Snow Child

While trolling through blogs a month or so ago, I ran across a mention and recommendation of this new book, The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. (Yes, the author was named after  The Lord of the Rings character....)

Touted as a book which could be the literary love-child of a Willa Cather and Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel, set in 1920s Alaska, I was game.

This reimagining of a Russian fairy tale of a childless couple who craft a girl out of snow only to have her come to life starts out strong with lovely imagery and poignant depictions of the main characters.  However, if I were in charge of the editing world, I would recommend that the author not only cut about 1/4 of the book (it bogs down a little in the middle with description of ordinary homesteading-type activities), but also rework the last 1/3 of the book.  The care that Ivey takes in creating three-dimensional characters in the beginning disappears as she shifts focus from the couple to the Snow Child.

I wanted to love this book, but I merely liked it.  I should revise my expectations of glowing reviews for first novels....