I just finished a short and easy read by Anita Shreve- Light on Snow. The story is centered around Robert and 12 year old Nicky (Nicole) who live off the beaten path in more ways than one. While venturing on their evening walk, Nicky and her father discover a new born baby abandoned in the woods near their home.
The rescuing of baby Doris dredges up their own personal tragedy as Nicky and her father face the 2 year anniversary of her mother and baby sister Clara. Through flashbacks we learn of Nicky's mother and sister, her family life pre and post tragedy. While trying to deal with their emotions separately, Nicky and Rob receive an unexpected visitor in Charlotte, the mother who left her baby to die in the woods.
So that's the basic synopsis...it was a decent story, easy to read. But on another level, it didn't rouse the emotions in me that I'd expect from such an unsettling topic. The only time I felt really moved was Charlotte's visit to the 'scene of the crime' in the woods. Through Nicky's eyes I could see and feel the grief for myself. The descriptions were vivid and full of emotion. But other than that, I wasn't moved by the story. One could argue that was sorta the point, but to that I say...you can describe grief and loneliness in a multitude of ways that reach your reader.
The relationship between Rob and Nicky was so complicated, and then throw Charlotte in the mix - Shreve just scratched the surface and before you know it the book has come to an abrupt end. What happens to Rob, Nicky, Charlotte, and Baby Doris? She seems to foreshadow that Baby Doris will find a good home...but what about the rest of 'em? We're simply left wondering.
Two stars.....
What's up next you wonder? The Last Summer of You and Me by Ann Brashares. (Author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants)
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