December 2013 - The Snow Child discussion

[AmyK]

Happy Reading!!

[Sarah, Moderator]

I am half way through a book then I have another to read before I get to this one but I'm looking forward to reading and discussing it.

[Peggy, Moderator]

I read the first chapter this afternoon. I'll make some more detailed comments when I'm not on my phone and am a bit further along.

[Peggy, Moderator]

I read the first 3 chapters. I enjoy the book so far, I think the author does a really great job in describing living in Alaska, and what life is like for Mabel and Jack. I feel for them, (view spoiler)[ they (or maybe mostly Mabel) had such high expectations about living in Alaska and changing their lives, but it seems to be only disappointment and despair. I keep thinking: 'ooh, poor them...' I sincerely hope they will find more joy in their lives soon! (hide spoiler)]

edit: somewhere in chapter 7 now, (view spoiler)[ and they have seen the snow child. I am VERY curious to find out what she is exactly. I hope it's not going to be a disappointment! (hide spoiler)] I'm still enjoying the book, and I really liked (view spoiler)[ the snowfight they had, it was nice to read that there is some fun and happiness in their lives (hide spoiler)]

Oh! And I was a bit confused in the beginning when I read (view spoiler)[they were old, I had for some reason expected the book would be about people in their late 20s or early 30s (don't ask me why), not 50s. That surprised me! (hide spoiler)]

[AmyK]

This one looked interesting to me...I might read it after I finish my current book.

[Peggy, Moderator]

I'm about 30% through now, still enjoying it a lot! I wonder why (view spoiler)[ the conversations with the child don't have quotation marks. It almost makes it seem like it's all in Jack's head, but that seems a bit weird too, as Mabel can also see and hear her. I like Jack by the way, and how he is so patient with the girl in comparison to Mabel, although I would probably also want to ask many questions! (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy, Moderator]

I'm just over halfway through, and (view spoiler)[ I'm so intrigued by Faina! She seems to be a mix between a real girl (with her dead father and living in an actual cabin) and something from a fairy tale (the story from the book, how snow doesn't melt on her and she can't handle too much heat, how she lets little snowstorms and other snowy things appear). I keep trying to figure out what she is, and can understand Mabel and Jack's confusion! (hide spoiler)]

[Kirila]

I started the book yesterday and so far I am enjoying it. I am at chapter 7. I like how the author doesn't reveal everything at once but makes us wonder (view spoiler)[why they moved to Alaska and what happened earlier that they don't have any kids. From what I understood she was pregnant, but they lost the baby. But it's not clear how exactly or why they didn't try again. (hide spoiler)].
Peggy, I was also confused about (view spoiler)[their age. But at least being in their 50s means that there won't be a cheesy ending with her getting pregnant and having lots of babies :). I guess that the snow child will bring them some happiness or help them through the winter, but I wonder if it would stay with them. Cause if it doesn't, they will be lonely and sad again... (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy, Moderator]

You shouldn't read this spoiler until you're at chapter 38 or so, (view spoiler)[ but I also thought that the child would stay for a winter to help them through, and then disappear. Instead, she's been coming back for 8 winters already! I was very surprised when she left for the first time and it was only 1/3rd into the book. I don't mind though, it's nice if the story is not always going in the direction you expect (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy, Moderator]

I've almost finished the book, I'm at chapter 49 now. (view spoiler)[ Things seem to move very fast all of a sudden, without much explanation or detail. It feels like Garrett was very fascinated by Faina, although she was not that interested, next thing you know they're friends, then lovers, and now she's pregnant! (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy, Moderator]

Finished!

This is my whole review:

I really liked this one! I had been looking forward to reading it for quite some time and while that sometimes disappoints me because I've come to expect too much of a book, it didn't disappoint me this time. The book had a very nice writing style, and I was immediately sucked into the lives of Jack and Mabel. I could feel the harsh Alaskan living conditions, and the troubles of their lives. From page 1 I felt for them, and was sincerely hoping that they would find more joy in each other and in their lives. Then Faina arrived, and she intrigued me so! (view spoiler)[I kept wondering what she was exactly: a real child? A fairy tale figure? What would happen to her after winter was over? What would happen to Mabel and Jack if and when Faina disappeared? (hide spoiler)]

Unfortunately, part 3 of the book was not as good as the first two parts in my opinion. The story rushed along a bit, with no real explanations of why things happened. (view spoiler)[ Garrett was obviously very fascinated by Faina, but she was not interested in him, until all of a sudden they were lovers and then she was pregnant! Also Faina's death raised questions. Why did she die at that moment? And what was the story with the dead man in the woods? Was it really her father, or maybe just someone she stumbled upon? (hide spoiler)]

Whereas the first two parts were well-explained and very detailed, I felt like the third part was written in a hurry, with the writer trying to finish things quickly and not as much care was taken in writing the story. I still enjoyed all of the book though!

Can't wait to hear some more opinions on this book :)

[Julia]

I absolutely agree, I remember the beginning being a lot stronger than the end. I thought it got a little rushed and confusing in parts in the last section. One of the things I really remember about the book is very much feeling as though I was in that frigid, dark Alaskan winter. The book did a great job at pulling me into that setting.

[Snoozie Suzie]

The whole Alaskan winter thing got me too in that the writing really got across the isolation and the addition of the darkness and cold could be felt so I thought this was written well, and also their despair when things failed and went wrong the feelings of helplessness and so on. But, Some of it was a bit confusing/unexplained/rushed which was a shame as other parts were so good.

I remember feeling quite tense at times wondering what would happen, whether Faina would return, etc. I really got sucked into the story.

[Kirila]

I am at Chapter 22, at the point where (view spoiler)[spring has come and Faina disappears. I was wondering what will happen when the snow melts... But I guess next winter she will appear again. (hide spoiler)]

I am enjoying the book so far, but I am confused about one thing. (view spoiler)[I thought it was Jack and Mabel who made her. But then there was this dead guy in the forest, who Faina said was her father. So if she does have a father (I assume he is not a regular human being either), then how come she looks like the snow girl Jack and Mabel made. And if she is that same snow girl, then what's up with this father thing? I hope these will be some of the questions that will be answered :) (hide spoiler)]

[Tejas Janet]

Julia wrote: "I absolutely agree, I remember the beginning being a lot stronger than the end. I thought it got a little rushed and confusing in parts in the last section. One of the things I really remember abou..."

I agree as well, but still loved the book overall. Did wish the author had taken more time and care in ending the book.

[Lisa]

I started reading this today and am up to Chapter 7. I am enjoying it so far, I love the writing style and the storyline is intriguing. I particularly like the vivid descriptions of Alaska and the imagery that they evoke. It sounds harsh and unforgiving yet beautiful and magical at the same time.

Peggy, I too really enjoyed the part where (view spoiler)[Mabel and Jack have a snowball fight during the first snowfall of the winter and build the snow child. It was a really heartwarming scene and it was nice to see them smile and come together again after all they have been through. I loved the way the author described the falling snow during this scene, it really made it come alive. It kind of gave me an urge to join in with them! (hide spoiler)]

I am really excited to discover (view spoiler)[who and what the young girl in the forest is. Also, what is her connection to the fox? It seems to follow her about and it would appear that Jack saw said fox in the forest before he and Mabel even built the snow child. How then has it become attached to this mysterious girl/snow child? Is it anything to do with the dead hare that Jack found outside the cabin, the morning after he first glimpsed the snow child? I hope we find out! (hide spoiler)]

Looking forward to reading the rest! :)

[Lori]

I really enjoyed this book. The author described the surroundings and characters so well that you almost felt like you were watching it instead of reading it. It's a weave of fairy tale and reality as intricate as a snow flake!!

[Hillary]

Have you notice the author doesn't use "quotation" marks?

[Lori]

Hillary wrote: "Have you notice the author doesn't use "quotation" marks?"

No, I didn't notice that at all. The lack of quotation marks is not something you notice on an audiobook. ha!

[Peggy, Moderator]

Hillary wrote: "Have you notice the author doesn't use "quotation" marks?"

Yes, I did, for the conversations that included Faina. It's not clear to me why it was done like that though.

[Peggy, Moderator]

Kirila and Lisa (and everybody else), don't read this until you've finished the book, (view spoiler)[ but all those questions you raise make me think once again about how little is actually explained in the book. After reading I was still wondering about the man in the woods and Faina's death, but indeed, the fox is also a bit neglected. Never was there a mention of how they came to be together, and his death did not seem to influence anything. I wonder if the author did really hurry in finishing the book, or whether leaving so many things unexplained was intentional (hide spoiler)]

[Lisa]

I did notice that the author doesn't use quotation marks. It seems to be quite a common thing nowadays. The book I read immediately before this, The Collector, didn't have them either. I don't know why they are not included, maybe it's just to make the whole thing a bit different.

[Peggy, Moderator]

I think it had something to do with somehow making their conversations with Faina different. At first I thought maybe it was to stress that the conversations took place in Jack and Mabel's heads or that Faina was imaginary, but because Jack and Mabel could both see the same Faina and could both be involved in the same conversation with her, I dismissed that idea.

[Janice, Moderator]

I read the audiobook version of The Snow Child, so didn't notice the lack of quotation marks. I recently read The Orchardist and it didn't use quotations at all. It gave it an ethereal feel, almost like the characters had no voice.

[Lisa]

I have just reached Chapter 17 which is the beginning of Part 2.

I am fascinated by the mystery of the girl. (view spoiler)[I really want to know who and what she is. My current theory is that she is some kind of spirit who is using the snow child as a vessel in order to be 'alive' again. Maybe she was a real child who did not survive the Alaskan wilderness and has now 'come back' as a sort of ghost in order to try and help other people (in this case Jack and Mabel) survive what she could not?

Jack has just helped her to bury the dead man in the woods who she claims was her father. I wonder if this is true? If she was a real child at some point, it could well be. Maybe he lost his daughter and then, in his grief, sat out in the snowstorm and froze to death? It could explain why the girl told Jack that she did all she could to save him but in vain because if she was a spirit with no body at that point, he would not have been able to see her or hear her. (hide spoiler)]

So many questions! I hope we get answers to some of them at least! My theories will most probably turn out to be completely wrong (they usually are, I would never make a detective!) but I am sticking with them for now :)

[Josée Leon]

This was my I book for the Alphabet challenge and I truly enjoyed it. I think the author intentionally leaves some things vague to leave it up to the reader's imagination. I thought the story was quite magical and (view spoiler)[ I just knew things were not bound to end well... (hide spoiler)] BTW, has anyone seen the movie "The Fox & The Child". I saw it in French : "Le renard et l'enfant". Because of the fox in this story it reminded me of this wonderful movie. There is almost no dialogue in the movie but the scenery is beautiful and the relationship that develops between the child and the fox is magical.

[Lisa]

I haven't seen 'The Fox and the Child' movie Josee but I have just checked it out on IMDB and it sounds really good. Will probably give it a watch once I have finished reading this.

[Kirila]

Lisa, I like your theory about (view spoiler)[the dead man in the woods (hide spoiler)].

I am now at Chapter 31. (view spoiler)[This is the point when winter comes again and Faina appears again. I like how the author contrasts Jack and Mabel's reactions and perception of Faina - who she is and where she comes from. Jack believes she is a real girl because of her father, and Mabel associates her with the story she read as a child. But when Jack tells her about the dead man in the woods, they switch roles. She stops believing in magic, just as when she was a kid, and starts acting like she is the girl's mother - telling her what to do and what's best for her. And then Jack is the one who starts wondering about the magical story and wondering where Faina actually comes from. I would personally go for the magical one since there are so many unexplained things. I really really hope some of these most important questions will be answered :) (hide spoiler)]

[Lisa]

I am now up to Chapter 23. (view spoiler)[Faina has gone away now that spring has come and things seem to have taken a turn for the worst for Jack and Mabel. Jack has just had his accident and seems to be pretty badly injured. I really hope he recovers as I don't think either him or Mabel can stand much more misfortune in their lives.

I am still unsure as to whether Faina is real or not. The fact that her appearance and habits seem to channel what happens in the Russian fairytale that Mabel liked as a child suggests that she is not human and is, in fact, some kind of magical creature or a spirit. However, the whole father scenario makes you think that she could be a real child after all. And what is with all those personal belongings and pictures that Jack found in the place that Faina appeared to have been living in? I wonder if they are really hers? If they are, they certainly add more weight to the real child theory.

My favourite scenes from Chapters 17-23 were when Jack and Faina (and later Mabel) made angels in the snow and also when Faina caught that snowflake in her hand and asked Mabel to draw it. The author describes wintery scenes so well, she makes it sound like the perfect winter wonderland. (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy, Moderator]

I hate snow, but the author indeed makes it magical! I almost wished for snow when I was reading it. And I really liked those scenes too Lisa :)

[Lisa]

I quite like snow. This book has had me wishing that it would snow too. It is definitely a good read for this time of year. It is actually making me feel quite festive as well, even though it is not a Christmas book.

[Marnie]

I finished this book while I was sitting on a plane waiting for it to be de- iced...which sure set the mood :).
I enjoyed this book especially the first two parts. It was almost mystical.. I thought the author painted a clear picture of the bleakness of the Alaskan wilderness. The isolation and daily struggle to survive. I thought Faina brought much needed color into their lives.

The beginning reminded me a bit of The Light Between Oceans where the adults are so desperate for a child that they are too afraid to ask any questions. The circumstances are different but the longing is the same.
Where the book lost some of its charm for me was the ending. I wasn't crazy about how it ended. All in all a nice winter read.

[Josée Leon]

Lisa wrote: "I haven't seen 'The Fox and the Child' movie Josee but I have just checked it out on IMDB and it sounds really good. Will probably give it a watch once I have finished reading this."

If you do see it Lisa, let me know what you thought about it :)

[Sarah, Moderator]

Come straight to the end without reading any posts (I'm being good!). Now I've finished my alphabet I'm starting this book. Looking forward to it.

[Kirila]

I just finished it. Two late nights... but always worth it when the book is good. I am sure I will dream of Alaska tonight :) Overall I really enjoyed it. Referring to other people's comments, the third part didn't feel rushed to me. Yes, things happened faster but we can fill in the gaps. I liked how the author mixes the different stories about Snegorochka, but also doesn't really follow any of them.

(view spoiler)[I really enjoyed the flow of the book. How in the beginning Faina was something magical and mystical, but with every new step she became more and more ... human. Every time an event would seem similar to a known story about the snow child, something big would happen, but not what Mabel expects. After Garrett kills the fox, others suddenly start seeing Faina. Part of her magic is lost; she becomes real, not part of Jack and Mabel's imagination anymore. Then she decides to stay for the summer (I was also afraid she would melt), and she gets pregnant. Btw, I didn't really like the marriage scene. It was too cheesy, somehow didn't fit with the rest of the book. As well as the getting pregnant part. Too much hollywood...

Anyways, I liked the ending. And I didn't feel sad. I was expecting Faina will go back to the forest, to the wilderness, to the snow. She was the wilderness, she was Alaska. And then they tried to tame her. I was getting annoyed at the scenes where people wouldn't let her outside because it was too cold... like they didn't know her at all! She came from the snow and she became snow again.

So the author didn't answer all questions... But I think that might have been the point. We see magical and human sides of Faina. We can decide ourselves how much of each she was. It all depends on how much magic we want to believe in. (hide spoiler)]

Sorry if my thoughts are not very connected :). I just finished the book and my head is spinning with ideas and possible explanations :))

[Lisa]

Josee wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I haven't seen 'The Fox and the Child' movie Josee but I have just checked it out on IMDB and it sounds really good. Will probably give it a watch once I have finished reading this."

..."

I will do Josee :)

[Lisa]

Sarah wrote: "Come straight to the end without reading any posts (I'm being good!). Now I've finished my alphabet I'm starting this book. Looking forward to it."

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts Sarah.

[Janice, Moderator]

I really like what you had to say in your spoiler, Kirila. I think your comments really explain Faina well, and in a way that I hadn't considered before.

[Sarah, Moderator]

I've read up to the end of chapter 3 so I'm not far in. I'm loving the bleakness of it all. Their landscape is so harsh and unforgiving and it reminds me of the setting of the hotel in The Shining - I get the same feelings about it - at first I think wow that would be great to live out in the middle of nowhere, plenty of peace and quiet and amazing terrain but I think it would send you mad after a while.

Reading about Mabel's trip across the ice (view spoiler)[was really sad and I'm pleased the ice didn't break. When Jack mentioned the ice hadn't fully formed yet and to be careful made me wonder whether he'd also had tried a similar thing in the past or whether it was just concern for his wife?!? I understand why she chose that method to end things as to avoid the stigma for herself and Jack but drowning?!? I can't think of a worse way to die (other than fire). (hide spoiler)]

I can see that after what they had gone through they wanted to escape in to solitude (view spoiler)[(crawl in to their cave and hide away from the world) but instead of it improving their life it made things worse and they have become well and truly stuck in their metaphorical cave. I think the Alaskan landscape and their home setting represents the depression which Mabel (and probably Jack) are experiencing after the loss of their child. When depressed, people withdraw in to themselves and often away from things that would help bring them out of the depression but when in it, it seems the most logical thing to do - this is totally what Mabel has done. (hide spoiler)]

I am really liking the writing style and in places it is very poetic. I have found myself really drawn to all the characters I have met so far.

I was pleased that Mabel and Jack were invited to the Benson's (view spoiler)[for Thanksgiving. It is so what they both need to be able to survive out there. They talk about surviving the winter with regards to food rations and money but they seem to overlooked surviving it on a mental level and that seems to be the problem staring them in the face at the moment. I think Mabel shocked herself by how she coped with the meal and the conversations and she was much more talkative and unable to stop herself. Now some of that might have been nerves but a lot of it was what she so needed - I can't imagine being cooped up inside for weeks on end not having anyone to talk to. I know she has Jack but their relationship has obviously gone down hill with a lot less communication between them than what I suspect they had before. (hide spoiler)]

I'm hooked and can't wait to read on and find out more.

[Sarah, Moderator]

I noticed someone mention the lack of quotation marks and so I've been keeping an eye out as I read. She does use them when characters are in conversation in the present but when a character is recalling a conversation from the past, there is an absence of them. I know that Margaret Attwood does this too - The Handmaid's Tale is a classic example of it.

[Peggy, Moderator]

Kirila wrote: "I just finished it. Two late nights... but always worth it when the book is good. I am sure I will dream of Alaska tonight :) Overall I really enjoyed it. Referring to other people's comments, the ..."

I like your thoughts on the book, especially how Faina (view spoiler)[ seems to become more real everytime something happens, like the killing of the fox. I didn't think of that! I also agree with your comments about the marriage and pregnancy being a bit cheesy. And with being annoyed with people who tried to tame her. I expected her to disappear from the beginning too, but I wish it could have been her living alone in the woods again, not actually dying or going back to not-existing. Or don't you think she died? (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "I noticed someone mention the lack of quotation marks and so I've been keeping an eye out as I read. She does use them when characters are in conversation in the present but when a character is rec..."

Hm, I thought only the conversations including Faina were without quotation marks, but I could be mistaken.

[Sarah, Moderator]

Peggy wrote: "Hm, I thought only the conversations including Faina were without quotation marks, but I could be mistaken. "

There are definitely a couple conversations in the first few chapters in this way - I don't know who Faina is yet (I'm presuming the snow girl whom I have met but she has not provided a name as yet).

[Lisa]

I have finished!

Overall, I thought it was a really enchanting story. I loved the writing (snow has never been this magical in my opinion) and the breathtaking beauty of Alaska was captured and bought to life brilliantly by the author. I really want to visit Alaska now after reading this book!

(view spoiler)[I stated in a earlier post that it would be great to get answers to the many questions this book throws up. However, having now finished it, I am glad that the author left many unanswered at the end because to me it suits the whole feel of the story. The reader uses their imagination so much throughout the course of the narrative and there are so many ways to interpret what may or may not have happened that it would almost have been a shame if the author had decided to explain everything. It would have taken some of the magic out of the story for me.

I thought the ending was bittersweet but fitting. I don't really see how it could have ended any other way. It was a shame that Faina died but it would not have been right for her to live all her life as a human. She belonged outside in the wild and the snow.

The only thing I disliked about the book was the romance between Garrett and Faina. I thought this was the only part of the story that felt rushed. They seemed to meet, fall in love and get married within a few short chapters. I would have liked a bit more time spent on the development of their relationship. Also, why was there no fallout when Garrett killed the fox? Faina didn't seem too bothered and we get no reaction from Mabel whatsoever despite her begging Garrett not to kill the fox on many occasions. I would have thought she would have at least been angry with him for going against her wishes, even if her anger was short-lived. Maybe she never found out what he did but if that was the case, I would have thought she would at least question why the fox was no longer with Faina. (hide spoiler)]

All in all, this was a really enjoyable read that is perfect for a cold winter's night. 4 stars from me.

[Kirila]

Peggy wrote: "Kirila wrote: "I just finished it. Two late nights... but always worth it when the book is good. I am sure I will dream of Alaska tonight :) Overall I really enjoyed it. Referring to other people's..."

Peggy, (view spoiler)[I don't think she died. Maybe in a mortal way. For Mabel and Jack she did. But for me she just became part of Alaska again, part of the snow. And every time it snows, she is there with them. Let's say just her human part died. Her magical side would always be around :) (hide spoiler)]

Lisa, (view spoiler)[I agree about the romance happening too quickly. And about Faina not really caring about the fox. Even though if you think about it, it was Mabel who put a lot of meaning on the fox, not Faina. And because Garrett hid it, Mabel never found out. But yeah, maybe there should have been some consequence... (hide spoiler)]

[Lisa]

Kirila, (view spoiler)[I agree with you about Faina becoming a part of the snow again at the end. She would never walk the earth in human form again but her essence/spirit would always be there in the snow and in the cold. The other thing I wondered is whether her and Garrett's son inherited any of his mother's magic? I think he could have done as he seemed to have the same love of snow as her and when she was pregnant, she felt him really kicking and moving inside her stomach when she went outside during the first snowfall of winter. Was it just coincidence or was it because he is part snow child himself (albeit to a much lesser extent than Faina)? (hide spoiler)]

Also, I liked the fact that (view spoiler)[Mabel inadvertently ended up creating her own version of the snow child fairy tale through the drawings that she did of her and Jack's experiences with Faina. You could almost imagine her drawings getting made into a book which could then be read by the next generation of children (and adults). (hide spoiler)]

[Tejas Janet]

I'm so happy to see the predominantly positive feedback for this book that I found so magical when I read it at the beginning of this year : )

[Sarah, Moderator]

I've read up to the end of chapter 16 now. It's a very magical book.

I too loved the "first snow" scene. (view spoiler)[The way the author describes the setting it is almost as if I were there feeling the snowflakes on my face and like Lisa said, I wanted to join in. I think at this point, Mabel fell in love with Jack all over again and I thought it was a really touching moment - pure beauty. They put so much effort and attention to detail in to making the snowgirl it made me wonder whether it was that, as well as their longing for a child, that might have brought her to life.

I'm loving how the snow girl just turns up and then runs off. She sure has shown up at the right time for them - when they most need some joy and food and I loved how she led Jack to the moose at the time he was not far off giving up.

I cringed a little when Mabel told Esther about the girl - I know it was the logical thing to do but I knew that she wouldn't believe her. I thought it a little naughty of Jack not to back Mabel though especially after the little girl had led him to the moose.

I thought it was great how once Jack had stopped chasing after the girl and just got on with his work, she then stuck around more. I think it's really sweet how she shows up with little gifts for them.

(hide spoiler)]

The little girl is so made for the wild, the woods and the cold. (view spoiler)[I had anticipated her reaction to being indoors in the warm for too long. I just hope she doesn't melt like The Snowman! (hide spoiler)]

The lack of speech marks when the little girl is conversing with Mabel and Jack has to be for a reason and not just to be different. I think perhaps it implies that the snow girl is an illusion but I am sure I will be able to form a better idea as I read further in to the book.

I was quite surprised (and a little confused) (view spoiler)[when the little girl takes Jack up to the dead body of her "father". If it were her father, then she couldn't have come from the snowman?!? It also made me think that perhaps a life had to be taken to make another?! This has intrigued me and I'm eager to read on to find out more. The people in the town say the guy may have been Russian and that's such a coincidence that the book Mabel had as a child detailing the snow maiden was in Russian too and the story is identical to what's going on. I hope not completely though as in that story the girl melts and I think I'll cry if that happens. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah, Moderator]

Just read your spoiler Lisa at the beginning of chapter 17 and your theory sounds like a good one - I had not thought of that - it would certainly explain things. I look forward to finding!

[Lisa]

Having now read the entire thing, (view spoiler)[I still personally think that Faina was once a real child with parents (the dead man in the forest and the woman in the picture). I think she died (most probably from the cold) and then when Jack and Mabel built the girl out of snow, her spirit went into the snow girl and she was reborn as half snow child/half human. The magical snow child side of her was more dominant though and that is why she became one with the snow, the wilderness and nature and was able to survive on her own. Also, because Jack and Mabel were the ones who made the snow girl figure which ultimately gave her life again, she became forever bound to them. She started to live more like a human as the story progressed but that is not the life that she was meant to lead and I think that is why she died in the end. (hide spoiler)]