The Snow Child

By: Eowyn Ivey

Narrated by: Therese Plummer

Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead, and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart - he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm; she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season's first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone - but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees.

This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them.

©2012 Eowyn Ivey (P)2018 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"The Snow Child is enchanting from beginning to end. Ivey breathes life into an old tale and makes it as fresh as the season' s first snow. Simply lovely." (Keith Donohue, New York Times best-selling author of The Stolen Child)

"The real magic of The Snow Child is that it's never as simple as it seems, never moves exactly in the direction you think it must.... Sad as the story often is, with its haunting fairy-tale ending, what I remember best are the scenes of unabashed joy." (Ron Charles, Washington Post)

"Eowyn Ivey's exquisite debut transports the reader away to a world almost out of time, into a fairytale destined to both chill and delight. Her portrayal of an untamed Alaska is so detailed you can feel the snowflakes on your own eyelashes, even as her characters' desperate quest for, and ultimate redemption by, love will warm your heart." (Melanie Benjamin, author of Alice I Have Been)

Fairy Tale or Reality? I'm Still Not Sure

Beautifully written (and read), well paced, endearing characters and story. The blurring of lines between fairy tale and reality is well done. I found Jack to be a bit irritating at times, in his refusal to allow Mabel to help with the homestead. Then I remembered the time in which it is placed and it made more sense, but still -- they agreed to homestead together, he could have let her help more. A minor complaint, though.

Could have been so much better

I wanted to like this book. I was excited for scenes of the Alaskan wilderness and to get to know the snow child more. But the whole book felt very mundane and the climax/resolution left so much to be desired. The ending was skimmed over so fast I didn’t believe the book had ended. No depth into the characters thoughts and reactions to everything, especially Mabel, who I thought at least would have some touching inner monologue. It wasn’t horrible, I just thought it had so much more potential.

Great story even better narrator

Unlike some other listeners, it took me several chapters to become engrossed in this story. After that though it was hard to put down. The author did a beautiful job building the characters. It is a magical story with many ups and downs.

Rich, lustrous text and narration

Loved the story, loved the narrator, and really enjoyed the rich and fullness of the author's descriptive imagery.

Was everything the other positive reviews said...

Good stuff. I was sucked into the story and couldn't wait to return repeatedly to hear it in the midst of a busy week.

Mesmerizing

A beautiful story that keeps you guessing. The description of the scenery and homesteading life is spellbinding.

amazing story!

This story tugged at my heart! I didn't want it to end! Survival, commitment, love, and hope!

Sometimes you just need a good Fairytale.

I loved listening to the book. The narration was beautifully read, and the story transports you to another time and place.

Alaska love story

Skillfully written weaving Alaskan wilderness, survival and romance with a Russian fairy tale. Loved it.

Transported to Alaska

Great story with awesome narration. I was frequently transported to the cold cabin in Alaska