From School Library Journal
Grade 6-9 Amarra Snow-Eyes grows up fascinated by stories about the Lake Mother, goddess of the wishing stones, to whom the people of Gueame take their troubles. Knowing she herself has strange visions, she is still shocked to discover that her own mother is a servitor of the Lake Mother and expects her daughter to follow her example. Forced to undergo a trial of blindness to develop her inner powers, Amarra gradually learns to make her own decisions for the future. This fantasy is very much a mood piece. Readers feel the sun's warmth, the touch of snow, Amarra's pain at her mother's coldness, all of which are expressed in lyrical, sometimes convoluted language. Since the story concerns an inner transformation, what action there is takes place at long intervals; much of the story is revealed through Amarra's thoughts. The small cast of characters comes to life through her. Smith has created her setting skillfully, detailing the plants and animals and the mythology of this world where bells ring gently as the seasons change. Snow-Eyes lacks the concentrated power of Le Guin's The Tombs of Atuan (Atheneum, 1971), another tale of a young woman coming to terms with herself in darkness, but its quiet lyricism and depth of feeling are of definite appeal. Dedicated fantasy readers will enjoy Smith's creation and suspect a sequel. Ruth S. Vose, Potrero Library, San Francisco
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
