Absolutely incredible story! I loved every moment of it. First and only 5 star read this year (I’m super stingy with my 5 stars) and this hit every mark. Only criticism I’ll give is the epilogue should’ve just been a final chapter, and then perhaps write an epilogue about

Faina’s time with her “Papa” and more information about his death

. But that’s a super small issue that I’m easily able to overlook. Otherwise, literally perfect story. 

a sweet, mystical story all around. the atmosphere was wonderfully written. did not expect a part near the end—and i didn’t exactly enjoy it—but the ending itself, i felt, was nice nonetheless.

A wonderful book, with a landscape that breathes off the page and seems to make the very air around you colder, about love, loss and the fine line in between. Raw and sincere, I loved this with all my heart and I don’t think any other book ever transported me to a place as well as this book did with Alaska. It really was like a fairytale❤️❤️

"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. 

A beautiful novel on the whole- a little mesmerising and sad at times. I enjoyed reading about life in Alaska and the description of the place immersed me. It's enjoyable to read on a cold, winters day, as you feel somehow closer to the novel because of this.
What I didn't enjoy was the copious amounts of animal killing and hunting. I skipped most parts, but there is an awful lot of it throughout, which does detract from the enjoyment. As a vegan, this is a tough book to read, so skipping it was necessary for me to continue with the book. I was warned not to read this book because of this element, but I'm glad I did because everything else about the novel is brilliant. I loved the setting, as I say, and I liked all the characters, which is rare in a book I think. Esther is probably my favourite, but I did like Mabel and Jack too. 
I was thankful that the author didn't put in a nasty character for the sake of it, but rather concentrated on relationships and character development. A beautiful, poignant story, with sadness and raw emotion throughout.