Marti's March Pick

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey 

    This was a wonderful novel. The setting is Alaska during the 1920s, where towns and people are spread out.  It is here that Jack and Mabel have moved to leave their sorrows behind and to start a new life.  The land is harsh and the winters are brutal.  Jack and Mabel are mourning the loss of their child and the knowledge that they will not have any more children.  It is a hard life, luckily their neighbors do help out. It is here that they first think they see the girl, not sure if she is real or a mirage. Mabel is drawn to an old Russian fairy tale about a snow child as an explanation. Jack feels that the girl has been abandoned.

     The writing brings you to the harsh land, the cold winters and the incredible obstacles Jack and Mabel face! The descriptions of the land and animals are realistic and leave you with strong visuals.  There are the intangibles of faith, hope, and miracles woven through out the story.

     “Life is always throwing us this way and that.  That’s where the adventure is. Not knowing where you’ll end up or how you’ll fare.”