SEPTEMBER BOOK REVIEW
ARTFUL READERS CLUB
September 27, 2013
Happy Fall, dear readers. It's the season for those gorgeous autumn colors...and the first fall book review. This month, I'm reviewing Eowyn Ivey's THE SNOW CHILD...(out of season...sorry :) ) for Darcy's ART and SOLE ARTFUL READERS CLUB.
Based on a traditional fairy tale called "The Snow Maiden," Ivey's first novel is magical and captivating. Set in 1920's Alaska, the book tells of a middle-aged couple, Jack and Mabel, who left their city home, family, friends and memories of a stillborn child to pursue a new life in wild isolation. The author's portrayal of an untamed Alaska is so beautifully detailed that you can feel the snowflakes on your eyelashes...the chill of the darkness!! The story has the intricate fragility of those snowflakes, the natural honesty of the packed snow beneath your feet and the unnerving quality of a nighttime dream. It fascinates as it touches the heart.
Alaska is not all Jack and Mabel imagined and from the start, we sense that they're having a hard time making a go of it. But everything changes the night of the first snowfall, when the couple gives in to a childish whim to build a snowman...actually, a beautiful snow girl. They give her red mittens and a red scarf...both of which vanish with the morning light. Slightly melted, all that's left behind are fresh child-sized footprints in the snow and a flash of red on a child running through the woods.
Gradually, Faina, a winsome blonde child with a wild fox for a friend, emerges from the woods to befriend the childless couple. Is she indeed a "snow fairy" or a wild child who knows better than anyone how to survive in the rugged north country? Is she a figment of Jack and Mabel's imaginations?
I loved how the author made the child as much a mystery for the reader as for the main characters. As Faina's identity grows clearer (though never completely defined,) the narrative also becomes a more realistic portrait of the Alaskan wilderness and a study of the hard work involved in building a family and a home there. With enough vivid detail about hunting and farming, it's a very believable painting. Too, as a portrait of a marriage, THE SNOW CHILD is exceptional. The love between Jack and Mabel, how it waxes and wanes over time, how they work together to survive the harsh climate and how they make friends with their nearest neighbors...all adds extra warmth and wit to the story.
Even as Faina embodies a natural order that can't be tamed, George and Esther (and their family)...the nearest neighbors... show Jack and Mabel (and the reader) just how important "community" is for survival.
THE SNOW CHILD is a beautiful story of survival and hope...magical yet very real. I loved this book and highly recommend it!
if the book is half as beautifully written as your review, it will be wonderful - although the "flash of red as a child runs by" bit does conjure up images of the film 'Don't Look Now', which still makes me shudder over 20 years since I saw it!
ReplyDeleteYour art, too, is lovely. I especially like the way the map in the background almost looks like an aurora
What a perfect way to illustrate the book that you liked so well. I could tell by the lovely way you reviewed this book that it was quite special to you. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Because I thoroughly enjoyed the artwork. Lovely and magical, just like you depicted the story.
ReplyDeleteThe title, the theme and the setting are quite attractive. Discovering the meaning of community in Alaska. Sweet!
ReplyDeleteLove the image, too ;-0
What a wonderful review! This book is a definite for my 'to read' list. I am fascinated by books about living in an inhospitable places and how people adapt and learn (maybe because we moved from a town to live on a very rural farm in the Scottish Highlands). Alaska is on my bucket list too! Delightful scene of the snow child and her fox.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds intriguing and quite different from the usual run. I wonder if the editor had a difficult time persuading the publisher to accept it because it was so different! It's certainly on my list for 'one day', though this list keeps getting longer and longer.
ReplyDeleteMost of all though, I loved just reading your review. You are a wonderful writer, and it is such a pleasure to read what you write.
Your artwork is beautiful and expressive, and the single snowflake on Faina's hand is a perfect summing up of the beauty of the book.
ohh what a beautiful storyline, heartwarming but with the hint of mystery. Great images, gorgeous face on that little fox.
ReplyDeleteThis book does sound magical and your artwork is inspired....added to my wishlist!
ReplyDeleteHugs xx
So late getting round to look this month, my daughters wedding in three weeks time is to blame I am afraid. I enjoyed reading your review especially as I have this book on my Kindle waiting for me to read it. So looking forward to it now. Your art work is super.
ReplyDeleteJen x