The perfect blend of historical fiction and magical realism. Mabel and Jack move to Alaska in the 1920s to escape their grief from infant loss and infertility. One whimsical night, amidst the grueling work homesteading in the harsh Alaskan winter, they build a snow child and by morning they discover she’s come to life. Their friends think they’ve gone mad; however she continues to show up on their land at the first snow of each winter and their lives are forever changed. 

This was an evocative portrayal of grief and longing, and Ivey did a great job capturing the beauty and danger of Alaska! Can’t wait to read more from this author.

The Snow Child is about a middle-aged man and woman, Jack and Mabel, who leave the comfort of their familiar life and withdraw to Alaska after losing a child. The loss has taken a toll on their marriage, they’re struggling to establish their new homestead, and Mable is considering suicide. 

In a moment of uncharacteristic playfulness one night, Jack and Mable make a snowman outside their cabin. In the morning, it’s gone-- but they suddenly catch a glimpse of a young girl at the edge of the woods near their house, wearing the same scarf and mittens the snowman had been decorated with.  

Jack and Mabel start seeing the girl more and more often, and they become obsessed with looking for and learning about her. It’s not clear to them—or to the reader-- whether the girl is real and feral, living alone in the Alaskan wilderness, or a figment of their imagination, or a snow child, stepped from a fairy tale. Around this time, they also make friends with a local family who help them establish their fields and crops. As the friendship grows between the two families, and as Jack and Mabel increase their contact with the mysterious girl, their circumstances improve: Crops come in, the marriage rekindles, and there is joy and purpose in their lives again.  

One thing the book does well is that it keeps the reader guessing whether the “snow child” is real or supernatural. Is she a rugged native girl with keen survival skills, or a magical sprite made entirely from the winter elements? I also liked the fairy tale structure of the story: A poor, grief-stricken, couple is struggling to survive in the wilderness with meager resources, facing tragedy and hardship, until a mysterious figure inexplicably appears one day and their luck begins to turn. 

While some people have described this book as “sweet” and “uplifting,” I couldn’t disagree more. It was certainly beautiful, even magical, at times—but if fairy tales are supposed to have morals, the moral of The Snow Child seemed to land somewhere between: “You’re going to destroy the thing you claim to love, by trying to control it” and “Outsiders showing up to impose their “civilized” way of life on others don’t always know best.” I personally saw the message as ominous and the ending as a tragedy. 

Well written with a lot of emotion. Beautiful use of the Alaskan wilderness in the plot. I just kept waiting for something to HAPPEN. It felt like the story was leading towards a plot climax, but it never did. 

This isn't quite what I expected. It was a lot less fantasy and a lot more historical fiction. That being said it was a beautiful story about grief and learning to cope with what happens in life instead of wishing it was different. If you're into historical fiction and ready to cry (and be annoyed with Jack for the first half of the book), then I would suggest this book. 

CW: suicidal ideation, grief, child loss. 

"But there was something about the child, too. Without her, he would never have seen the moose. She led him here and alerted him when, like a cloud, he had passed the animal. She moved through the forest with the grace of a wild creature. She knew the snow, and it carried her gently. She knew the spruce trees, how to slip among their limbs, and she knew the animals, the fox and ermkne, the moose and songbirds. She knew this land by heart."

1920s Alaska sees pioneers trying to survive, to farm and hunt, in this new and challenging environment. Inspired by folk tales, without the child they sadly wanted, Jack and Mabel 'build one' from snow and how she changes their lives could not be predicted. An emotional and poignant, slow-burning tale of family, friends, survival and a love letter to Alaska.

Sweet with the sadness that comes from so many children’s fairytales. You know it’s a bit doomed but you can’t help but hope this time will be different. I liked the growth of every one of the characters. 

On another hand it weirdly made me want to homestead.