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A review by kazza27
The Snow Song by Sally Gardner
I love a dark fairytale and I was so attracted to the cover of this beautiful book.
Edith is the daughter of an alcoholic and like most people in their small village is indebted to the hideous butcher. He rules the village and pretty much always gets what he wants.
One day Demetrius arrives and him and Edith fall in love, they want to be married but the butcher makes Edith swear on the bible that if Demetrius does not return before the first snow then she will marry the butcher.
Demetrius is a shepherd and has to leave the village to tend his flock and you just know from the tension in the story that something bad is going to happen to him.
Edith is convinced he will return like he has promised but when he doesn’t the shock of what will happen to her turns her hair white and she no longer speaks. All the women in the village are married in a traditional gown but the butcher is insistent that she is married in a grand white gown which leads the villagers to say she will be cursed. I think at this point in the book that maybe a blessing for poor Edith.
The majority of the men in this book are really awful with the exception of Demetrius and Misha. As are Una and Vanda the butcher’s daughters. They reminded me of the ugly sisters in Cinderella. I loved the darkness of the story and the acceptance by the women that ‘Men will be Men was shocking. I found the fear that superstition holds over the villagers fascinating.
As the story progresses secrets start to be uncovered about it’s in inhabitants and the facade begins to fracture and truths are revealed and will Edith be able to escape her fate ?
This is a engrossing story and I couldn’t put it down, I loved the development of the characters and how the women try to overcome their oppression and how they begin to reveal their true feelings. One by one they come together to try to help Edith and even some of the men realise that the butcher has too much power over the village. Although Edith’s Father the cabinet maker was the character that evoked the biggest feelings for me. Weak, pathetic and greedy, how a father could treat a daughter in this way made me so angry.
The story takes an unexpected turn which I didn’t see coming and this was really really extraordinary and I loved it. Edith has such strength and she was an inspiration character in so many ways. My Nanny was called Edith so this made her even more special to me.
If you need to escape then this is perfect for transporting you away to this other land of myths and superstitions. A fantastic adult story which highlights some of the worse traits of humans, darkness but with beauty and an underlying feeling of hope.
Edith is the daughter of an alcoholic and like most people in their small village is indebted to the hideous butcher. He rules the village and pretty much always gets what he wants.
One day Demetrius arrives and him and Edith fall in love, they want to be married but the butcher makes Edith swear on the bible that if Demetrius does not return before the first snow then she will marry the butcher.
Demetrius is a shepherd and has to leave the village to tend his flock and you just know from the tension in the story that something bad is going to happen to him.
Edith is convinced he will return like he has promised but when he doesn’t the shock of what will happen to her turns her hair white and she no longer speaks. All the women in the village are married in a traditional gown but the butcher is insistent that she is married in a grand white gown which leads the villagers to say she will be cursed. I think at this point in the book that maybe a blessing for poor Edith.
The majority of the men in this book are really awful with the exception of Demetrius and Misha. As are Una and Vanda the butcher’s daughters. They reminded me of the ugly sisters in Cinderella. I loved the darkness of the story and the acceptance by the women that ‘Men will be Men was shocking. I found the fear that superstition holds over the villagers fascinating.
As the story progresses secrets start to be uncovered about it’s in inhabitants and the facade begins to fracture and truths are revealed and will Edith be able to escape her fate ?
This is a engrossing story and I couldn’t put it down, I loved the development of the characters and how the women try to overcome their oppression and how they begin to reveal their true feelings. One by one they come together to try to help Edith and even some of the men realise that the butcher has too much power over the village. Although Edith’s Father the cabinet maker was the character that evoked the biggest feelings for me. Weak, pathetic and greedy, how a father could treat a daughter in this way made me so angry.
The story takes an unexpected turn which I didn’t see coming and this was really really extraordinary and I loved it. Edith has such strength and she was an inspiration character in so many ways. My Nanny was called Edith so this made her even more special to me.
If you need to escape then this is perfect for transporting you away to this other land of myths and superstitions. A fantastic adult story which highlights some of the worse traits of humans, darkness but with beauty and an underlying feeling of hope.