In this magical debut, a couple's lives are changed forever by the arrival of a little girl, wild and secretive, on their snowy doorstep.
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.
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"This book is enchanting, beautifully written in such a way that brings the Alaskan wildlife and landscape to life. At times I felt I could see the mountains or was walking through the snowy woods. In parts a little slow but well worth four stars. Great escapism."
— Berni (4 out of 5 stars)
“If Willa Cather and Gabriel Garcia Marquez had collaborated on a book, The Snow Child would be it. It is a remarkable accomplishment.”
— Robert Goolrick, New York Times bestselling author“A magical yet brutally realistic tale.”
— O, The Oprah Magazine“Captivating.”
— San Francisco Chronicle“Long winters come alive in Ivey’s novel about 1920s-era homesteaders in Alaska.”
— New York Times“Ivey sets up the two most powerful forces in any story: fear on the one hand, potential for the miraculous on the other.”
— Newsday“Ivey’s prose brings the chilly northern wilderness to life.”
— Bookseller“Enchanting from beginning to end…As fresh as the season’s first snow. Simply lovely.”
— Keith Donohue, author of The Motion of Puppets“A transporting tale…An amazing achievement.”
— Sena Jeter Naslund, author of Ahab’s WifeLong winters come alive in Ivey's novel about 1920s-era homesteaders in Alaska.
— Tina Jordan, New York TimesIf Willa Cather and Gabriel Garcia Marquez had collaborated on a book, THE SNOW CHILD would be it. It is a remarkable accomplishment -- a combination of the most delicate, ethereal, fairytale magic and the harsh realities of homesteading in the Alaskan wilderness in 1918. Stunningly conceived, beautifully told, this story has the intricate fragility of a snowflake and the natural honesty of the dirt beneath your feet, the unnerving reality of a dream in the night. It fascinates, it touches the heart. It gallops along even as it takes time to pause at the wonder of life and the world in which we live. And it will stir you up and stay with you for a long, long time.
— Robert Goolrick, New York Times bestselling author of A Reliable WifeTHE 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 bestselling author of The Stolen ChildA transporting tale . . . an amazing achievement.
— Sena Jeter Naslund, New York Times bestselling author of Ahab's WifeTHE SNOW CHILD is a vivid story of isolation and hope on the Alaska frontier, a narrative of struggle with the elements and the elemental conflict between one's inner demons and dreams, and the miracle of human connection and community in a spectacular, dangerous world. You will not soon forget this story of learning to accept the gifts that fate and love can bring."—Robert Morgan, author of Gap Creek
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 BeenMagical, yes, but THE SNOW CHILD is also satisfyingly realistic in its depiction of 1920s homestead-era Alaska and the people who settled there, including an older couple bound together by resilient love. Eowyn Ivey's poignant debut novel grabbed me from the very first pages and made me wish we had more genre-defying Alaska novels like this one. Inspired by a fairy tale, it nonetheless contains more depth and truth than so many books set in this land of extremes.
— Andromeda Romano-Lax, author of The Spanish BowThis 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" Well written, but ending wasn't what I hoped. "
— Stacy, 2/8/2014" A very touching and intimate story. A pleasure to read, beautifully descriptive. "
— Caryn, 1/24/2014" I didn't really enjoy this book, I was determined to finish and glad when I did, it was quite strange and I really didn't enjoy all the killing and gutting of animal scenes, but I am a bit soft like that. However it was well written, it just wasn't my type of book. "
— Jo-anne, 1/21/2014" beautiful imagery. I thought that this would bug me- a fairy tale written for adults, but it was lovely. The characters were complex and endearing. It made me want to go homestead in Alaska! "
— Luisa, 1/20/2014" A beautifully written story. It is rare for the words of a book to catch you like this one. A real pleasure to read. Full of emotions and the hardships of real life as well another more magical side. A great read. I would recommend whole heartedly! "
— Jayne, 1/19/2014" This was a lovely, touching novel with wonderfully developed characters. I might have liked it even more if it had ended sooner. I don't know that I needed the last part of the story to appreciate the impact of the story. "
— Marsha, 1/19/2014" Enjoyable read... The first part moves along at a lovely pace and then it seems to suddenly move quickly through the years. Almost seems as if the author tires of the story and just needs to get it done. "
— Dorothy, 1/12/2014" Read it, read it, read it right now!! Sublime, intriguing, beautifully perfect!!! "
— Jakki, 1/12/2014" Beautiful imagery. Characters to love and a bit if mystical mystery in a tale of pioneering survival in Alaska "
— Sylvia, 12/22/2013" I actually only read about 50 pages. It just didn't hold my interest. "
— Tonya, 12/2/2013" A beautiful and eerie story "
— Eliza, 12/1/2013" Loved this book. I kind of had a feeling it wasn't going to have the happiest ending, but well written. "
— Tina, 11/7/2013" This is a truly beautiful book "
— Anouk, 9/28/2013" Lovely "
— John Kilmer, 7/20/2013" A retelling of a classic Russian fairy tale, of which I was not familiar. I enjoy modernist fairy tales, and, although this was fairly predictable, it was well written. "
— Valerie, 2/4/2013" I really enjoyed this sweet tale of a childless couple and the "snow child" that they create. "
— Jan, 1/31/2013" Wonderful. I couldn't put it down- read it in an afternoon. "
— sandhya, 12/9/2012" This really was a lovely book...a wonderful blend of myth and survival and family. Loved it. "
— Neesha, 9/25/2012" I really liked this one...saving my comments for book club, though! :) "
— Monica, 9/11/2012" This book was recommended to me by my friend 'Lani'. She rant about it, but to me it was a depressing book. Perhaps because I hate the cold and the hardship the couple endured. I have to say, it's beautifully written! "
— TBuck, 8/25/2012" Beautifully written..magical story. A great winter read. Snuggle up to the fire with this book, you won't be disappointed. (Except when it ends ) "
— Kathryn, 8/10/2012" Lovely book, charming characters, magical plot, beautiful writing, great read. I don't want to say more as not to ruin the books for others. "
— Nuran, 8/6/2012" This was a wonderful story. I loved the descriptions of the scenery and the author had a way with making you feel that you were there in the story. It made me think of "Life of Pi" because I wasn't sure if it was real or fantasy. "
— Teresa, 8/1/2012" Bordered on the unbelievable but I liked it. It had a fairy tale quality to it. No evil queen, though. "
— Mary, 7/31/2012" The strength of this book is the descriptive prose and wonderful imagery created. The first half is wonderful, but I feel rather let down with the ending. "
— Katrina, 6/3/2012" For the most part I enjoyed this book, it was a really quick read. I liked the hard details of life in Alaska as well. And without giving anything away, I went back & forth on whether I liked the ending. I wish some of the characters psyche's had been delved into deeper. "
— Sandy, 5/12/2012" This was a great story. It turned out to be historical, fantastical, tragic, hopeful and beautifully written. "
— Rachel, 4/27/2012Eowyn Ivey is the author of To the Bright Edge of the World and The Snow Child, her debut novel. The Snow Child, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and an international bestseller published in twenty-six languages. Ivey earned her BA in journalism and creative writing from Western Washington University and studied creative nonfiction at the University of Alaska. She is a founding member of 49 Writers, Alaska’s first statewide writing center, and lives in her native Alaska with her husband and two daughters.