‘you don’t have to be smart to get into Trinity. You just have to be stubborn’
The first few pages of Snowflake reminded me of Peter Pan, when he warned Wendy that growing up was a trap. This is the feeling I got from Deborah White (or Debs, or Debbie), the protagonist of Snowflake, who grows up in a farm an hour away from Dublin. Her uncle Billy lives in a caravan in a field at the back of her house, her mother is unwell and needs looking after, but she seems to have had a good childhood if, perhaps, a protective one.
Billy takes on the role of Debs mentor, from whom she learns about words, nature, the Greeks and the constellations. He is also the creator of some magical moments; for instance when Debs, afraid of going to sleep, develops a habit of visiting Billy at night, he tells her she is only allowed out of the house if she could ‘see the moon from her window and bring him wishes from the garden’. There is something about the story of dandelion that makes me think it is a metaphor to the character of Debs, a 'stubborn little yoke'. Louise Nealon is a great storyteller and weaves words, characters and experiences to form curious tender-hearted world. The characters are well constructed and full of flaws, and all the more endearing for those imperfections. I got hooked.
The cracks start to show from the moment Debs turns eighteen. She no longer can pretend she is able to see the world through Billy's eyes (she never did anyway) and she has got a place at Trinity College, though ‘you don’t have to be smart to get into Trinity. You just have to be stubborn’ she explains (love this quote).
Debs first day at Trinity doesn’t quite go as a planned, she is naïve, her first interactions with strangers exposed perhaps too many of her own vulnerabilities. I cannot help but feel like I want to help her: C’mon Debs, you can do it!
The book cover alludes to the Irish flag with its pastels orange wall and green sky and the white font. On the wall sits a person alone. It intrigued me and its minimalism makes me want to read it even more.
Now that I have read the extract, I really want to find out how Deborah White will manage the challenges life has in store for her. Who is her friend, who is her foe? Or maybe, life is not as minimalistic as that?
Billy takes on the role of Debs mentor, from whom she learns about words, nature, the Greeks and the constellations. He is also the creator of some magical moments; for instance when Debs, afraid of going to sleep, develops a habit of visiting Billy at night, he tells her she is only allowed out of the house if she could ‘see the moon from her window and bring him wishes from the garden’. There is something about the story of dandelion that makes me think it is a metaphor to the character of Debs, a 'stubborn little yoke'. Louise Nealon is a great storyteller and weaves words, characters and experiences to form curious tender-hearted world. The characters are well constructed and full of flaws, and all the more endearing for those imperfections. I got hooked.
The cracks start to show from the moment Debs turns eighteen. She no longer can pretend she is able to see the world through Billy's eyes (she never did anyway) and she has got a place at Trinity College, though ‘you don’t have to be smart to get into Trinity. You just have to be stubborn’ she explains (love this quote).
Debs first day at Trinity doesn’t quite go as a planned, she is naïve, her first interactions with strangers exposed perhaps too many of her own vulnerabilities. I cannot help but feel like I want to help her: C’mon Debs, you can do it!
The book cover alludes to the Irish flag with its pastels orange wall and green sky and the white font. On the wall sits a person alone. It intrigued me and its minimalism makes me want to read it even more.
Now that I have read the extract, I really want to find out how Deborah White will manage the challenges life has in store for her. Who is her friend, who is her foe? Or maybe, life is not as minimalistic as that?