Eowyn Ivey

A bewitching tale of heartbreak and hope set in 1920s Alaska. Jack and Mabel have staked everything on making a fresh start for themselves in a homestead 'at the world's edge' in the raw Alaskan wilderness. But as the days grow shorter, Jack is losing his battle to clear the land, and Mabel can no longer contain her grief for the baby she lost many years before. The evening the first snow falls, their mood unaccountably changes. In a moment of tenderness, the pair are surprised to find themselves building a snowman - or rather a snow girl - together. The next morning, all trace of her has disappeared, and Jack can't quite shake the notion that he glimpsed a small figure - a child? - running through the spruce trees in the dawn light. And how to explain the little but very human tracks Mabel finds at the edge of their property? Written with the clarity and vividness of the Russian fairytale from which it takes its inspiration, The Snow Child is an instant classic - the story of a couple who take a child into their hearts, all the while knowing they can never truly call her their own.

The Snow Child

Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead, and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart--he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm; she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season's first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone--but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees. This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them.

A Novel

Im Buch geht es um ein älteres Ehepaar, das kinderlos ist und sich sehnlichst ein Kind gewünscht hätte, jedoch kinderlos blieb. Sie zogen nach Alaska, um sich ein neues Leben aufzubauen. Dort tauchte immer wieder ein rätselhaftes Mädchen auf, das sie wie eine Tochter liebten. Das Buch erzählt von ihrem Leben, ihren Gefühlen und ihrer Trauer. Am Ende ist es etwas rätselhaft und märchenhaft, würde ich sagen.

Das Buch war ganz okay. Ich mochte den Schreibstil, hatte mir jedoch mehr von der Geschichte erhofft.

Asmae

Im Buch geht es um ein älteres Ehepaar, das kinderlos ist und sich sehnlichst ein Kind gewünscht hätte, jedoch kinderlos blieb. Sie zogen nach Alaska, um sich ein neues Leben aufzubauen. Dort tauchte immer wieder ein rätselhaftes Mädchen auf, das sie wie eine Tochter liebten. Das Buch erzählt von ihrem Leben, ihren Gefühlen und ihrer Trauer. Am Ende ist es etwas rätselhaft und märchenhaft, würde ich sagen.

Das Buch war ganz okay. Ich mochte den Schreibstil, hatte mir jedoch mehr von der Geschichte erhofft.

Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead, and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart -- he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm; she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season's first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone -- but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees.

This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them.

In this magical debut, a couple's lives are changed forever by the arrival of a little girl, wild and secretive, on their snowy doorstep.

Caroline

”What a tragic tale! Why these stories for children always have to turn out so dreadfully is beyond me. I think if I ever tell it to my grandchildren, I will change the ending and have everyone live happily ever after. We are allowed to do that, are we not Mabel? To invent our own endings and choose joy over sorrow?”


❄️What a beautiful story! The story of The Snow Child is not a genre I would pick up quite often but I’m so happy I did. The book was so warm from the first chapter, that I was totally hooked onto it. An unputdownable read for me.

❄️ The Snow child is a Russian folklore, which tells the story of an old couple Mable & Jack who escape to the Alaskan wilderness to grieve the loss of their child in their own way, while they struggle through the loneliness of a childless marriage. To fill the void of a child, they make a snow girl, only later to find it gone. And then they start seeing glimpses of a young girl running through the woods. As the old couple try to understand whether the girl is real or a fairy tale, they come to love her as their daughter. But this fragile and innocent looking girl will change their life forever.

❄️The plot of the story is so beautiful. Each character so warm & tender that you can only just love them & be a part of their lives. The magical realism so well portrayed. The author catches the beauty & the sad harshness of the Alaskan wilderness so perfectly. The writing is so easy to read and understand though I did find it a bitter lengthy but that can be easily overlooked. I know there are a lot of versions of The Snow child out there but I haven’t read any as yet so this one will always be my favourite version. 

❄️This book is highly recommended if you are looking for a cozy winter read & in for some magical realism.

Annika Arguemore

It had that To Kill A Mockingbird vibe to it in the first and second parts. At first, it was a snorefest. It seemed to me that it was building up at an unhurried pace, but what I did not perceive was that the gradual build-up was necessary to the telling of the story which, of course, I realize now. Even though it seemed long, it wasn't. I breezed right through every page.

Another thing I didn't get was why the author didn't use quote-marks to indicate when Faina was speaking, but I fared well without it, so I guess it's alright if not a little puzzling. And also, what was Faina exactly? Is she what the bound blue book had suggested? Was her mother the same as her? 

There were a lot of questions that seem to me remain unanswered, but perhaps the author has answered them indirectly already and I was just too dense to know.

My favorite part of the book was the third part. I expected it, but I was still surprised at the turn of events just the same.

All in all, this story was thoroughly told and awfully atmospheric.

Melissa Palmer

Book #69 Read in 2014
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

Jack and Mabel move to the Alaskan frontier after the loss of their baby. One winter, on the first snow, they build a snow child. Shortly after that, they see a blonde girl who seemingly lives in the woods by their house. Eventually they meet the child, Faina, but she will not allow them to let her stay with them. Faina is a wild spirit who eventually falls in love with their neighbor's son, Garrett. But marriage and a family cannot contain her. 

This book was an interesting mix of fantasy and reality. The trials that Jack and Mabel faced to survive were very real but Faina had a mix of not really existing throughout most of the book. Therefore, this book is hard to define. That being said, I enjoyed the characters in it and liked the writing style.

http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com

Desire JoRay

** spoiler alert **
           Fell in love with this book and the author's writing style from the start. Can tell it will stay with me for years to come. Teaches you about overcoming tragedy, unconditional love, friendship, stepping up when things get hard, and how rewarding life can be. 

 Watching Jack (especially) & Mable work on their relationship through this entire story was beautiful. Even though they had already been together for so long, they were able to grow so much more together. Also, what a time to read this with a pandemic going on. I feel anyone could relate to being cut off from a world you’ve always known. Really helps you see the importance of community and friendship (love Esther so much lol). As for Faina, I have a lot of questions about the mysteries that seem to surround her. I noticed that there were never “” around passages where she was speaking. Then there is how she seemed to have real parents but was almost fairly like with her connection to the wild and winter. I’m happy that those questions were never truly answered and you get left with a bit of wonder, just like with fairy tales as children.

Part fairytale, part literary fiction, The Snow Child is a story of Mabel and Jack, a childless couple homesteading in Alaska in the 1920s. One night the make a snow girl, and the next day they see a child with blindfolded hair appear.Faina is part child, part sprite, and fully able to move this couple.

Whimsical, sweet, and heartbreaking, The Snow Child is magical.

Cheri McElroy

Part fairytale, part literary fiction, The Snow Child is a story of Mabel and Jack, a childless couple homesteading in Alaska in the 1920s. One night the make a snow girl, and the next day they see a child with blindfolded hair appear.Faina is part child, part sprite, and fully able to move this couple.

Whimsical, sweet, and heartbreaking, The Snow Child is magical.

Jessica Ford

I loved this book. It had a very slow pace and was heart-breaking from beginning to end, but it was such a good story. You couldn't help but love all of the characters.

Alex Flagg

The end of this book pulled at my heartstrings and the characters were well developed and charming, but unlike most reviewers I just could not get I to this book. I trudged along slowly solely for the goal to finish it. I’m glad I did though!

Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead--and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart. In a moment of levity during the season's first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone--but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees.

Celeste Richardson

So sad and sweet. Speaks profoundly about grief and belief, and how these differ from person to person. This was a lovely update of a fairy tale. While I appreciated the fairy tale element and loved the depth written into the characters, my favorite part of this novel was Alaska. The setting is truly a character in its own right, and it was absolutely stunning. I wasn’t thrilled with the ending, but sometimes poignant is more fitting to a story that happily ever afters.

Jessica Guht

A beautifully written novel which perfectly described the character's evolution over the years. My heart ached at the end, and I know I won't be forgetting this story anytime soon!

Mari-Anne Hughes

A fairytale for grown ups. Beautifully written, I loved it

Corey White

Magical in a wild/wilderness way. Never an obvious stray from reality. This book was so much better than I ever could have imagined.

Amanda Valentin

This book was hard to put down! A fast paced read that was a mix of fairy tale and real life. Great book!

Elena Garcia Navarro

2.75*

I've wanted to read this book for the longest time and that's why I'm kind of dissapointed with it. 

I was expecting something different. I really enjoyed the first parts when the story had a fairytale quality, but then the tone changed and I started to drift away and lose interest in what happened to the characters. It's very well written but I wasn't very fond of all the descriptions of the wilderness either. Ultimately, I didn't connect with the characters and the end felt kind of flat and didn't get the emotional response from me it was aiming for. 

The thing that I enjoyed the most was the role that the russian fairytale the story is based on plays on the book.

Nathan Griffin

Well-written & sad & happy & a little magical. I got this off my ebooks holds list from the library right before vacation and it seemed like a good vacation book, so I downloaded it not expecting much. Ended up liking it way more than I thought I would

Heather Harrington

After suffering a miscarriage, Jack and Mabel pack up their lives and leave the East Coast for the wilderness of Alaska looking for a fresh start. The pair weren't prepared for the hardships homesteading brings, and soon they start drifting apart: Jack, from the back-breaking work of keeping up the farm, and Mabel from the heartbreak she feels. Then, in a moment of pure joy during the first snow of the season, Jack and Mabel make a child out of snow. By morning the snow child is gone, but small tracks lead away from it, and soon the two start seeing flashes of a little girl running through the woods. 

Neither one wants to admit to what they're seeing, but still, go out of their way to track down this mysterious girl, but every time they get close, she runs away. Until one day, she comes to them. Faina seems to be of another world. She has branches in her hair, hunts with a red fox, and is never bothered by the cold. As Jack and Mabel try to understand who she is and how she came to be, they grow to love her as a daughter. But they soon discover things aren't always as they seem, and despite all the happiness Faina has brought to their lives, keeping her for their own may cause more harm than good.

This book is so much more than a fairy tale retelling. It touches upon sadness, loneliness, grief, survival, but also hope and the strength of family. I enjoyed seeing Jack and Mabel grow from their pain, and how this strange little girl helped open their hearts back up to love. Faina is such an interesting character, but at times came off a little too aloof where it was hard to fully connect with her. Which is understandable given the type of character she is, but I still wanted a bit more. Aside from the characters, Ivey does a beautiful job at setting the scene and making you feel as if you're in the Alaskan wilderness. This is definitely a sadder book, but it made the story feel more grounded and real. In some ways, this felt like winter: it was bleak and gray and cold, but there's a warmth to it if you know where to look.

StaticWaffle

I do not usually go for historical fiction, but I’m very glad that in this case I did. I was attracted to the promise of fantastical elements in the story and was not disappointed. The story was beautifully written and I was able to clearly picture the Alaskan landscape and fleshed out characters in my mind.

Andrea Badgley

I didn't think I liked magical realism, but it turns out I just hadn't found the right book to pull me in, ground me in a reality, then sprinkle magic in a way that is wondrous and enchanting, and leaves you puzzling throughout - is it magic or is it real? The Snow Child was this book for me.

Set in the wilderness of 1920s interior Alaska, The Snow Child is the story of a aging couple who have moved west from Pennsylvania to homestead in Alaska in an effort to escape an emptiness left by their stillborn child. A two hour horse ride to the nearest "town" and then a train ride away from Anchorage, Mabel and Jack become isolated even from each other, grieving while they labor separately to make workable land from wilderness. One night, they succumb to the magic of a snowfall, and in laughter and joy, they build a child from snow. The next morning, the snow figure is gone, and a wildling girl appears in the forest.

The Snow Child chronicles the growing affection between Faina (the wildling) and the elderly couple, who over the years grow to think of her as their own, though she comes and goes without notice, and though they live with opposing stories of her flesh-and-blood father who Jack buried and the idea that Faina is a snow maiden of their creation, as Mabel read about in a Russian Fairy Tale. A tale that never ends well.

The magic in this book isn't just the obvious fairy tale quality of it. The magic is in the crystalline descriptions of Alaska in winter. Author Eowyn Ivey may not be Eskimo, but I would argue she has a thousand words for snow. Her descriptions are like snowflakes on the tongue - delicate, feathery crystals that sting with loveliness:

"The December days had a certain luminosity and sparkle, like frost on bare branches, alight in the morning just before it melts."

"Dawn broke silver over the snowdrifts and spruce trees."

"The child was dusted in crystals of ice, as if she had just walked through a snowstorm or spent a brilliantly cold night outdoors."

"The cranberries were tiny red rubies against the white snow."

"Around the curve the valley opened up, and in the distance spires of blue ice glowed.

This is a biting and beautiful book of love: love for neighbors, of husband and wife, for children, and love for the wild pull of the land, the forest, the snow, and the wilderness. It is one I will come back to when I want the magic of a winter landscape.

Rebecca Light

Wanted to read this one for years, and the wait was worth it. Will linger with me for a long time. What a beautiful story about loss, grief, hope and renewal. I feel like I’ve been enveloped in a snowy yet warm embrace.

Christina Hufford

** spoiler alert **
           I have to say, I was let down. The first half of the book has a very fairy-tale like quality to it, while being immersed in a bitter cold reality. But then the book ... fizzled out. What was fantastic became mundane. The story became incredibly predictable; Mabel has a book that, midway through the novel, basically tells the reader everything that's about to happen. That's not clever foreshadowing -- it's boring. There was something quietly beautiful about the beginning of the book and I was thinking the story was building up to something exciting ... and then it didn't go anywhere. A love story was rushed and mostly summarized, pages and pages were spent on a pregnancy and wedding that, despite it's poetic description kind of lacked emotional depth; then the girl melts and the book's over. No explanation of what this girl was, how she had a human father, if she really melted or just took off in the middle of the night ... It was just unsatisfying. It could've been more than it was. 

Sorry this is so rushed; on my phone etc and so forth.

Dakota Gigout

This book reads like a love letter to Alaska. Since the author is a native Alaskan, this doesn’t come as a surprise. She weaves a magical tale that romanticizes the harsh winters there. 

 We never truly grasp whether Faina is a mythical snow child or flesh and blood. I loved the technical use, or lack, of quotation marks whenever anyone is speaking with Faina. It gives the idea that these scenes are only held in one’s imagination. 

That being said, this book has so many quotable moments!! The imagery alone is worth reading this book.

I had to give this book a mere 3.5 stars only because, as much as I enjoyed it, I struggled to pick it up each time. It barely held my attention and I was frustrated by the plotline.
🥀

Laura

I just finished it and even if it's 00:40 am and I have to stand up early, this amazing book needs a review. I can't say how much the story of Faina fascinates me, how beautiful and sad it is. The author captured nature's and life's strength and fragility in a breathtakingly way. This book makes me sad and hopeful at the same time. It shows that all things must pass but when you enjoy every moment you have with the people you love, you don't have to shed any tears. I absolutely loved this book and I'm sure that I'll read it again one day.

The Snow Child

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