A Woman Made of Snow: A mesmerising novel of secrets, lost love and an Arctic voyage Paperback – 3 Nov. 2022

Really enjoyed this story

I found this to be an engaging book right from the very intriguing opening chapter. I was just as captivated by the mystery of the missing bride as Caro and her husband Alasdair were. I really enjoyed the way the author gradually disclosed the background to the mystery not only by what Caro uncovered in the family archives but also with much of the story taking place in the past. I can’t say a lot about the story in the late 19th century as that would give away too much. However, I thought it was very cleverly done, the way the stories from the two time lines connected and what they revealed.Another interesting aspect of the story was that of the relationships between the daughters-in-law and their mothers-in-law both in the distant past and the late 1940s. Although expectations were quite different in the two time scales, Caro’s relationship with her mother-in-law Martha was still sometimes rather fraught. I have to say that I did feel quite sorry for Martha at times but equally could understand how Caro as a new wife and new mother was feeling.I also enjoyed the parts of the story set in the Arctic. It was fascinating to read about the whaling trade and the experiences of both the Scottish whalers and the Inuit people. Although I whole-heartedly disapprove of the whaling industry, it was interesting to read about what a harsh life it was for the Scottish sailors, away from home for so long and at the mercy of the elements.A Woman Made of Snow is both a beautifully written love story and a absorbing mystery. The author writes so well about the different time periods in her book and combines atmospheric settings with a very compelling tale.

This was a really enjoyable, well written book. Full of history and suspense. Not predictable like some novels can be.

Although this was a book about a family mystery, it was not particularly gripping. I felt it was more about a mother, Caro, trying to get to grips with being a mother whilst also trying to get on with her husband's mother who shared the marital home. When a body is found in the grounds, Caro is tasked with researching the mystery which leads into a story of her husband's great grandfather's trip to the Arctic where he meets and falls in love with an Inuit lady and returns with her to Scotland. This part of the story was not particularly believable. When the mystery is solved, it was not what I expected, but I didn't particularly care as I had rather lost interest. It's an OK read but, for me, not haunting or captivating.

I enjoyed this novel, it is a story of unearthing family history, tragedy and love.Caro is a young women, coming to terms with motherhood and living in the shadows of her husbands family & the hierachy this entails.Then a body us unearthed after a storm and Caro takes on the challenge of finding out who it is and the events that led to the tragic incident.This is a very different read than my usual, but I enjoyed it. I liked that it moved seemlessly back and forth between eras. It is a sad but enlightening story of adventure, culture and strong family ties.Well worth a read.

We enjoyed this novel so much. Thank you Elisabeth Gifford. We do live in Fife, the area in which the story begins, and have visited Kellie Castle, in which the novel is loosely set, although we realise “it’s not really”.A lot happens, and the book is a real page-turner. Historical and geographical emotional.

The story is about a young man who fell in love with an Inuit girl he met after finding himself on a whaling ship as the ships doctor. Everything is fine until he brings his Inuit wife and daughter to Kelly to meet his mother. I loved this book, it was a real page turner. I would read more books by this author

To read the book

a pleasant read.