On the Shelves...

by Glenda Smith

Light on Snow

by Anita Shreve

Anita Shreve is a popular and prolific writer, and this novel shows her appeal very well. It is the story of a baby abandoned in the snow, and at the same time an examination of the lives of the bereaved father and daughter who find it. They had lost two members of their family in a car accident and had retreated into an out-of-the way place from their city life.

The daughter, Nicky, narrates the events in retrospect which allows a clever combination of her youth at the time and maturity of thought. As in other such novels (think Storm Boy) the intrusion of someone in need of care shakes up the narrow existence of the protagonists. Nicky’s father has allowed his own grief to circumscribe his daughter’s life, and this significant incident gives her the wherewithal to challenge his hermit-like existence.

Readers get a strong sense of the New England area of the US in winter; the loneliness and resilience of the narrator; the consequences a teenage pregnancy can have and the importance of family.

All books reviewed are from the CWA library on a separate shelf in the library so they are easy to find plus the reviews are in a folder. Also have a look in the street library.