A Woman Made of Snow
As seen:
By Elisabeth Gifford
avg rating
8 reviews
‘Gorgeously written and devastating’ Kate Riordan
‘One of the best novels I’ve read’ Gill Paul
‘Desperately romantic’ Katie Fforde
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A family secret.
A lost love.
A life-changing journey to the Arctic . . .
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Caroline Gillan and her new husband Alasdair have moved back to Kelly Castle, his family estate in the wilds of Scotland. Stuck caring for their baby and trying to avoid her inscrutable mother-in-law, Caroline feels adrift and alone.
But while sorting through old papers, Caroline stumbles across a family secret which changes everything. There is one Gillan bride who has disappeared from history. No photos or records of her exist. The only certainty is that she had a legitimate child: Alasdair’s grandmother.
As Caroline unearths a story of love and adventure that stretches as far as the Arctic circle, her curiosity about the missing bride turns into an obsession. And when a body is found in the grounds of the castle, Caroline begins an investigation which could alter the course of her life forever . . .
From the wilds of Scotland to the glaciers of the Arctic, A Woman Made of Snow is a mesmerising tale of how one woman’s past might hold the key to another’s future.
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Praise for Elisabeth Gifford’s gorgeously atmospheric, uplifting novels:
‘Compelling’ Sarah Maine
‘Gorgeous, melancholy’ The Times
‘A glorious novel. You won’t be able to put it down for a minute’ Suellen Dainty
‘An undeniably haunting love story’ Sunday Times
‘A moving story, beautifully told’ Tim Pear
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Beautifully writen
This book started offer with great promise but left me feeling deflated. The story unravelled too slowly for me and whilst the book was atmospheric I found myself becoming disinterested.
I really enjoyed this book! I found it atmospheric and could imagine myself in Kelly Castle which was great escapism. The dual narrative and mystery kept me gripped throughout and I really enjoyed the strong female characters. Would recommend!
A pleasant holiday read. I enjoyed the dual narrative and the gradual revelation the central mystery. I wasn't entirely convinced by some of the characterisation (everyone, with one notable - and probably realistic - exception, was improbably broad-minded and liberal for the era they lived in) & some of the historical detail felt a bit clumsy (references to Elizabeth David, Dr Spock dropped in to show - what?), but I'm picky about that sort of thing. The passages about the nineteenth century whaling industry were interesting. Recommended if you enjoy family sagas and historical mysteries.
I enjoyed reading this book as a bookclub choice (@b4bookclub) and the dual stories leading to the unpredictable plot twist. Easy reading with interesting information on whaling and the Inuits.
The dual timeline narrative effortlessly draws the reader into the Gillan family mystery that keeps you hooked until the very end where the conclusion satisfactorily ties together the various strands of the story. There are plot twists and turns along the way - some predictable, some unexpected. The pace of the narrative is just right and there is enough meat to make you think, but not so much to make the content overly challenging. I would consider this a good read for a holiday.
A good book club read and page-turner. I wanted to find out who was the mystery ancestor and enjoyed reading about whaling and the Inuits.
This book had me gripped from the first chapter. I loved the dual narrative and enjoyed following the story as it was revealed in both time frames.
Interesting reading about the whaling expedition and the Inuit culture.
I will be passing my book onto friends.
