E
Eowyn Ivey
Snow Child
Synopsis
November, 1920. Jack and Mabel have staked everything on making a fresh start in a homestead "at the world's edge" in the Alaskan 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 years before.
The evening the first snow falls, their mood unaccountably changes. In a moment of tenderness, the two build a snowman — or rather a snow girl — together. Next morning, all trace of her has disappeared... yet there, in dawn's light, running through the spruce trees, Jack glimpses what looks like a child. And how to explain the small but very human tracks Mabel finds at the edge of their property? Inspired by the Russian fairy tale "Snegurochka," Eowyn Ivey's debut blends homestead realism with magical uncertainty as Jack and Mabel's fragile hope takes root around the mysterious girl who calls the forest home.
Genres
Characters
MabelProtagonist
Jack's wife, grieving the loss of a child.
Frequently asked questions
What inspired the story of The Snow Child?
The novel is a reimagining of the Russian folktale Snegurochka, or The Snow Maiden, which the author discovered while working in an Alaskan bookstore. She was particularly drawn to the version titled Little Daughter of the Snow, found in Arthur Ransome's collection Old Peter's Russian Tales.
Is there a specific stylistic choice regarding dialogue in the book?
The author intentionally omits quotation marks when the character Faina speaks, a technique that emphasizes the ambiguity surrounding her nature and whether her interactions are grounded in reality or perception.
Did this book receive any major literary recognition?
The novel was named a finalist for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and earned the author the International Author of the Year award at the 2012 National Book Awards.