Blizzard is a gripping, lyrical, chilling novella from a fellow Historical Novel Society author, Cindy Rinaman Marsch. As we are preparing to celebrate 4th of July, I think it would be appropriate to post a review of a novella about a brave American family in face of a life-threatening storm.
Synopsis:
A homesteading farmer, his pregnant wife, their daughter, and the grandmother wake to a beautiful winter morning on the prairie. And then it descends upon them - the infamous Children's Blizzard of 1888. Who will survive?
My thoughts:
Cindy Rinaman Marsch's "Blizzard" sets a new standard in survival stories. Experience the intimacy of a tight-knit family amidst a natural disaster, with all the lyricism and physicality interwoven. The gorgeous, detailed prose is worthy of Jack London or Hemingway and will evoke the same emotions as "To Build a Fire" and "Old Man and the Sea". This is the opposite of formulaic "survival" stories. This could also be turned into a short art-house film.
Thanks so much for the great review. I've shared it here: http://www.rosettebook.com/the-story-blizzard/
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed Rosette because of how beautiful the prose is. I looked forward to how Cindy Marsch was going to describe what would normally be considered mundane labor. She got into the heads of many characters as each chapter is told by a different individual in the family and community, relating their different attitudes on life and situations without resorting to crass language.The author helpfully brought in then current national events so I could keep a bearing on history. It was no surprise that the end of Rosette's life was poignant, but Cindy Marsch still maked it a pleasure to read and the poem that she used to close the story makes it an emotional experience anyway.
ReplyDeleteAll that said, I'm looking forward to enjoying Cindy Marsch's second work, Blizzard!