Light on Snow

My mom picked up this book in a neighborhood community library in Ann Arbor. Then, after she finished it, she passed it on to me just after Christmas saying vaguely “it’s a story about life.” I read this book in two days.

It’s a compelling story with a lot of snappy dialogue full of meaning - a classic page turner.

Told from the perspective of 12 year old girl named Nicky, Anita Shreve’s story has the arc of a girl’s coming of age novel with a plot driven by very adult decisions in difficult situations. What would happen if things were different? What does the butterfly effect look like in someone’s life? How do people grieve at different stages of life? And finally, what happens next?

A story that drives you forward and show more deep like a snowplow yet still treats you gently as you grapple with your sense of ethics in a complicated situation through the eyes of a child. Definitely enjoyed it and hope you do too. show less

My first Anita Shreve book, subject matter and audience meant it wasn't on my 'To Read' list but my wife chucked it on my side of the bed with a sneaky wink. After half an hour I knew I was hooked. The interplay between the daughter and father was gripping and gritty. The tension gets you early on, the characters are strong and believable, at some point in you are rooting for each of them in turn. At the end of the book, I felt satisfied, well done Anita, it was a 'Goodread'.

Anita Shreve is one of those authors that makes me shiver. Partly with anticipation (a new title of hers is always exciting), and partly from fear. She touches on sensitive topics, and more than once I have put one of her books down for months, because I thought I wasn't strong enough to handle that particular topic at that time. But this power she has, is a real strength. I mean, how can she affect me more closely, more realistically, and more thoroughly than watching the news? Her characters are always real and compelling, and there are always more sides to the story than you thought at first. She leaves you thinking about what else might be going on behind the scenes.
Light on Snow is lighter than some other offerings, but as a show more result, there was nothing stopping me from diving in fully, and reading this book until it was done. And then re-reading some of the bits to make sure I ate up the whole thing. I loved all of the characters, (that's rare; usually there's someone that you can't stand in a book; but this one was full of friends). This would be a good book in which to become familiar with Anita Shreve. Very enjoyable, if a little lighter than others (if finding a baby; abandoned to die, in the snow, can be called "lighter" than other topics). show less

3.5 stars

Nicky is 12-years old. She and her father moved from New York to rural New Hampshire after Nicky lost her mom and sister. While they are showshoeing one day, they come across an abandoned baby left to die in the snow.

The book alternates between the current situation with the found baby and backing up to time to learn about how Nicky and her Dad came to where they are now.

This was good. It started off with a “bang” and I wanted to keep reading. Part-way through, I wasn’t happy with some of the decisions they made – especially Nicky’s father, being the adult. But I did like the way the book ended.

12 yr old Nicky was taking a walk in the forest with her father when they heard the cry that would change their lives. The cry of a baby abandoned in the snow. Follow the events which cause the shadows and questions that laid still and quiet since the death of Nicky's mom and little sister surface, as does the mother of the abandoned child. Discover the choices which lead each person to be where they are and the little details which enable them to grow to be who they destined to become.

I found this book to be completely engrossing and could not put it down until the last page was turned. I could feel the emotions emanating from the characters. I was impressed with the vividness in which Anita Shreve was able to bring them to life. I show more found myself on a wild emotional roller coaster ride as I turned the pages. A must read. show less

Twin tragedies, one resulting in deaths and one in a rescue, bookend this fast-paced story by the beloved Shreve, author of the fantastic Weight of Water, who died recently. Daughter Nicky and father Robert have retreated to rural New Hampshire upon the sudden collapse of their family. While snowshoeing, they discover a newborn wrapped in a sleeping bag, and the crisis turns their lives inside out once again. The novel is most believably told by Nicky, in her perfect pre-adolescent strong voice.

An after-school stroll leads to a life-altering event for widower Robert Dillon and his 12-year-old daughter, Nicky, in this delicate new novel by acclaimed author Shreve (All He Ever Wanted,etc.). In the woods surrounding their secluded home in Shepherd, N.H., Robert and Nicky make a startling discovery—a baby abandoned and left to die in the snow. The infant survives, but the incident leaves its mark. Still recovering from the painful loss of her mother and infant sister two years earlier, and readjusting to the shock of a sudden move from suburban Westchester to rural Shepherd, Nicky struggles to reconcile her innocent notions of adult integrity with the bleak reality of their discovery. The tenuous sense of normalcy Robert manages show more to sustain is broken with the appearance of Charlotte, the baby's young mother, on his doorstep. Retold 18 years later by an adult Nicky but written in the present tense, the story shifts brilliantly between childlike visions of a simple world and the growing realization of its cruel ambiguities. Aside from a few saccharine moments and a rather pat ending, Shreve does a skilled job of portraying grief, conflict and anger while leaving room for hope, redemption and renewal. Her characters are sympathetic without being pitiable, and her prose remains deceptively simple and eloquent throughout. show less