I picked up this book on the sale shelf at Twinbrook Library in Rockville, Maryland.

I am now reading this paperback (Bay Back Books: New York, 2004) while listening to the same book on audio tape. I'll later send the book out as a bookray.

From the back of the book:
"What makes a family? That's what twelve-year-old Nicky Dillon wonders after she and her widowed father discover a wailing abandoned baby in the snow filled woods near their New Hampshire home..."

The book begins:
Beyond the window of my father's shop, midwinter light skims the snow. My father stands, straightening his back.
"How was school?" he asks.
"Good," I say.
He puts his sander down and reaches for his jacket on a hook. I run my hand along the surface of the table. The wood is floury with dust...

International Bookray Begins (05/21/2006):
SqueakyChu (Maryland, USA) done
jessibud (Canada) done
caligula03 (California, USA) done
International Bookring Begins (08/05/06):
Guinneth (New Hampshire, USA) done
BOKWORMY (Portugal) done
biffin44 (UK) done
SallaH (UK) done
arcticgirl64 (Norway) done
mallary (France) done
Cass01 (UK) done -- Stop #10
International Bookring Ends (08/20/2008):

This bookring ended because its intended recipient in Singapore never received it after waiting eleven months. The book had a nice trip of 10 stops over two years. It travelled to 6 countries including 3 states within the USA. Many thanks to those who participated on this bookring.

The book arrived yesterday and I am already swept up in the story! I don't think it will take me too long to read this, which is a good thing since I believe there are 3 more bookrings on their way here at the moment!

I am enjoying it so far and will journal again once I'm done.

This was a good read. I really liked the way the story unfolded through the 12-year-old Nicky's eyes, even while it was actually a 30-year-old Nicky narrating. An unusual perspective and a sad tale, but well written.

I will be mailing it off to caligula03 tomorrow. Thanks for including me in this ring, SqueakyChu.

Book is here. Thanks.

I wasn't sure how I'd handle the subject matter, that of a girl and her father trying to cope with the recent deaths of her mother and infant sister and the aftermath of finding an abandonded newborn in the snow. I was afraid it would be too melodramatic or too emotionally draining to read. Instead the use of the a now thirty year old narrator looking back at events that happened when she was twelve helped give the story a maturity and detachment needed to create an interesting story around such emotionally charged subjects.

RELEASE NOTES:

Mailing to Guinneth

The book arrived today - thanks! I look forward to this, my first Shreve since The Weight of Water (which I loved.)

I'm in the middle of another ring book and will begin Light On Snow as soon as I've finished that one.

I thought this was a terrific novel and couldn't put it down. As caligula03 so perfectly expressed it, Shreve's deft writing kept the book from becoming overwrought; yet I still felt completely drawn in by the characters and their tragic story. I also enjoyed the fact that it was set during a typical winter in New Hampshire (my home state.)

Thanks for sharing this, SqueakyChu. I now look forward to reading Shreve's other works. I'm not sure why I waited; I think I was afraid that nothing would measure up to The Weight of Water! I'm pretty sure I have The Last Time They Met in my TBR pile somewhere.

Mailed to BOKWORMY today. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Wow nice surprise just got back from holidays and found this book on my desk. Thanks SqueakyChu for sending it over and sharing it with me.

I´ve got a few bookrings before this one but I promise to be quick!

X



28/12 - PMed biffin44 for address!

A nice read but found the plot very sad!

RELEASE NOTES:

On the way to biffin44 in the UK!

Hey Bokwormy,

received this today thank you!
Unfortunately i JUST started another book this morning :(
But I will read it quickly and get onto this one asap!

I really enjoyed this. Yes it was sad but i didnt find it too sad - i didnt have to cry or anything. More than anything it was a compelling page turner. I've read a couple of Shreve books before and havent liked them, but this has restored my faith. Posting to SallaH tomorrow

Woo hoo! I just arrived home in the UK in the wee hours of the morning today after having spent a month in Australia... Just as I was unpacking, the postie pushed this through the letter slot. It'll have to wait a couple of days while I recover from jet lag, but I will bump it to the top of my reading list. :)

I read this book while commuting to and from work on Thursday. It was so good I was even reading it on my lunch break! Very good, easy to read yet nicely written and intelligent. I wish there was a follow-up on Nicky's later life!

I will be sending it on to arcticgirl64 as soon as I get her address!

Sent to arcticgirl64 in Norway on 12 February 2007. :)

The book arrived here last week, in a plastic bag from the Royal Mail due to damage on the paper the book was wrapped in. The book itself seems to be ok and I`ve started reading it. Sorry for my late post, but I`ve been travelling most of Febr., just been home for a few days and then more travelling. Will have it travelling again next week, I think.

Great reading. Now it`s off to Mallary today. She never got the first pm I sent her , so it was a bit delayed. Sorry.

My pms have been going astray so the orginal one from arcticgirl64 didn't reach me. Luckily she tried again! Thanks for not giving up on me, I am really looking forward to reading this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book even though I tend to avoid books on this subject matter. Well-written and very hard to put down!
I am pming Cass01 for her address.

Received today - thank you!!

Almost finished, enjoying very much! Have pm'd "toyjoy" for address.

Update: 3 Sept 07
Really enjoyed this book, sad but heart warming.

Posted to "toyjoy" today. (sea mail as I'm very poor at the mo! sorry)