Summer Snow [Paperback]

Nicole Baart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 16, 2008

Julia DeSmit is finally learning to accept her new life. Optimistic and anxious to begin again after dropping out of college, she is taking fumbling steps down a challenging yet hope-filled road. But the careful existence Julia has begun to build falls hopelessly to pieces when her estranged mother, Janice, appears on the front porch one icy March night. Mother and daughter have not seen or talked in ten years, and a decade of anger, resentment, and bitterness follows in Janice's wake, along with a surprise Julia could never have anticipated. Julia is convinced that which is broken cannot be mended. Yet when she faces the very decision her mother did years before, she begins to realize what it means to truly accept grace. Will it be her undoing, or the impetus for a change she'd never dared hope for?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In her sophomore outing and excellent follow-up to After the Leaves Fall, Baart continues her saga of Julia DeSmit with the same careful prose and enjoyable storytelling she showed in her debut. Julia's pregnancy is starting to show and she's dropped out of college to live with her grandmother and work at Value Foods in a small Midwestern town. Her beloved "boy next door" is marrying another, and the father of her coming child is out of the picture. But when the unexpected happens, Julia discovers the bitterness of being unforgiving, the possibility of second chances, and the place in her life that only God can fill. Baart communicates deep spiritual themes with a light touch, and some scenes, such as Julia and a friend watching cottonwood fluff ("summer snow") blow over a lake at sundown, are lovely. She also has a knack with characterization, and wise words come from both expected and unexpected places. This is a treat for faith fiction readers, and proves Baart is not just a one-hit wonder.
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Review

In her sophomore outing and excellent follow-up to After the Leaves Fall, Baart continues her saga of Julia DeSmit with the same careful prose and enjoyable storytelling she showed in her debut. Julia's pregnancy is starting to show and she's dropped out of college to live with her grandmother and work at Value Foods in a small Midwestern town. Her beloved "boy next door" is marrying another, and the father of her coming child is out of the picture. But when the unexpected happens, Julia discovers the bitterness of being unforgiving, the possibility of second chances, and the place in her life that only God can fill. Baart communicates deep spiritual themes with a light touch, and some scenes, such as Julia and a friend watching cottonwood fluff ("summer snow") blow over a lake at sundown, are lovely. She also has a knack with characterization, and wise words come from both expected and unexpected places. This is a treat for faith fiction readers, and proves Baart is not just a one-hit wonder. (May) -- Publishers Weekly

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 364 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (April 16, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1414316232
• ISBN-13: 978-1414316239
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #839,977 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nicole Baart lives in a small town in Iowa and is the mother of three young sons. After the adoption of her second son from Ethiopia, Nicole discovered a deep passion for global issues and co-founded a non-profit organization, One Body One Hope, that works alongside a church and orphanage in Monrovia, Liberia. An accomplished novelist, she was a 2009 Christy Award finalist for fiction. Visit her website at http://www.nicolebaart.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Sequel, May 6, 2008

By 

SZAA "Lover of All Things Written" (Virginia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Summer Snow (Paperback)

Oh boy, has Nicole Baart done it again! Summer Snow, the sequel to last year's amazing After the Leaves Fall, is just as fantastic as it's predecessor, if not more so. The characters in these books are just so real, so relatable, that I couldn't help but form connections with these "people" I've never met. I even think, at times, Baart was channeling my thoughts as she was writing, as some similarities between my current situation and Julia's throughout the story are almost scary!

Summer Snow picks up pretty much right where the previous book left off. Julia is pregnant and still living with her beloved grandmother, after dropping out of college. Constantly dealing with worry about the baby coming, finances, and overall life disappoint, Julia is suffering from an insane amount of internal struggle, but has learned to lean on God to help her through. When her estranged mother shows up one afternoon, completely unexpectedly with a little boy she claims is Julia's half-brother in tow, Julia has no idea how to react, except with her signature anger and frustration. She doesn't know what her mother wants, but does know it can't possibly be anything good. As she takes a chance at connecting with Simon, her new-found brother, as well as come to terms with the impending birth of her baby, Julia slowly begins to understand why her mother may have done some of the things she did, and starts to think that maybe through God's grace and forgiveness, a new relationship can be formed.

I wish I had more of a talent at writing book descriptions. It is completely impossible to convey the amount of emotion and heart in this novel. The individual relationships between characters, whether it be between Julia and Simon, Julia and her mother, or anyone else, the feelings the characters are described as having are emitted in the most perfect way, truly allowing you to connect. Such an important part of enjoying a plot is to be able to put yourself into the story and with this book, that is definitely an easy task to accomplish. I loved the story, the writing, the characters, and the feelings I got after finishing each page and chapter.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Gem Among Christian Novels, April 26, 2008

By 

Anna (Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Summer Snow (Paperback)

Ever since I read Nicole Baart's lovely debut novel, After the Leaves Fall, I've been looking forward to the release of its sequel, Summer Snow. Following the story of Julia, who in the first book lost her father and the man she loved, this sequel traces the journey of her pregnancy and her reunion with her long-lost mother.

I must admit that when I realized Julia's mother was returning, I cringed a little. A dramatic family reunion seemed like such a predictable storyline. But I should have known that the story wouldn't turn out to be predictable or boring. Julia is an authentic and often lovable character. The twists and turns of the plot, the development of the characters, are vibrant and real. I did have a little difficulty "getting into" the story, but it began to pick up speed and interest for me a couple of chapters in. From that point on, I read with absorption and enjoyment.

Nicole's style isn't sparse or simple. She clearly loves the nuances and beauty of language. However, she usually avoids being self-indulgently descriptive, by instead being both specific and evocative. One of my favorite passages reads, "It was like finally being opened to the crushing weight of some indescribable significance pressing itself upon my soul, filling in the gaps. Leaving a mark. Leaving an imprint with a hand so heavy, so full and sweet, I almost cried out, but not in pain. In joy." (341)

Summer Snow also walks the fine line between melodrama and cynicism, humor and sadness, showing and telling. I found the dramatic, sad parts of the story tempered by the prosaic, funny, and down-to-earth.

God is not absent from the story, nor is He relegated to its least important shadows. Instead, some of the most intense and metaphorical passages are spiritual. I really appreciate this about Nicole's writing.

Summer Snow is another gem among Christian novels. I highly recommend it, and am again anticipating the release of Nicole's next novel.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Haunting Story, September 3, 2008

By 

Deborah "Books, Movies and Chinese Food" (Fairfax, VA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Summer Snow (Paperback)

Julie DeSmit has dropped out of college to move back in with her grandmother and she's pregnant. She's switched from college life to small town living and is now working in a grocery store. Then one day her mother returns towing along a small boy who turns out to be Julie's half brother. Many questions remain unanswered such as why did Julie's mother leave in the first place and why is she back now? Julie doesn't know if she will be able to make up with her mother but she knows that whatever happens she will always be there for her unborn child.

I was afraid that I would be lost because I hadn't read the book that came before this. I didn't have to worry though because Nicole's writing allowed me to enter the characters' lives easily even though I didn't know their past. The writing is so beautiful and eloquent as the reader is taken on a journey within the small town. Family ties are tested throughout the book and mother-child relationships are the mainstay of the novel. This story is so sad and you feel so much for Julie throughout the novel. I really felt like I had entered her life and became a part of her family. However even though with all the drama that is going around, there are still touches of hope sprinkled throughout the story. I liked Julie's coworker very much. Also Simon is a cutie and brought happiness to Julie when she needed it. The ending almost brought me to tears and I'm sure it will affect other readers the same way. This book touched me so much that I had to go back and read After the Leaves Fall and I was not disappointed. The characters from these two books will stay with you long after you've turned the last page. Nicole Baart has written a wonderful gem and it is not to be missed. I am looking forward to her next novel but until then this book is HIGHLY recommended.