A magical novel with a distinctly grown-up sensibility, THE SNOW CHILD will appeal to fans of imaginative reading group fiction, such as THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE, THE LOVELY BONES and THE BOOK THIEF.
A bewitching tale of heartbreak and hope set in 1920s Alaska.
Jack and Mabel hope that a fresh start in 'Alaska, our newest homeland' will enable them to put the strain of their childless marriage behind them. But the northern wilderness proves as unforgiving as it is beautiful: Jack fears that he will collapse under the strain of creating a farm, and the lonely winter eats its way into Mabel's soul.
When the first snow falls, the couple find themselves building a small figure - a snow girl. The next morning, their creation has gone, and they see a child running through the spruce trees. Gradually this child - an elusive, untameable little girl who hunts with a fox and is more at ease in the savage landscape than in the homestead - comes into their lives. But as their love for the snow child and for the land she opens up to them grows, so too does their awareness that it, and she, may break their hearts.
About the Author
Named after a character from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Eowyn Ivey currently works at an independent bookstore in Palmer, Alaska. Before that, she was a reporter and editor for the Frontiersman newspaper and won a number of awards, including Best Non-Daily Columnist from the Alaska Press Club. Several of her short stories have been published in the anthology, Cold Flashes, and the literary journal, Cirque. Eowyn lives in Alaska with her husband and two daughters. The Snow Child is her debut novel.
Industry Reviews
'This book is real magic, shot through from cover to cover with the cold, wild beauty of the Alaskan frontier. Eowyn Ivey writes with all the captivating delicacy of the snowfalls she so beautifully describes' -- Ali Shaw, author of The Girl With Glass Feet 'If Willa Cather and Gabriel Garcia Marquez had collaborated on a book, THE SNOW CHILD would be it' -- Robert Goolrick, author of A Reliable Wife 'An enchanting tale of isolation, hope and love' -- Woman and Home 'a magical, heartbreaking story... gorgeous' -- Marie Claire 'A mystical tale of heartbreak and hope' -- InStyle 'an original and magical debut' -- Good Housekeeping 'a stunning debut novel' -- Reader's Digest 'It's beautifully written, imaginative and the story expresses real human emotions of love and loss... I think this could be one to win lots of prizes this year' -- Essentials Magazine "Ivey grew up in Alaska, and still lives there with her family, and it's the harsh beauty of the landscape that gives this stunning first novel its unique shape and atmosphere" -- The Times "what sets Ivey's brand of magicial realism apart if her ability to convey, in prose as crystalline as a snowflake, the wildness of the frozen land and the privations suffered by settlers trying to make their lives there. Her Alaskan landscape is a place of such extreme beauty and cruelty that the fairy tale its heart is only one of the spells it casts." -- Metro "it is the magic and not the realism that will sell a million copies of this book... calls to mind another debut The Time Traveller's Wife, whose readership this book aims (rightly and deservedly) to captivate" -- The Spectator "Taking its genesis from an old Russian fairy tale, the author fleshes out her story of emotional and geographical desolation and of enduring suffering and loss, with a terrific combination of toughness and delicacy." -- Sunday Times "It is an exceptional book that deserves to melt millions of hearts" -- Sunday Express "enchanting tale of love, hope and survival in the frozen North" -- Daily Mail
