New Book: The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

  

The Snow Child: A Novel (US) or The Snow Child (UK) by Eowyn Ivey is slated for a February 1st release but it is already shipping from Amazon and other booksellers.

I haven't read the book, don't own a copy, so I can't review it, but what charms me about it so far is that it draws inspiration from a fairy tale that is not well-known, but it is beloved by many fairy tale readers. For this reason, although Ivey is American, the book has been released earlier in foreign languages and is being well-received in many countries. You can see a collection of covers on her site.

I didn't see any discussion of the fairy tale origins--that doesn't mean they don't exist--so I thought I would share links to a Russian snow child tale available on SurLaLune at The Little Daughter of the Snow. If you read it, you will recognize the book described here.

This tale shouldn't be confused with The Snow Child ATU Type 1362 which deals more with a wife's questionable loyalty to her husband. This tale is much more bittersweet in which a couple longs for a child together and create one out of snow. It is a bittersweet tale, especially for the childless.
Book description:

A bewitching tale of heartbreak and hope set in 1920s Alaska.

Jack and Mabel have staked everything on making a fresh start for themselves in a homestead 'at the world's edge' in the raw 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 many years before.

The evening the first snow falls, their mood unaccountably changes. In a moment of tenderness, the pair are surprised to find themselves building a snowman - or rather a snow girl - together. The next morning, all trace of her has disappeared, and Jack can't quite shake the notion that he glimpsed a small figure - a child? - running through the spruce trees in the dawn light. And how to explain the little but very human tracks Mabel finds at the edge of their property?

Written with the clarity and vividness of the Russian fairytale from which it takes its inspiration, The Snow Child is an instant classic - the story of a couple who take a child into their hearts, all the while knowing they can never truly call her their own.

You can read an exceprt at BiblioFiles. It also has a charming book trailer, one of my favorites in a while: