately, I can't. C-
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this book. It had just enough fairy tale to keep you guessing, while still keeping your feet firmly planted in the world. A great look at what it is like to live in rural Alaska.
Decent character development, except for the "snow child" herself. I felt that character good have had more personality. The writing was well done, and kept my interest overall. The supporting characters were great. Interesting story/plot.
Great book! Real page turner. Will pull up emotions in you from sadness, to happiness and everything in between. Its basically Frosty the Snowman but its a little girl instead. However, it takes on a huge twist, one that I never saw coming and an ending that broke my heart. Great descriptions by the author of the snow and ice and the Alaskan background, the people you meet and come to love. Also has a Q & A with the author in the back and a reading group section and an about the author as well.
This book was OK. It never really grabbed me and the characters never felt 3 dimensional, especially Faina.
Did not enjoy anything about this book. The mix of historical fiction and fairytale retelling doesn't work. The story dragged and was repetitive. What was with the lack of quotation marks? There were so many unnecessarily gruesome scenes. The author did nothing to make me like any of the characters. The ending was predictable. Why was the author so obsessed with pointing out over and over that Jack and Mabel were âoldââ¦?
This debut novel, based on a Russian fairy tale, is beautiful and haunting. The first chapters are so very dark, perfectly capturing the loneliness of a childless couple attempting to homestead in Alaska in the 1920s. As the plot slowly progresses, their lives become less bleak and they find an unexpected family in this wild land.
Ivey's simple, vivid prose and short chapters made this a quick read for me.
Ivey's simple, vivid prose and short chapters made this a quick read for me.
Absolutely one of the best books I've read this year. Can you suspend reality for a brief moment and appreciate this tale of old-time Alaska, the power of snow and love and need and magic? Do yourself a favor - read this book.
I didn't think I would like this book , but it grabbed me and wouldn't let go. It is a mesmerizing, gripping, wonderful and unusual story , which takes place in the 1920's about a childless couple trying to homestead in the Alaskan wilderness.
This sad story stayed with me and I expect it will for a long time. However the ending was disappointing and heartbreaking, and not really a closure. Thus 4 Stars instead of 5 . I highly recommend this book, and it is another "keeper" on my shelf!
This sad story stayed with me and I expect it will for a long time. However the ending was disappointing and heartbreaking, and not really a closure. Thus 4 Stars instead of 5 . I highly recommend this book, and it is another "keeper" on my shelf!
This book starts out explaining the depression that Mabel is going through on the homestead she lives in with her husband Jack. They moved to Alaska and it is in the 1920s. They have only been there a short while and 10 years earlier suffered a stillborn birth. Mabel and Jack have not recovered since and silently keep their grief to their own selves and seem a bit distant with one another.
As a child, Mabel's father used to tell her a Russian story about a snow child that an older couple made in the snow that came to life. This story comes to her after she and Jack build their own snow child in an evening in which spunk has captured them.
The next morning they notice a little girl in the woods wearing the mittens, coat, and hat that was left on the snow child they built together. Mabel is convinced the story has just become reality but she doesn't know how.
In the process of everything, their neighbors have become a big part of their lives and they are growing as friends together. When they ask their neighbors about little girls in the area, and tell them about the one they have seen, they are skeptical and don't believe this girl exists.
The story is captivating and very beautiful. I actually felt as if I were there and understood the emotions as if seeing them. I love when stories are like that. This was beautifully done though often times very sad (like many Russian stories seem to be). I am left feeling a bit sad. I read this book in a few days and in one of the days I read 200 pages because it sucked me in big time.
My only issues with this book was that whenever the girl is around, the author does not put quotes on anyone's voices while the rest of the time you see quotes. That was odd. Also I have a very hard time when reading books that have blasphemous words about God, and the G-d combination words are said throughout the book maybe about 10 times, with pretty much barely any other swears (d words and hell used incorrectly are used a few times).
As a child, Mabel's father used to tell her a Russian story about a snow child that an older couple made in the snow that came to life. This story comes to her after she and Jack build their own snow child in an evening in which spunk has captured them.
The next morning they notice a little girl in the woods wearing the mittens, coat, and hat that was left on the snow child they built together. Mabel is convinced the story has just become reality but she doesn't know how.
In the process of everything, their neighbors have become a big part of their lives and they are growing as friends together. When they ask their neighbors about little girls in the area, and tell them about the one they have seen, they are skeptical and don't believe this girl exists.
The story is captivating and very beautiful. I actually felt as if I were there and understood the emotions as if seeing them. I love when stories are like that. This was beautifully done though often times very sad (like many Russian stories seem to be). I am left feeling a bit sad. I read this book in a few days and in one of the days I read 200 pages because it sucked me in big time.
My only issues with this book was that whenever the girl is around, the author does not put quotes on anyone's voices while the rest of the time you see quotes. That was odd. Also I have a very hard time when reading books that have blasphemous words about God, and the G-d combination words are said throughout the book maybe about 10 times, with pretty much barely any other swears (d words and hell used incorrectly are used a few times).
This was a powerful and moving book about family, appreciation for one another, and making a new life. I liked how Faina brought Jack and Mabel closer together.
Loved it!!! Riveted until the end. Waited forever to get my copy (seriously -- maybe a year) but worth it. Will read more by Eowyn Ivey.
I enjoyed this book immensely. It was a beautifully written story based on a folk tale.
