A really lovely and magical book. A good reminder that we don't need to know everything or have an explanation of everything. Very often the magic is in the not-knowing. Absolutely perfect book to brighten up a very cold and often grey January.

No!, why did it have to end?!

It was just OK. Two stars is a perfect description. Adequately paced, adequately edited, and with an adequate level of interest. For some, this will no doubt be a 5-star book. I do not think I am the intended audience.

One of the most heart-achingly beautiful books I have ever read. To say more would be to spoil it. Just read it.

This novel was brlliant!! It started out by describing the harshness of the Alaskan wilderness. It was very grey and bleak and you could almost feel the coldness seeping through the pages. You could feel Mabel's dispair as she walked along the ice. From there it became and enchanting fairy tale that kept you guessing til the end. Was Faina a child that came alive from the snow or was she a real girl? First you thought one, then the other. Back and forth through the entire story. The secondary characters in this book were fantastic. I really loved Mrs. Benson. She was very quirky and the story wouldn't have been complete without her. This book was filled with so much wonder and you became so engrossed in the lives of the characters, it is hard to believe that this is Ms. Ivey's first novel. I highly recommend it because we all need a little magic in our lives and I will definately read more by this author.

I really liked this book, an simple and enchanting story with some great imagery and descriptions