Think you know books? Try our new Book Trivia!

Book Club Discussion Questions for The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

Summary |  Excerpt |  Reading Guide |  Reviews |  Beyond the Book |  Read-Alikes |  Genres & Themes |  Author Bio

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

The Snow Child

A Novel

by Eowyn Ivey
  • BookBrowse Review:
  • Critics' Consensus (6):
  • Readers' Rating (8):
  • First Published:
  • Feb 1, 2012, 400 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Nov 2012, 416 pages
  • Rate this book

About this Book

Book Club Discussion Questions

Print PDF

In a book club? Subscribe to our Book Club Newsletter and get our best book club books of 2025!



For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Snegurochka and our BookBrowse Review of The Snow Child.


Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

  1. When Mabel first arrives in Alaska, it seems a bleak and lonely place to her. Does her sense of the land change over time? If so, how?
  2. Why are Jack and Mabel emotionally estranged from each other in the beginning of the novel, and how are they able to overcome that?
  3. How do Esther Benson and Mabel differ in temperament, and how does their friendship change Mabel?
  4. The first time Garrett sees Faina in person is when he spies her killing a wild swan. What is the significance of this scene?
  5. In what ways does Faina represent the Alaska wilderness?
  6. Jack and Mabel's only child is stillborn. How does this affect Mabel's relationship with Faina?
  7. When Jack is injured, Esther and Garret move to their farm to help them. How does this alter Jack and Mabel's relationship?
  8. Much of Jack and Mabel's sorrow comes from not having a family of their own, and yet they leave their extended family behind to move to Alaska. By the end of the novel, has their sense of family changed? Who would they consider a part of their family?
  9. Death comes in many forms in The Snow Child, including Mabel giving birth to a stillborn infant, Jack shooting a moose, Faina slaying a swan, the fox killing a wild bird, Jack and Mabel slaughtering their chickens, and Garrett shooting the fox. Why is this one of the themes of the book and what is the author trying to say about death?
  10. What do you believe happened to Faina in the end? Who was she?

Watch author Eowyn Ivey discuss her book and book clubs in the video below:



Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Reagan Arthur. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Beyond the Book:
  Snegurochka

BookBrowse Book Club

  • Book Jacket
    The Tapestry of Time
    by Kate Heartfield
    Love, war, and the supernatural collide in this dazzling historical fantasy by international bestselling author Kate Heartfield.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant
    by Liza Tully

    A great detective's young assistant yearns for glory, but first they have learn to get along in this delightful feel good mystery.

Win This Book
Win These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas

"[An] atmospheric tale of unexpected hope." —Lisa Wingate, New York Times bestselling author

Enter

Book
Trivia

  • Book Trivia

    Can you name the title?

    Test your book knowledge with our daily trivia challenge!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

W the C A the M W P

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.