Cydney says: Unbelievably lovely. The images this writer was able to create for me were incredible. I couldn't believe this was her first novel because her writing sounds so wise and experienced. I loved the way she added an element of mystery the entire way through, so that you were never sure if Faina really was made from magic or just a lost little girl. The entire book was beautiful, one of my favorites ever. I wish I could write like this someday. Julia says: Sad to say I have had this book on... my shelf for over a year. I have read the reviews on it and everyone talked about how sad it was so, I was putting it off. Even though the whole first part of the book has a sad tone to it, I loved every moment reading it. The way the writer wrote about the homestead in Alaska made me feel like I was there. I don't want to have any spoilers in this post, but I would recommend all of you to read this book :-) anita says: 5 * / 5 *The Snow Child written by Eowyn IveyPublished in 2012 in the United States of America by Reagan Arthur Books, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. This edition is the first edition. The Snow ChildHomesteaders Jack and Mabel have carved out a quiet life of hard work and routine for themselves in the wilderness that is 1920s Alaska, both still deeply longing for the child it’s now impossible for them to have. Yet their love for each other is strong, and in a moment of levity during the season’s first snowfall, they play together, building a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone – but a trail of tiny footsteps remains. For weeks following, they both catch glimpses of a blond little girl alone in the woods but neither dares mention it to the other, afraid that long-buried hopes have overruled common sense. Then the little girl, who calls herself Faina, shows up on their doorstep. Small and fair, she seems truly magical: she hunts with a red fox at her side, she leaves blizzards in her wake, and somehow she manages to survive alone in the harsh Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand Faina, they come to love her as their own. But in this beautiful, violent place, things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform them all.This book is full of mystery and love, settled in magical Alaska in the 1920s, where earning a living isn’t easy. And having to run a household can be impossible at times.From the moment I got this novel in my hands, it felt magical. The edition I read has a beautiful cover with a perfect portrait of Faina and her fox in the woods. It also has really odd pages, which made this book even more beautiful. Both, the cover and the pages, gave me some mysterious feeling, something magical and somewhat unexplainable. It woke my interest immediately, and I couldn’t wait to start this wonderful looking novel.Once I started reading this book, every piece of the puzzle slowly fell into its place. Eowyn Ivey’s writing is, just as the book, magical. The tale begins slowly, but it takes you every time a little deeper into the story. As if you were there, in Alaska, in the cabin, watching Faina disappear. And come back again, with her fox right at her side. In this story I really liked the different perspectives Eowyn wrote most of the time out of Jack or Mabels eyes, but sometimes also out of Garrets eyes. That deepened the story even more out, you could read a couple of different perspectives, and a couple of different views from Faina. Although they all loved her, in their own way. The writing was, again, phenomenal. The sentences were just the right size, not too long or too short. Words were chosen carefully, and describe the scenes perfectly. Eowyns writing style let you get extra deep into this story, so you could feel it all yourself.I loved all the characters, mostly our snow child Faina. At first I had to get to know Mabel and Jack, would this be a story about two old humans? Did I want to read about that? But Jack and Mabel weren’t just an older couple. They were special, and held a whole history in their hearts, a painful history they couldn’t forget. Losing their only, beloved child at birth. In this novel you read how Mabel and Jack get out of their desperate habits, while, literally, surviving life. From the moment Faina comes in their life things change. Somehow the sun starts shining again in their hearts. Things seem possible again, they seem possible again. But when Faina starts disappearing constantly, old feelings come back. I think by having Faina in their life, and learning how to let her go at times, Jack and Mabel learned to accept their past. To accept their little infant wasn’t there anymore, to accept that they still were there and that they had to move on. Every time Faina came along, you could feel the happiness and love springing from the pages, into your own heart. Everyone was so happy with her presence, but something didn’t seem to be right. There was something, as if Faina wasn’t really there, while she was there sitting at the kitchen table with Mabel or watching Jack while he was working with his tools, somehow at the same time, she wasn’t there at all. Through the whole book I had this feeling, but I didn’t know what would happen. If Faina was a real human being or a mythical creature out of snow. And then there was Garret, the youngest Benson guy, who grew up during this novel. At first he was just some teenage boy, but during the story he became a young smart and capable man. I hadn’t expected it at the beginning of the story, but I really loved the romance between Garret and Faina, mostly his precious gift, a husky puppy. Every character was worked out really well, it felt as if you knew them yourself. And I was very happy to had the chance to get know them, and be with them for a while.Why did I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars? Isn’t that clear already? I just loved this book. In my eyes it was a perfect read. Real beautifully deepened out, gorgeously written with an impressive surrounding, 1920s Alaska. This is a book that stays with you forever. And you will be happy about that. It is just all inclusive. The Snow Child includes a lot of love, grief, mystical creatures, magical surroundings, an unexpected end, while being beautifully written with a perfect fitted cover and odd pages.My favorite quote:“You did not have to understand miracles to believe in them. To believe, perhaps you had to cease looking for explanations and instead hold the little thing in your hands as long as you were able before it slipped like water between your fingers.” Part 2, chapter 26, page 204This is my favorite quote because it gives you the feeling every character, especially Mabel, had about Faina. They all loved her, even though they didn’t understand how she could be. Or what see was. Every time Faina came around Mabel and Jack were so happy, so lucky to have a child in their lives. But after every visit there came an end where Faina would disappear again, into the woods. Mabel nor Jack nor Garret could hold on to Faina, but every time she was there they would hold on to her, they just tried cherish those moments. There wasn’t more they could do. And if they wouldn’t cherish these moments, they would each time be left with nothing to hold on to. beccaecca says: I put off reading this book for almost a year as I knew I had to be in the right frame of mind. A story of an older couple in the 1920s who have longed for a child - they had one baby stillborn. They decided to start fresh (at almost 50 yrs old) by moving to Alaska and homesteading. There they find beauty but darkness and loneliness till a young girl shows up at their door. Wife believes she is a snow child that came alive after they built a "snowchild" and the girl comes to visit but refuses to stay. She leaves every spring and comes back in winter. As the yrs pass they grow to love her and know to let her go. I won't say anymore as I don't want to spoil the story but there is hard work, love, anger, happiness and heartbreak wrapped up in this story. At times I found it bleak and depressing but I am glad I took the time to read it as it was a unique story.MoreLessRead More Read Less
You can download books for free in various formats, such as epub, pdf, azw, mobi, txt and others on book networks site. Additionally, the entire text is available for online reading through our e-reader. Our site is not responsible for the performance of third-party products (sites).
User Reviews: