The Snow Child

A bewitching tale of heartbreak and hope set in 1920s Alaska. Jack and Mabel hope that a fresh start in 'Alaska, our newest homeland' will enable them to put the strain of their childless marriage behind them. But the northern wilderness proves as unforgiving as it is beautiful: Jack fears that he will collapse under the strain of creating a farm, and the lonely winter eats its way into Mabel's soul. When the first snow falls, the couple find themselves building a small figure - a snow girl. The next morning, their creation has gone, and they see a child running through the spruce trees. Gradually this child - an elusive, untameable little girl who hunts with a fox and is more at ease in the savage landscape than in the homestead - comes into their lives. But as their love for the snow child and for the land she opens up to them grows, so too does their awareness that it, and she, may break their hearts.

'This 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 'If Willa Cather and Gabriel Garcia Marquez had collaborated on a book, THE SNOW CHILD would be it' -- Robert Goolrick, author of A Reliable Wife 'Eowyn Ivey's prose brings the chilly northern wilderness to life' -- Bookseller 'The juxtaposition of the harsh conditions with the magical and gentle descriptions of Faina combine to make a memorable read' -- Sarah Clarke, The Torbay Bookshop