The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

 

Reviewed by Christy

            Mabel and Jack have moved all the way from the east coast to the brutal Alaskan frontier – in the hopes that they can start fresh and maybe even heal. It’s been many years since the stillborn death of their only child, and the couple continues to struggle with their grief. It’s 1920, and cars are still a bit of a novelty. If Mabel wants to visit her nearest neighbors, she must hitch up their horse and traverse the wild terrain. But mostly, Jack and Mabel keep to themselves and yet drift further and further apart.

            In a moment of rare levity, they begin frolicking in the snow one night and even build a small snow child. The next morning, the snow child is gone but they catch fleeting glimpses of a young girl running through the forest. What is a child doing alone out in the Alaskan wilderness? And where did she come from?

            Inspired by a Russian fairy tale, The Snow Child is a quiet meditation on the ripples of grief and the importance of found family. To be perfectly honest, not a lot happens in the book. It is slow moving and more concerned with its characters than much of a plot. Ivey takes her time with these characters, which helped me as a reader grow more and more attached to them. She does this while beautifully conjuring up the frozen landscape. I enjoyed this book so much more than I was expecting, and I even shed a tear or two or several. I loved the themes of opening oneself up to new friendships and new adventures. Watching Mabel and Jack grow, not only as people but as a couple, was deeply gratifying.  I can see why the meandering, thin plot wouldn’t be for everyone but this could be a case of the right book hitting me at the right time. If you enjoy character-driven novels with a hint of magical realism, this could be the next read for you.