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REVIEWS
Light on Snow by Anita Shreve
Set during the stark yet beautiful winter season in New Hampshire, Light on Snow explores family dynamics, moral ambiguity and a search for redemption and belonging. While the themes and subject matter may not be completely original, the novel itself is engrossing and well-written.
The novel begins with the serendipitous discovery of an abandoned baby in the woods near the Dillon home, where 12-year-old Nicky lives with her widower dad. The child lives, but Nicky is forever haunted by her realization that the world is a cruel place. When a woman named Charlotte turns up at the family's door, they discover that she is the baby's mother and responsible for the neglect. The
fact that Nicky is still recovering from the deaths of her mother and baby sister only adds to the crisis of conscience.
Nicky and her father wait out a snowstorm with Charlotte and decide what to do next. Torn between rage and sympathy, her father tries to decide whether or not to turn Charlotte in. Meanwhile, Nicky takes to Charlotte as a new mother figure.
I couldn't figure out why Shreve chose to have an adult Nicky narrate the novel, and yet keep it in present tense. It almost feels like a breakdown in parallel structure. Parts of the novel descend into the realm of the sugary sweet, but it's forgivable. Shreve develops her characters well, while still maintaining a
succinct, crisp style that probably saves the book from becoming downright musy.
Like most of Shreve's books, this will probably appeal to mature women with mainstream tastes, and that's fine. There's nothing new or revolutionary, and it asks the same questions that have been posed countless times before. The novel is enjoyable and entertaining, but once this snowflake hits your tongue, it evaporates.
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Price: $14.95
Available in paperback
★★★
Kelsey Hayes
★ You'll wish you were dead ★ You'll want to leave the theater early ★★★ You'll say "eh" ★★★★ You'll rave to everyone who asks , ★★★★ You'll have a religious experience.
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02. 16.2006 JAYPLAY < 19
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