The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey 5 Star great for book clubs

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We selected Snow Child for our November 2016 book club read. It was unanimously well-liked by the club members. The books is very well-written and the language describes a raw, but breathtaking Alaska of the 1920's. It is easy to see why this book was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. It is a stunning book.

As the description of the book indicates, the Snow Child is based on an old fable of a lonely old couple who build a snow girl who comes alive. In the Snow Child, Mabel and Jack, a couple in their fifties, have moved to Alaska. The loss of their only child has left them feeling as outsiders in their families and they determine a change of location could help them start a fresh life. They move to Alaska with the idea they will work side by side to clear land and farm. But, the life is harder than they expected, and despite their agreement to work as a team, Jack takes on all of the farm work and leaves Mabel alone most days to just care for their home. He is doing back-breaking work, and she is left bored and unable to contribute. The two are growing further and further apart.

One day in a light mood, the couple decide to build a snowman. But, as they build it, they turn it into the shape of a little girl. They put on mittens, a scarf, blue eyes and straw for hair. The next day they find the snow girl smashed and her mittens and scarf missing. That is when they begin to spot the little girl running through the woods and snow. This is when Faina (fah eena) comes into their life.

The story then is their life in Alaska, how Faina changes things, and the puzzle of who or what Faina is. Jack has discovered information about her background, but this does not explain the true snow child of Faina, and the reader is left, as are Jack and Mabel, questioning the reality and the mythology of the child.

To me the book reads like a Greek Tragedy. Throughout the book there is the joy of friendship and family, as well as the struggle to make a life in the Alaska wild. But, from the very beginning there is a sense that Faina's story will not end well. Despite Jack's convincing argument that Faina is simply a real little girl with a tragic background which has left her unwilling to be tied down, Mabel cannot help seeing the parallels to the fable. Throughout the story we see an unvarnished tale of the deaths required of beautiful creatures in order for Jack and Mabel, along with their friends George, Esther and Garrett, to survive. But, can Faina survive living the normal life of a wife and mother? What will this do to her free spirit?

A very engaging story that leaves much to the imagination of the reader while seemingly heading down a predetermined path. But, is it?

Highly recommended for book clubs. This one leaves a lot to be discussed.



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