From the Bookshelf of Once Upon a Time...…

The Snow Child

Eowyn Ivey

Start date: June 1, 2015

Finish date: June 30, 2015

Discussion: Old Archives

Why we're reading this: June 2015 Group Read
[close] June 2015 Group Read

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 15 topics — 1,894 comments total

Old Archives

This topic has been closed to new comments.

Dearest - September 2015
By Rachmi · 16 posts · 15 views

last updated Jan 17, 2016 03:29PM

Hero - September 2015
By Rachmi · 35 posts · 21 views

last updated Oct 01, 2015 12:14PM

What Members Thought

Jun 13, 2015 puppitypup rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fairy-tales, historical-fiction

Literary Fiction/Magical Realism This is one of those books that brings everything in your world to a complete standstill.

The stark beauty of Alaskan winter is the stunning backdrop to this story, that is, at its heart, a tale of longing. Ms. Ivey's writing is brilliant. Effortless metaphors flit lightly through the pages, just like the ephemeral little girl.

My favorite part, and what I consider the heart of the story, is the rekindling of a love gone mute after 20 years of marriage. This part ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jun 25, 2015 Rachmi rated it liked it

Shelves: ebook, retelling-and-or-inspired-by, historical, magical-realism

Despite this is a retelling, I never read the original story before. So this is my first time reading Snow Child story. I love the idea of the story. I think it’s interesting and has a bit mystery vibe of whether the snow child is real or is she only an imagination of the main characters, Mabel and Jack, and who is she really? Add it with the magical realism that the author used to build her story. It can keep me reading it and wondering about the snow child, Faina. Most of the time I honestly d Despite this is a retelling, I never read the original story before. So this is my first time reading Snow Child story. I love the idea of the story. I think it’s interesting and has a bit mystery vibe of whether the snow child is real or is she only an imagination of the main characters, Mabel and Jack, and who is she really? Add it with the magical realism that the author used to build her story. It can keep me reading it and wondering about the snow child, Faina. Most of the time I honestly didn’t know who is she really. I mean there is a time I believe in Mabel and Jack but at the same time it’s also quite hard to believe that she is real. She’s too good to be in the wilderness alone, I think.

I really like the author set the setting in Alaska in 1920s because it adds that mysterious feeling, in my opinion. And with the way she wrote, in detail and beautifully written, I don’t have problem picturing it in my head. But I have to admit that it feels a bit boring, especially in first part of the book. There is nothing much happens and with Jack and Mabel who seems always in sad mood makes the story feels a bit dragging. I have to force myself to keep reading it. It’s Faina who makes me keep reading the book.

Fortunately second part of the book is more interesting. The presence of the Bensons, Jack and Mabel’s neighbor, helps a lot. They are different from them it makes me see the story into two different perspectives. Mabel who seems cannot adjust her life before and embrace the hardness and wilderness Alaska and Esther who has positive thinking and nothing-she-cannot-do attitude.

One thing that makes me cannot really enjoy the story is I cannot connect with Mabel and Jack. Not because I don't feel sorry for them, I do. But because it feels like they are keeping their distance to me. It makes me feel like I only watch the story happens, not be part of it. It doesn't mean that I don't like them. Although there is a time when I don't understand why Mabel cannot accept her new living in Alaska, when she's the one who suggested on moving there; and there is also times when I want to tell Jack to just let Mabel help him to do the works because it clearly she feels like she doesn't belong with the homesteading and the farm, I love when here and there they show that they're still in love.

All in all this is a good book, I do think it is. It’s just too bad I cannot connect with Mabel and Jack. I’m thinking to reread it in the future, because who knows what I’ll find about it on my second reading? And now I’m curious of the original story. I want to know how close this book to the Russian fairytale, Snegurochka.
...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 07, 2013 Katharina Gerlach rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: jan-yc-blue

I loved this book. It develops the story slowly and gently. The main characters heartbroken despair at their childless state tugged at my own heart because I lived through a lot of their emotions myself before I found my Joy (intentionally spelled this way ;-) ).

The language is very poetic and the descriptions of Alaska's harsh beauty are breathtaking and scary at the same time. The author told what had to be told not sparing the reader one bit. When a moose has to be killed to survive, the read ...more

Like · see review

Nov 30, 2013 Fiona Hurley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: usa, 20th-century, historical-fiction, fairy-tale

Beautiful and sad, like a snowy landscape. One for the winter's evenings. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Dec 01, 2011 Daphne rated it it was amazing

Jack and Mabel decided to start a new life in Alaska after their child was stillborn. Homesteading is a hard life, and their grief made it even more difficult. One night, when it started to snow, they built a snowgirl in the yard, complete with mittens, a scarf, yellow grass for hair and berry-red lips.

The next morning, the snowgirl had been destroyed and the mittens and scarf were missing. Then, the couple saw a little girl running wild through the woods. Mabel becomes convinced the girl is ma ...more

Like · see review

Jun 05, 2015 Lisa rated it it was ok

I started reading this book expecting to love it, but unfortunately it just didn't fulfill my expectations. I did enjoy the setting and the characters of the "snow child" and the other secondary characters were interesting, but the main characters were both boring and somewhat irritating in my opinion. ...more

Like · see review