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bonniew's review
5.0
A story of a family mystery as a family tree is slowly unpicked. Of particular interest as I put my own family tree together. Excellent character depictions and telling of young family life, the contradictions of life and in particular motherhood.
lindsey74's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A really enjoyable read that takes the reader on a journey through the years and across the world. An emotional story of love and family secrets.
cattiemo's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
shellc86's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jacki_f's review
4.0
It's 1949 and Caroline Gillan is investigating a mystery in her husband's family. His great-grandmother has been completely expunged from the records and Caroline is determined to find out who she was. When a skeleton is found on the family home's grounds, she wonders if this might be the missing woman and if so, what happened to her. Her investigation dovetails with the story of Alasdair's great-grandfather and his travels to the Arctic Circle.
The novel's structure is not very original but the storyline worked. The 19th century travels to Canada were really interesting while in the more recent timeframe there was the mysterious body that kept me guessing (three or four plausible possibilities for their identity are thrown up).
It wasn't an amazing book but I enjoyed reading it and I felt like I was transported to another time and place for a while when I read it.
The novel's structure is not very original but the storyline worked. The 19th century travels to Canada were really interesting while in the more recent timeframe there was the mysterious body that kept me guessing (three or four plausible possibilities for their identity are thrown up).
It wasn't an amazing book but I enjoyed reading it and I felt like I was transported to another time and place for a while when I read it.
bibliocatts's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
e_pp's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
captaincocanutty's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I'm so glad I picked up this book. I felt like I was personally visiting Scotland and the Arctic, it was so fascinating to read.
I appreciated the character growth and maturity in the 1949 timeline, and I really felt invested in the characters and plot of the 1882 timeline. I did not know a lot about Scotland during that time period, so that made it extra interesting for me to read.
I appreciated the character growth and maturity in the 1949 timeline, and I really felt invested in the characters and plot of the 1882 timeline. I did not know a lot about Scotland during that time period, so that made it extra interesting for me to read.
readwithshereenx's review
5.0
BOOK REVIEW
A Woman Made of Snow - Elisabeth Gifford
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
How do you solve the mysteries of a love frozen in time? Caroline Gillan and her new husband m Alasdair have moved back to Kelly Castle, his family estate in the wilds of Scotland. Stuck caring for their baby and trying to avoid her opinionated mother-in-law, Caroline feels lonely and adrift. But while sorting through old papers, Caroline stumbles across a century-old mystery which sparks her back to life. There is one Gillan bride who has disappeared from history. No photos or records of her exist. The only certainty is that she had a child: Alasdair's grandmother. As Caroline unearths a strange love story that stretches as far as the m Arctic circle, her curiosity about the missing bride turns into an obsession. And when a body is found in the grounds of the castle, Caroline begins an investigation which could change the course of her life forever….
So I always make myself read 100pages of a book before I determine if it’s a DNF. This one was soooo close, I was nearing the 100 pages and I was so close to putting it down. And then I didn’t. Because at that last minute something happened and I was HOOKED! The book starts off very slow, and I suppose the full story is a very slow moving story. But the twist, and the resulting storyline that comes from it…. I found it fascinating! Historical Fiction is not a genre I usually go for, but this was amazing. To read about the history of a culture I have never heard about, let alone knew that books were being written about. I actually found finishing the book and doing a Google deep dive. I was engrossed and fascinated. By the time the past story got well underway I wasn’t really bothering about how those in the ‘present’ would discover it. I just wanted to read all about the ‘then’ Very slow paced and does take a while to get into, but trust me, stick it out because it is soooo with it!
A Woman Made of Snow - Elisabeth Gifford
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
How do you solve the mysteries of a love frozen in time? Caroline Gillan and her new husband m Alasdair have moved back to Kelly Castle, his family estate in the wilds of Scotland. Stuck caring for their baby and trying to avoid her opinionated mother-in-law, Caroline feels lonely and adrift. But while sorting through old papers, Caroline stumbles across a century-old mystery which sparks her back to life. There is one Gillan bride who has disappeared from history. No photos or records of her exist. The only certainty is that she had a child: Alasdair's grandmother. As Caroline unearths a strange love story that stretches as far as the m Arctic circle, her curiosity about the missing bride turns into an obsession. And when a body is found in the grounds of the castle, Caroline begins an investigation which could change the course of her life forever….
So I always make myself read 100pages of a book before I determine if it’s a DNF. This one was soooo close, I was nearing the 100 pages and I was so close to putting it down. And then I didn’t. Because at that last minute something happened and I was HOOKED! The book starts off very slow, and I suppose the full story is a very slow moving story. But the twist, and the resulting storyline that comes from it…. I found it fascinating! Historical Fiction is not a genre I usually go for, but this was amazing. To read about the history of a culture I have never heard about, let alone knew that books were being written about. I actually found finishing the book and doing a Google deep dive. I was engrossed and fascinated. By the time the past story got well underway I wasn’t really bothering about how those in the ‘present’ would discover it. I just wanted to read all about the ‘then’ Very slow paced and does take a while to get into, but trust me, stick it out because it is soooo with it!