"We seldom get into trouble when we speak softly. It is only when we raise our voices that the sparks fly and tiny molehills become great mountains of contention."
I love the winter. I
realize I’m a freak. Since the DC metro area tends towards mild
winters, and I can’t persuade my husband to move the family to
Canada, I decided to enjoy the cold vicariously by picking up Jessica
Day George’s Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, a beautiful
retelling of the old Nordic myth “East of the Sun, West of the
Moon.”
The heroine of this
story is the last in a string of nine children, and so unwanted that
her mother doesn’t even bother to give her a name –
everyone calls her “pika” (which means “girl”)
or lass. Despite her mother’s continual rejection and her
humble surroundings, the lass lives happily, loved deeply by her
father and siblings.
When an enchanted
reindeer gives the lass the ability to speak to animals, her
happiness grows, as it provides her an area of accomplishment and a
way to contribute to the struggling family’s well-being.
However, she also attracts the attention of an enchanted polar bear
who insists that she needs to come and live in his palace for a year
and a day. The lass agrees, as he promises she will not be harmed and
he will make her family wealthy in her absence. However, despite her
royal treatment at the palace, it is full of mysteries she’s
determined to decipher, and her curiosity causes damage that she will
have to undertake an epic journey to atone for.
George has created a
beautiful atmosphere in the book. It is simultaneously lyrical,
dangerous, ancient, and mysterious. I loved spending time in this
world, and even though I was familiar enough with the original myth
to already know the basic plot arc, I still loved watching the way
the mysteries unfolded.
I also loved the
lass’s journey to self-discovery and power. I’ve been
thinking a lot about Shannon Hale’s recent
blog post about the problems of being constantly asked why she writes
strong female characters. George is fantastic at
writing strong female characters that aren’t out to prove a
“girl power” message. The lass is, yes, a girl in a
patriarchal world, but George isn’t out to prove that she’s
just as good as a boy. The lass is a realistically drawn girl, with
strengths and weaknesses, seeking to thrive in the path life has put
in front of her. She simply finds happiness on her own terms without
having to prove anything to anybody else.
I do have to say the
love story is not its strongest element. In a book that includes
troll magic, an enchanted polar bear that lives in a palace, and a
girl that can speak to animals, it says something that the least
realistic bit of the book is the romance. If you want to swoon and
fall vicariously in love with the prince, this is not the book for
you. However, it is the book for you if you love intriguing
retellings of old myths and strong character development.
Read this book if...
You can't get
enough of Shannon Hale's books. Both authors offer beautifully drawn
magical settings, quirky humor, engaging heroines, and a knack for
making an old myth speak to a new generation.
You love all things Nordic – after all, George says this book
was made possible by the letter Ø.
For an escape. When I read this, I felt like I was in a very
different world than the one I live in.
Target audience: Ages 12 and up, leaning towards girls.
Erin
Cowles is a mother of two, living in the Washington D.C. suburbs.
Before motherhood, she used her masters in library and information
science in a law firm library. Now she uses it to find good books for
her family at her local public library. She teaches part time for a
SAT prep company, where she enjoys the challenge of making rather
dull subject matter interesting and making college a reality for her
students. During women's history month, she profiles Mormon women
that inspire her at ldswomenshistory.blogspot.com.
Erin
currently serves as a counselor in her ward's primary
presidency.