Snow Angels by Jenny Loudon

 Snow Angels is Jenny Loudon's follow up to her successful first novel Finding Verity.

 ‘I keep thinking of snow angels,’ she murmured. ‘Of the fun and joy in making one, and the pleasing shape... And then, of how they never last, and melt away—and in no time at all, there is no sign that they were ever there.’


Amelie Tierney loves working as a children's nurse in Oxford. She has a loving husband, Nick and an infant son, Bertie. She doesn't see enough of her mother, Kerstin and misses her grandmother, Cleome, who lives in a remote part of Sweden.

Then, one sunny October morning, an accident happens, with devastating consequences. Amelie travels to Sweden to spend time with her grandmother. She gets to know her grandmother's neighbours including Tarek, a Syrian refugee and experiences both the positive and negative aspects of living in a remote rural area. As the bitter cold of the Swedish winter gives way to Spring, Amelie begins to see that there may be a way forward for her into recovery.

I enjoyed the characters in this novel, especially Cleome, with her connection with and cuiosity about the natural world, her creativity and ability to find signs of optimism in even the darkest times.  The writing beautifully evokes both the city of Oxford and the wild beauty of rural Sweden, while seamlessly bringing issues such as climate change and refugee rights into the narrative.  The novel offers a convincing and vivid portrayal of grief and how the natural world can bring a sense of perspective and aid recovery.

Snow Angels by Jenny Loudon published (2020) is available on Kindle or follow the links on her website. 

Disclaimer: I received a free e-book of this novel in exchange for a review. 

You can read my review of Jenny Loudon's first novel Finding Verity here.