By Eowyn Ivey
Little, Brown and Co., 2012. 389 pgs. Fiction
Jack and Mabel are a childless couple who move to Alaska in the 1920's to try to start a new life for themselves. They grow apart as Jack struggles to turn their farm into something that can sustain them and Mabel is left in the cabin all day with a crushing loneliness that she can't escape. On the first snow fall of the winter they unexpectedly find themselves building a beautiful little snow girl together in the yard. The next morning the snow girl is destroyed, the mittens and scarf are gone and a lone pair of footprints leads into the woods. Soon they start seeing a little girl darting among the trees with a red fox. Mabel remembers a Russian fairy tale that her father used to tell her as a girl about a childless old couple and a snow child.
This novel covers a large span of time so many of the day to day happenings are left out but then great detail is given to the sights and smells of the wilderness. It was a good balance. There was also the element of the Russian fairy tale woven into the story that created just a little touch of magic and mystery. I really enjoyed this novel which surprised me because the plot is fairly slow and the whole book has a sad feel to it. The authors language and descriptions are beautiful. There aren't many characters, but it is fascinating to watch them evolve over the years. This is one of those stories that will stay with me for a long time.
AL
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