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The Snow Child

The Snow Child

Author(s): Eowyn Ivey

Location(s): Alaska

Genre(s): Fiction

Era(s): 1920s

Location

Content

A bewitching tale of heartbreak and hope set in 1920s Alaska and inspiration from a Russian fairytale

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?

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Book Reviews

Lead Review

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....

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