Winter and in particularly January can be grey and damp and even a little mlld. It doesn’t often sparkle and glisten. Mostly we don’t wake up to see layers of icing sugar snow on our streets. When it does snow though, for a little while everything is magical. The air is fresh. The light is bright, street lamps glow a warm orange and sound is muffled. As a child longing for days off school, these are the days you dream of. To wake up, knowing the bus won’t get through and pull on mittens and mufflers. Building snowmen and throwing snowballs. Laying on the ground, arms and legs splayed, carving snow angels onto the cold ground. This is the stuff of story books, which is sometimes just what we need. A blast of cold air a, pretty Christmas card scene, glowing cheeks and cold toes.
If you find yourself longing for snow might I suggest your turn your attention to these books.
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey.
Set in snowy Alaska, this is beautiful in every way. It has the quality of a fairy tale and enough beautiful snowy scenes and wild beauty to satisfy your snow starved soul. This story of a little girl made from snow magically brought to life appears at just the right time in the lives of the lonely couple who unknowingly created her. There are snowball fights, ice skating and snowballs, and the writing is as gentle and delicate as snow it self.
“As they watched, thick frost unfurled in feathers and swirls across the glass, slowly spreading from the centre toward the corners. Lacy white vines grew in twists and loops, and icy flowers blossomed”
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Snowy days are fairy tale days which is my justification for choosing another ‘magical’ book. Who doesn’t think of snow when reading the book where it is eternally winter but never Christmas. Talking animals, mystical creatures, thick blankets of snow, fur lined capes and turkish delight. This wonderful story and its wintery landscape is the perfect place to lose yourself in when longing for snow. You may also be cured from longing for too much snow as the story unfolds
“It is winter in Narnia,” said Mr. Tumnus, “and has been for ever so long…. always winter, but never Christmas.”
The Little Book of Snow by Sally Coulthard
This very pretty and well designed little book is full of insights and facts about snow. It delves (but not too deep) into the literary, science and cultural heritage of snow, frost ice. The perfect book to pick up when snuggled into an arm chair with a mug of hot chocolate.
Cut off From Crumpets by Margaret Joyce Baker
I read this as a child lolling on the sofa in the heat of summer. It is the story of a family on holiday during winter. The area they are staying is having an usually large amount of snow. The holiday becomes a great adventure as parents and children are separated, and children have to cope on their own. My memories of reading this are so vivid. When I eventually raised my bookish head and looked out of the window I couldn’t quite believe there wasn’t snow on the ground, so lost was I in the story. Sadly I do not know where my copy went, and I haven’t been able to find another. But my very much younger self would definitely recommend it.
Also:
South by Ernest Shackleton
The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard
Here’s hoping for snow !!
