WWRW: The Snow Child

Do you know the fairy tale of The Snow Child? The basic premise is this: a couple unable to have children build a child out of snow. (S)he comes to life in the night and they live happily until spring. It's kind of like Frosty, only sadder. But the magic is the same.

So when it was announced my book club selection for May (even though we met this week) was The Snow Child: A Novel by Eowyn Ivey I wasn't really sure what to expect. So I just dove in because that's what I do. I was able to read it in a few gulps, not straight through, I did have to put it down some but it didn't take long.

Jack and Mable decide in their early 50s to leave their East Coast life behind and homestead the Alaskan wilderness in the 1920s. Alaskan life is hard, but harder for Mable is that her only child was stillborn. Through magic or... something they meet their little snow girl. As their snow child grows into a snow young lady, Mable and Jack are healed by love, a new found sense of family and Alaska. It starts out bleaker than bleak but ultimately becomes a book about the healing process and relationships.

If Alaska interests you, you will like this book.

If magic interests you, you will like this book.

If people interest you, you will like this book.

There is some delicious ambiguity about whether their snow child is ever real or not. I have made my own justifications for what I believe but others in my book club came to different conclusions and are just as happy with the book. Truthfully, when I finished, I was like "I like this. But I don't know what to say." However, we were able to have a good discussion.

I will say that this book was not a life changer for me, but it was for Eowyn Ivey. In her author notes she writes how her whole life has been spent searching for "her book." One that encompasses everything she was looking for, that would speak to her forever. Obviously writing a novel changes your life but I think this book is more than that for her. And now I am re-evaluating books I've read and trying to determine what "my book" is.

The Snow Child was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in fiction. Which is curious to me. But is probably a good indicator that I am not the only one who was enchanted without knowing exactly why.

While The Snow Child is not particularly racy at all there are 3 situations that may hesitate you when deciding what age you'd let read this book. There are some couplings (one within marriage, one prior to) that are about as vaguely written as those situations could possibly be written. There is also a failed suicide attempt and plenty of hunting stories. I didn't find any of the situations upsetting but I am a terrible judge of "what age this'll work for."

Linking  up with my friend Jessica who does such a lovely job hosting us weekly. Please let me know what you've been reading because we are putting together a summer reading book list for book club and I love those ladies but I don't necessarily trust them with their picks!