Fell instantly in love with this haunting story…..
“A Woman Made of Snow” - ‘A gorgeous, haunting and captivating novel of a century-long family mystery in the wilds of Scotland, and one woman's hunt for the truth.’ Those adjectives couldn’t be more apt! I was literally swept away to the imposing Kelly Castle in Scotland and the wilderness of the Arctic Plains, with the whaling boats, the Eskimos and the freezing conditions.
The 1949 prologue set my intrigue roaring and it didn’t take me long to feel a part of the Gillan family and desperate myself to trace the family history of Oliver’s ‘missing’ wife. The dual timelines were superbly connected and were portrayed between the chapters with exact precision. The Arctic scenes set in the early 1880’s were researched meticulously and the author has evidently carried out extreme investigations into the whaling boats of that time and Scottish harbours and its inhabitants.
This historical family drama is as much a crime mystery as the family saga itself and truly kept me guessing. Powerfully poignant and at times emotional, the romantic relationship between Oliver and his wife was just beautiful and often made me feel quite teary. The issue of what was expected of married women and their relationship with their mother in laws of the 1940’s was a dominant feature too and was very interesting to read about. There was also a lot of sentiment to the story; the passing of the years, missed relationships, unrequited love and life and death. All of these struck a chord with me and made the story so much more than a missing piece of a family tree.
I was incredibly taken with “A Woman Made of Snow”. An appropriate title for the book once you’ve finished and understand it’s meaning. I’m surprised how bereft I am now it has finished, having devoured each page with fervour but taking my time to savour each word.
Elisabeth Gifford is the author of this magnificent masterpiece and the first book I’ve read by her, although having had many published. I shall certainly be looking to buy her past novels and is an author I’ll be avidly watching out for in the future, for more beautifully and fulfilling stories.
#AWomanMadeOfSnow - 5 stars
The 1949 prologue set my intrigue roaring and it didn’t take me long to feel a part of the Gillan family and desperate myself to trace the family history of Oliver’s ‘missing’ wife. The dual timelines were superbly connected and were portrayed between the chapters with exact precision. The Arctic scenes set in the early 1880’s were researched meticulously and the author has evidently carried out extreme investigations into the whaling boats of that time and Scottish harbours and its inhabitants.
This historical family drama is as much a crime mystery as the family saga itself and truly kept me guessing. Powerfully poignant and at times emotional, the romantic relationship between Oliver and his wife was just beautiful and often made me feel quite teary. The issue of what was expected of married women and their relationship with their mother in laws of the 1940’s was a dominant feature too and was very interesting to read about. There was also a lot of sentiment to the story; the passing of the years, missed relationships, unrequited love and life and death. All of these struck a chord with me and made the story so much more than a missing piece of a family tree.
I was incredibly taken with “A Woman Made of Snow”. An appropriate title for the book once you’ve finished and understand it’s meaning. I’m surprised how bereft I am now it has finished, having devoured each page with fervour but taking my time to savour each word.
Elisabeth Gifford is the author of this magnificent masterpiece and the first book I’ve read by her, although having had many published. I shall certainly be looking to buy her past novels and is an author I’ll be avidly watching out for in the future, for more beautifully and fulfilling stories.
#AWomanMadeOfSnow - 5 stars