the moon, the snow

Nan Weizenbaum
CreateSpace (2010)
ISBN 9781449961602
Reviewed by Marissa Libbit for Reader Views (08/10)

 

Nan Weizenbaum’s book, “the moon, the snow,” is the fictional story of Aurora, a college drop-out who leaves behind her wealthy family to live with her boyfriend in a remote area of the Pacific Northwest.  He leaves her, though, and Aurora’s decision to remain behind challenges her life. 

Aurora becomes consumed by the mail she receives, often envisioning how the mail “speaks” to her or what message it is trying to give her.  She makes a daily walk to the post office which is preceded by dressing in multiple layers to withstand the frigid temperatures.  Living in a remote cabin, she has very few encounters with people during the off-season from her fruit packing job.  When she is followed by a man, who wants to pursue relations with her, Aurora’s life forever changes.  Soon Aurora becomes very popular with the men in town, losing all regard for her body. 

This is not a happy book.  To pick it up and think you are going to lose yourself in a nice story would be an incorrect assumption.  The sexual content is disturbing at times.  That said - the case study of Aurora and how the remote isolation of her environment drives her and others to extreme behaviors is interesting.  Ms. Weizenbaum does a nice job detailing the setting, and the reader gets a good feel of the lonely life encouraged by the severe cold. 
   
I feel sympathy for Aurora, but I don’t want to know more about her story.  It’s simply too depressing.  From a sociological perspective, though, “the moon, the snow” is worth the read.  It makes you think.

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