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When The Snow Fell (1996)

by Henning Mankell(Favorite Author)

3.57 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0385734972 (ISBN13: 9780385734974)

languge

English

genre

Middle Grade & Children's

publisher

Delacorte Books for Young Readers

series

Joel Gustafsson

review 1: Thirteen-year-old Jacob lives in small-town 1950s Sweden with his father, a sailor turned logger, in this coming-of-age tale. Jacob is forced to be his "own mother," as he puts it, responsible for the shopping, cooking, and cleaning, as his mother left several years ago. By the end of the story, Jacob has learned a bit about growing up, and a bit about how to still be a kid. Very well written, though the translator's choices seemed odd at some points.
review 2: Henning Mankell, the successful adult mystery writer, is trying his hand at the lucrative young adult market. While the writing in When Snow Fell is evocative and beautiful, it is hard to imagine young readers engaging with this book. Additionally, the setting is the 1950s in a small town in northern ... moreSweden, not a sure-fire attention grabber. Thirteen-year-old Joel Gustafson celebrates his own personal New Year’s Eve when the first snowfall of winter comes with resolutions and all. As always, this year’s snowfall took him by surprise and he sets out to make his resolutions: to live to be a hundred years old which will require him to toughen himself up; to see the sea for the first time; and to see a lady naked. The rest of the book consists of Joel’s adventures in trying to fulfill his resolutions. The book is a mix of the melancholic and laugh-out-loud funny, especially Joel’s exploits to see the young shop assistant, Sonja Mattsson in transparent veils like Salome. Joel is his own mum and takes care of his father since Mummy Jenny left and his father is prone to go on drinking binges. This book might be appropriate for students who like good writing and quiet stories. less

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