Snowflake

Paul Gallico

Doubleday, 1953

much like the novellas Snow and Silk that I very much enjoyed – actually this one is not as lyrical as the others, not as “soft” I would say. It’s hard to describe, but it seems as though it has been written originally in German and just translated into English, but maybe I’m projecting – thinking that the somewhat stiff style is Germanic (that’s just my take on the language itself) and the fact that his IS obviously set in Germany, or at least the Alps, might contribute to my little conceit.

The story follows the lifetime of a snowflake, from falling in the winter through the warmth of the summer to the travels to the ocean and eventual return to the sky – along the way Snowflake watching humanity from a compassionate distance, contemplates the glory of God and our purpose here in this world, marries (in the truest sense), has children, suffers loss, and eventually, dies.

It is a wonderful little Christian parable that gives a different perspective on the world – the minute things take on grand importance. While not as “poetically lyrical” as some of the other books of which I am more fond, this is still a charming little read.

VG