A review by emilyinherhead
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

"In my old age, I see that life itself is often more fantastic and terrible than the stories we believed as children, and that perhaps there is no harm in finding magic among the trees."

This is a tender story of an older couple who has recently moved to Alaska after suffering a loss, to strike out on their own and live off the land. The morning after a big snowstorm, during which they built a small child out of snow, they spot a girl lingering in the woods around their property, and from there, the book follows them as they attempt to build a relationship with her.

The Snow Child is about the snow child, sure, but it's also about loneliness, and grief, and healing, and friendship, and family, and figuring out your purpose in life, and remembering how to be excited. It's a gorgeous book to read in the winter—Eowyn Ivey nails her descriptions of the Alaskan cold, but she infuses the sadness with hope, too.
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