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The Snow Child

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The Snow Child

By: Eowyn Ivey
Narrated by: Debra Monk
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About this listen

Winner: International Author of the Year – Specsavers National Book Awards 2012

A bewitching tale of heartbreak and hope set in 1920s Alaska. Jack and Mabel have staked everything on making a fresh start for themselves in a homestead 'at the world's edge' in the raw Alaska wilderness. But as the days grow shorter, Jack is losing his battle to clear the land, and Mabel can no longer contain her grief for the baby she lost many years before. The evening the first snow falls, their mood unaccountably changes. In a moment of tenderness, the pair is surprised to find they building a snowman - or rather a snow girl - together.

The next morning, all trace of her has disappeared, and Jack can't quite shake the notion that he glimpsed a small figure - a child? - running through the spruce trees in the dawn light. And how to explain the little but very human tracks Mabel finds at the edge of their property? Written with the clarity and vividness of the Russian fairy-tale from which it takes its inspiration, THE SNOW CHILD is an instant classic - the story of a couple who take a child into their hearts, all the while knowing they can never truly call her their own.

©2012 Eowyn Ivey (P)2012 Headline Digital Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Heartfelt Tear-jerking Alaska

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The Snow Child is the strange and magical tale of a middle-aged couple who, in 1920, leave their gentrified lives for the wilds of Alaska. Jack and Mabel, grieving for the loss of their stillborn child, settle along the shores of the Wolverine River. They are neither practical, nor young, nor strong and they struggle. In a rare moment of levity, Mabel and Jack build a snow child in their yard, adorned with a red hat and mittens. In the morning the hat and the mittens and, indeed, the snow child, have disappeared. A short while later, Mabel sees a girl alone in the snow, with bright blue eyes and white-blonde hair.

‘What happened in that cold dark, when frost formed a halo in the child’s straw hair and snowflake turned to flesh and bone?’

The Snow Child is inspired by Arthur Ransome’s fairy tale, The Little Daughter of the Snow. The book is stunningly beautifully written. It is, perhaps, no surprise how the story ends, yet the how, the when and the why are wonderfully realised. This is a evocative modern version of a fairy story, it is the tale of how a married couple truly begin to understand and heal one another, and the love and loss that ensues when one attempts to tame a wild creature and conquer a wilderness.

A magical, modern fairy story

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Beautiful beautiful book. I'm not much interested in fairytales, magical realism or stories about people who may or may not exist but nevertheless I was drawn to this book even though it seemed this might be the case. I'm so glad I did not let it put me off. I fell in love with the characters. Its one of those books that leave a grief shaped hole in your life when you finish as you don't want your relationship with the people in the book to end, there has been such pleasure having them in your life that you want them there forever. Ditto the landscape which is like a character too, and one I wanted to go on relating to. Highly recommended.

Highly recommended

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A book that will lift your soul and sooth your troubled mind. A classic to be read and re read.

Amazing

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I really loved this book, a wonderful story, beautifully told the characters and the natural world so well created

captivating

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Thus had a lot of potential, and there are intriguing aspects of it. But, as soon as the Snow Child is introduced, and especially when she becomes a woman, it's basically all about how pretty she is, and falls into the same old boy girl tragedy narrative. The character dialogue loses its natural flow, and everything gets sort of hurried to a conclusion. A shame.

Starts strong, spirals into cliché

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I loved this story. It really caught my imagination and the narrator really helped to set the mood. Very much in the style of a traditional/fairy story with an added dimension. Well worth a listen.

A gorgeous story beautifully read.

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This is a beautiful adult fairy tale book. Written artistically and with great feeling. Worth five stars!

Beautiful

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend this book to a friend because it is a really interesting story, beautifully written and told well. Part historical fiction, part magical realism, part fairy tale.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the way the story retold the Snow Child fairy tale by blending the original tales with the lives of an older couple trying to survive on an Alaskan homestead in the 1920s. The characters were really well written and there were so many truly emotional scenes in the book. I really felt for them.

Which character – as performed by Debra Monk – was your favourite?

I liked Debra Monk's performance of Esther the best. She didn't really put on 'voices' so much, but it was clear who was speaking from different inflections.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I listen to audiobooks when driving so I never listen to them all in one sitting, but if I'd had a long journey I think I could've listened to it in one go without getting bored.

A beautiful, moving fairy tale

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Quaint story, a veritable 'modern' fairy story. Held my interest. Interesting insight into the hardship experienced by the early settlers in Alaska. Well worth the listen.

A different take on a fairy tale.

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This is a charming story with wonderful description and imagery. The narrator's soft accent really helps the story along. The emotions of Jack and Mable and the description of the landscape, the animals and the weather are enchanting. This is the perfect listen for a quiet Sunday afternoon. It is a very serene book.

A lovely haunting story with gentle narration

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