Customer Reviews

Summer Snow

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

It is a beautiful story full of faith and hope. I didnt want this book to end!
Julia DeSmit carries a great deal of pain and hurt from when her mother abandoned her. She never understood why she did what she did. As she is preparing to become a mother herself, she thinks about this a lot.

I was so excited to read the this sequel and really could not put it down!
I have since passed my copy on to my mom, who in turn will probably pass it on to my grandmother, etc..the gift that keeps on giving! :-) This book made me want to hug all the important people in my life, made me laugh, made me cry, made me really think about relationships in my own life. Thank you Nicole!

Summer Snow is a story about loss and hungers, sorrows and loss of hope. Broken characters bounce off of each other in vain attempts to have the depth of their need quenched. Nicole Baart takes us into the midst of a family facing hard things and she weaves such a tapestry of poignancy and ache that at times I had to stop to breathe.

Jesus is barely mentioned but He's there working in the lives and hearts of the characters. As I started into the story I wondered for just a few pages if Julia's voice wasn't a little old for a 19-year-old. And then I realized that Julia's soul had borne sorrow for so long that it fit well. Her journey is eased by her delightful grandmother, Nellie, and a tiny handful of friends.

I didn't get to read Baart's first novel, but I read a review and knew that I had to put it on my to-read list, now it's moved up to the top. It's just a matter of time before Baart brings home a Christy award. She masters words and she masters story.

After seeing life as half empty for a decade since her mother walked out on her, Julia DeSmit drops out of college coming home pregnant. She vows to change her negative attitude for the sake of her baby thinking in terms of slicing off the top of the cup so that her cup is filled.

Julia lives with her beloved grandma who gave her a home when her mom abandoned her. She also works at the grocery store. However, Julia's new found positivism collapses when her mother Janice comes home expecting a warm welcome on a chilly March evening. Her daughter's anger and acrimony explodes as Julia wants Janice to just leave as she wants nothing to do with her mother although she sees herself somewhat in the same predicament that Janice faced.

This is a terrific character study of three generations of women struggling with the return of the sandwiched one who had previously abandoned her mom and daughter. The trio is fully developed so that the audience will feel they know why each behaves the way they do especially with one another. Fans will appreciate Julia's lament as she begins to understand what her mother faced and what it means to forgive. However, being human and not divine she cannot forget and thus has doubts she can ever accept Janice as her blood relative especially since Grandma is more her mom than her biological mother ever was. This is a strong contemporary look at three related females trying to reconnect even as the fourth generation is coming.

Harriet Klausner

Read the entire series, I really enjoyed all 3 of the books. They are good fiction Christian books. She is a good author and I would like to see her write some more christian books.

Out of the three books this one is my favorite. If you enjoyed As The Leaves Fall, you will love this one as well. Beautifully written.

I had never read anything by Nicole Baart before, but got After the Leaves Fall as a free gift and loved it. I immediately looked for the next 2 books in the series, but no one carried them. So glad I found them on Amazon. Love her writing style!