#2 - Light on Snow by Anita Shreve

I set out at the library intending to get Anita Shreve's Testimony since I was in the mood for something a little controversial and she's an author I remember liking. I have a very unscientific method of selecting books based on reviews I read, titles that stick out in the library's New Fiction section, or Amazon recommendations. The library didn't have Testimony (a new release) so instead I settled on the slightly older Light on Snow. I enjoyed this book but next time I decide to pick up an indulgent read such as this to while away a snowy weekend, I should at least pick one set in a more tropical climate.

Shreve is a very good storyteller and her plots sound so interesting on the book jacket that I've gone through several over the years, such as A Wedding in December and Body Surfing. And the plot was indeed interesting - a 12 year old girl and her father living in New Hampshire come across an abandoned newborn in the woods...drama ensues. I read it in one sitting so I remained on edge to see how the situation would be resolved - even if you could kind of guess how it would be.

The story was seen through the eyes of the twelve year old girl, which is of course limiting. Shreve does a good job of building tension - I mean I rarely put the book down for several hours. But when it was over, it almost felt as if I watched the story on the Lifetime channel. I could see Treat Williams playing the grieving hermit father faced with raising a daughter on his own, etc. etc.

As far as supermarket paperbacks go, this was a pretty good one. I give it three stars. But the next book I pick I hope will be more of an intellectual feat.

Read: 288 pages
Saved: $7.99