Sun and Moon Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George Review

 When I compiled a list of what East of the Sun and West of the Moon retellings, I would want to read or reread my mind went straight to two books. East by Edith Pattou and Sun and Moon Ice and Snow by Jessica Day Goerge. Both books are childhood favorites and I decided to see if I still enjoyed them as an adult. I decided to listen to them on audiobook and was pleased to see that I still enjoyed both them almost as much as I did when I was younger. Between the two Sun and Moon Ice and Snow was a closer adaptation to the original story but still took some liberties to make it more original.

The book introduces its reader to a land of endless snow and ice. In this frozen winter land, there lives a woodcutter Jarl, his selfish wife Frida and there many children. Frida is so disappointed when her youngest child is another girl that she refuses to give her a name. Known simply as the Lass the young girl grows up to be a kindhearted but overly curious young women. She loves all her siblings but is closest to her eldest brother Hans Peter. Hans Peter had come home from a sea voyage year prior and was haunted by an experience he refuses to talk about. Hoping to heal him the Lass asks the mythical white reindeer for help (after she saved it) but learns to her horror that Hans Peter has been cursed by the trolls. Although unable to heal her brother, the white reindeer gives the lass two gifts, a name and the ability to speak to animals. Some years later when the lass is grown her third brother Askel (her mothers favorite) comes to the hut with news of a giant white bear wandering in the woods that he plans to hunt. Hans Peter warns him not to go after it claiming it can't be a natural creature but is only ridiculed for it. However everything changes when the same bear ends up at the family's doorstep with a proposition. If the lass will live in his castle for a year and a day her brother will catch another bear and bring wealth and prosperity to her family. Hans Peter desperately begs his sister not to go but she refuses to listen to him feeling certain going with the white bear is the right course to take. Traveling on the bears back accompanies by her pet wolf Rollo the lass arrives at an ice palace where she is waiting on by magical servants who are creatures from legend. However not all that glitters may be gold for the lass soon discovers that the castle and the white bear hold dangerous secrets. Secrets the castle’s servants can’t help shuddering with horror. Secrets of a princess looking for her true love and the atrocities she will do to achieve her sinister goals. Secrets of Hans Peters history with a girl named Tova. And secrets regarding the mysterious man who sleeps beside her every night. Who is he and what does he want? When the lass makes a terrible mistake, she must travel to the land East of the Sun and West of the Moon to save the man she has come to love and end a vicious cycle full of curses and darkness.  

This childhood favorite book of mine was just as good as I remember. While its very similar to the original story there are still enough differences to make it its own story. The lass is a good main character who is kindhearted and brave. I felt so bad for her that her mother is so mean to her. I mean what parent doesn’t give their child a name! But despite this I was excited to see how the lass would outshine her third eldest brother Askel who Frida believed was destined for greatest. While he does become successful in life it’s only because of the lass’s actions that he got anywhere. However, despite the lass’s good qualities I found her curiosity very annoying. While other retellings of East of the Sun and West of the Moon have curious protagonists the lass was ten times more so. There were times I wanted to shout at her to just stop snooping. Other characters including the white bear and her brother tell her to just wait out the year and all will be revealed but she still refuses to listen. But overall, she is still a good character who I grew to like more in the latter half of the book. The white bear I found a little bland. I would have liked to know a little more about him like how he originally got cursed or how he met the troll princess in the first place. What is written about him is good, but it could have been elaborated on more. Hans Peter was probably my favorite character in the book. He begins the story haunted by a past that he will not speak of while he was out at sea. Little does the reader know how much his past mirrors the lass and the white bears. It really interested me since it made the curse all the more sinister. Lastly princess Indaell is so evil I was desperate to see her downfall. Her actions had caused so much misery to so many characters, both major and minor, it was good to see her fail in the end.  

Overall, this was a good book that I still enjoyed very much and was a good way to begin my East of the Sun and West of the Moon reading challenge. I read five books altogether and you can expect their reviews soon. I give this book four out of five stars.