A Fabulous Debut

After The Snow by Susannah Constantine is a marvellous debut historical novel that totally enthralled me.

The novel is set in 1969. It is a bygone era (although part of my childhood!) and set in Scotland with the snow on the ground.

We follow two eleven year old girls who are friends. One is the daughter of an earl and the other lives in the gatehouse. We see the action through their eyes. There is an innocence to the proceedings. The reader can clearly see the affair between two characters but the girls are oblivious.

We witness the destructive quality of hate in an adult who is unbearably cruel to one young girl.

The young girls are the epitome of goodness. Their enthusiasm for life is infectious. They enjoy life and find fun lurking everywhere.

After The Snow was a fabulous read and I am sorry it is ended.

JULIA WILSON