First Book Review: The Snow Child By Eowyn Ivey

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.

Hardcover, 400 pages

Expected publication: February 1st 2012 by Reagan Arthur Books

ISBN

0316175676 (ISBN13: 9780316175678)

I received this ARC by winning a giveaway the author held. I was somewhat worried that I might not like this book because of the setting. Man was I wrong!

This book is beautifully written and so engrossing that I could not put it down! I learned to love Alaska's gorgeous summers and terrifying winters, something I never imagined would happen. This, to me, is proof of what an amazing story and awesome writer Eowyn is! The book has its roots in an old Russian fairy tale but woven so well that I actually believed it can happen.

The characters are so well written that weeks after having read it I can still tell you exactly what kind of person each one is. The main character is dealing with a sort of slump in her marriage and the new move to Alaska was supposed to make a difference, but it only made it her fall further into despair.  That is until Faina shows up and changes everything for them. 

When the book ended I was left with the feeling that I had lost a great friend which to me is always the mark of an amazing book. I lived a lifetime through the characters and the ending left me questioning everything and blinking away tears. There is no better way to end a book than to leave you thinking about it for weeks after it ends, and now I want to visit Alaska and eat some moose steak. 

Sadly, this book doesn't come out until February 2012 but when it does I will be buying the hardcover just to have an excuse to read it again. 

Rating: 5 stars out 5