The Snow Child [Hardcover]

Mabel and Jack cannot have children. They move to Alaska to start a new life, one without the pressures of polite society. However it is not easy, the farm work is hard for her husband and money is tight. They struggle to survive the dark, cold winters and start to move apart. One night, as the snow falls, Mabel is overcome by a childish urge to make a snowman, no, a snow child. She gives it mittens and a hat and Jack carves a beautiful face in the ice. The next morning, the snow child is gone, but there is a trail of small footsteps leading into the woods.

The Snow Child is a retelling of a Russian fairy tale, Snegurochka, Little Daughter of the Snow. Moved to the wild and isolated Alaskan frontier in the twenties, it beautifully describes the land, the snow and the hardships of making a living there. It does have a timeless feel to it, although mod-cons such as internet, air travel and daylight lamps have made living there much easier now, you get the sense that not a huge amount has changed.

It still retains the feeling of a fairy tale though, perhaps this will not be to everyone's tastes but I loved it. It is not fast paced, and it did seem to slow a little in the middle, if you tire easily of descriptions of snowy winter wonderlands and characters doing little but farming or hunting wild animals, you may struggle. The writing carried me through and I must admit to being fond of snow - we don't get enough of the proper stuff here. The snow is so central to the book, it brings playfulness and beauty but also danger and cold.

The speech between the snow child and the other characters is lacking in quotation marks which added to the doubt of her existence or realness. When she is not present, the quotation marks return (thankfully, because I lose track without them). This side of the story reminded me of Raymond Briggs' The Snowman and I kept expecting her to melt away to nothing.

After I'd read The Snow Child, I had a look round at other reviews and one reader criticised it for implying that all it takes is a child to make women happy. I'll admit, I'm also annoyed by books that take that view but I don't think this is one of them. It is not set in the modern day for starters and there was still the expectation for women to have a family. Mabel left behind her old life precisely to escape the peer pressure of society and the awkward conversations. Understandably she grieves the loss of potential motherhood, it is something she wanted for herself and near the end it explains the reasons for her wanting a child. They are simple and something that at the time, only a child could really fulfil. But it is not the snow child that cures her depression. At the start she waits at home all day waiting for her husband to return, her only responsibility is to cook. She feels useless and the long, dark nights of an Alaskan winter will cause depression in even the hardiest souls, let along with no distractions. She slowly comes out of her depression when she makes friends, socialises and starts doing tasks that make her useful and takes her mind off her previous life.

As I turned over the final page, I looked out my window. Our first snowfall had arrived. Magic.

With a nod to Russian folklore, Eowyn Ivey's debut novel is truly a thing of beauty. In the 1920s, middle-aged couple, Mabel and Jack, up sticks and move to Alaska, hoping to flee the heartbreaking memories of their still-born child. How can this vast, bleak landscape possibly fill their empty hearts? Hope comes with the appearance of Faina, a quasi-feral child who brings equal amounts of joy and sadness into their once barren lives as she flutters in and out of their home.

The writing is so evocative and atmospheric, it's hard to believe that this is a debut novel. We see the crisp beauty of the wild Alaskan landscape which can be equally cruel and bountiful. We see real folk trying to carve out a decent living against all the odds, clinging onto the slightest glimmer of hope.

Eowyn Ivey has spun a spellbinding, haunting story, skilfully blending fantasy and reality. Throw another log on the fire (virtual or real!) and be transported to the Alaskan wilderness through this captivating tale.

Once in a while a book falls into your lap and you could almost swear it was dusted with pure magic. The Snow Child is one of those books. Inspired by the Russian fairytale of the same name, Eowyn Ivey weaves her magic bringing new depth to the timeless tale. Reading this book is like balancing on a fine line between reality and fantasy. The way the author has written it, you are never quite sure if you are reading a historical tale of pure fairytale.

The writing is vivid, mesmerising and bursting with description. I was completely absorbed in the story from the first paragraph. The contrast between hot and cold, constantly turning over in your mind, as you watch the weather and relationships change with the circle of life.

The characters radiate warmth from cold harshness of the landscape surrounding them. You quickly fall in love with each and every one of them; even the wild fox. Faina just oozes magic; you are never really quite sure if she is real or not; making the freezing cold winters of Alaska, her choice of home. By the end of the book, you no longer see how dismal and dangerous the Alaskan weather is ; all you envisage is the magic and beauty of a perfectly white landscape. This book truly shows you how magical and unique nature actually is; from the presence of the Northern lights, to the sleeping bear and her cubs. The story melts your heart.

By the end of the book, I was weeping like a baby. Certain scenes really touched me and I really struggled to put this book down and not start reading it again from the beginning.

The book reminded me a lot of the Little House on the Prairie books, especially the first couple in the series where they live in a house completely isolated. It also had the magical elements I found so enjoyable in The Girl With The Glass Feet by Ali Shaw and I can now see why he was asked to review it for the cover.

I truly loved every word of this book and it will definitely be one I want to read again and again.