Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George is a retelling of the old Nordic fairy tale, East of the Sun, West of the Moon. It is an adventurous fairy tale, full of epic quests, enchanted animals, trolls, and true love.
I cannot even begin to tell you how much I absolutely and utterly loved this book. Jessica Day George has written a fairy tale that stays true to the heart of the original but is completely her own. The rich and vivid details that she has added to her story — why the Lass does not have a name, why the polar bear chose her, why her family was willing to let her go — are captivating, stunning, and feel oh so very, very right. The details given and the story told in this book fit so completely and so well, I can't imagine the story any other way.
I have read or come across other retellings and versions of this story, and I do like them. But none of them fill me and awe me quite as this one did. This wasn't the first or the last retelling I came into contact with, but it is, by far, the one that I remember best and the one that made the most impact on me.
The Lass is strong character. She is confident in her abilities, and she is driven and motivated by her heart, and a strong desire to protect those that she loves. She was also a very real character to me. She is not always perfect. There are times when she is scared or angry or overly curious, and there are consequences for her mistakes that she must live with an accept. But rather than allowing these things to pull her down or stop her, she learns to work around them, through them, or with them and she refuses to give up.
The people that the Lass meets on her travels are also incredibly well fleshed out. It is clearly obvious that Jessica knew and understood her characters because all of them are individuals. I understand and can identify specific characteristics and traits in characters that are only seen for two or three pages. I find it impossible to talk about characters without also mentioned the Lass's brother, Hans Peter. He left home when the Lass was very small to seek his fortune and when he returned, he was a very different man. He refused to speak about his travels, but it is clear that they have damaged him. You can feel the depression and when the bear comes to take the Lass away, you can feel the despair and anguish Hans Peter feels at the idea of his youngest sister being carried off. The bear himself is another amazing character, one who is there often enough for you to get a sense of who he is, but still remains a mystery.
I believe that this book is writing at it's finest. When you read about the Lass walking across the frozen wasteland, or riding the arctic North wind, you shiver and cuddle up under a blanket because you can feel the intense chill and cold seeping from the pages. Your feet ache with hers as she trudges along, searching for her lost love, and you can sense the loss, longing and determination of the Lass as she marches on her way.
To hear more from Jessica herself about why she retold this fairy tale, and what it means to her, check out this guest post over at The Book Rat and this interview that went up yesterday as part of Fairy Tale Fortnight! Do yourself a favor. Pick this book up NOW! I'm even making it easy for you. The link to that interview also contains a giveaway, where you can win a copy of this book. So really... What are you waiting for?!
