The Snow Child

I just finished my second book of 2012, The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey.  It doesn't come out until the beginning of next month, but one of the greatest things about my job is I get Advanced Readers Copies (ARCs) of books.  It has been awhile since I picked one up that really captivated me, and boy did this one ever!

It takes place in 1920 in Alaska, about a couple who move there in grief to homestead.  They are childless, and one night in the first snowfall of the year, they build a snow child together.  The next day, a young girl appears in the woods, a secretive, flitting, sprightly child, who slowly becomes part of their world.  Based on the Russian fairy tale, Ivey weaves a story that is at once stark and spare in its prose, and yet rich and engrossing and utterly fulfilling.  The magic of the little girl is just enticing enough, without going overboard with fantasy.  I couldn't put it down, and hope that you will consider picking it up.  It is the perfect book to curl up with on these cold dark days.

It also has one of the most fantastic book trailers I have seen yet.  If you aren't aware, book trailers are becoming an excellent and creative way of releasing a title, much like a movie.  I've seen several, and this one best captures the feel of the book.