"Was it as Ada had suggested, that we can choose our own endings, joy over sorrow? Or does the cruel world just give and take, give and take, while we flounder through the wilderness?"

This quote from the book summarizes the whole plot. I really enjoyed reading this beautifully rewritten modern fairy tale. The setting for me is the highlight, though. Ivey knows the Alaskan wilderness, and it's a magical, sparkling place of wildlife and snowflakes. Her main characters are well drawn, though one of the neighbors, to me, felt a bit caricaturish.

I'm a bit puzzled, overall, on how to rate this. In the end, I opted not to give it 5 stars because I felt the fairy tale held the author back from telling the real story that may have developed if she had not been trapped into a foregone conclusion. I found myself rushing to get to the end to find out what happens, rather than savoring her lovely prose. And the beginning of the story seemed to drag, while the end went too fast for me, and was a bit of a disappointment. Mixed feelings about the epilogue. So, pacing, for me, was off.

However, there are simply stunning images and scenes that will stay with me forever. It reminded me of Michelle Hoover's "The Quickening," and Karen Russell's "Swamplandia," both first novels that were a bit more accomplished. However, this book is on a role and will I'm sure end up on many lists and win awards. Worth reading, for sure, and deciding for yourself. And I an SO happy to see a quiet literary work make such big waves. I hope many people read it.