Review and Giveaway: Whiter Than Snow by Sandra Dallas

First line: No one knew what triggered the Swandyke avalanche that began at exactly 4:10 PM on April 20, 1920.

From the inside cover: On a Spring afternoon in 1920, Swandyke – a small town near Colorado’s Tenmile Range – is changed forever. Just moments after four o’clock, a large split of snow separates from Jubilee Mountain high above the tiny hamlet and hurtles down the rocky slope, enveloping everything in its path.

Meet the residents whose lives this tragedy touches: Lucy and Dolly Patch, two sisters long estranged by a shocking betrayal. Joe Cobb, Swandyke’s only black resident, whose love for his daughter forces him to flee Alabama. Then there’s Grace Foote, who hides secrets and scandal that belie her genteel facade. And Minder Evans, a Civil War veteran who considers cowardice his greatest sin. Finally, there’s Essie Snowball, born Esther Schnable to conservative Jewish parents but who now works as a prostitute and hides her child’s parentage from the world.

Fate, chance, and perhaps divine providence all collide in the everyday lives of these people. And ultimately, no one is without sin, no one’s soul is whiter than snow, and no one is without the need for forgiveness.

A quintessential American voice and a writer of exquisite historical detail, Sandra Dallas illuminates the resilience of the human spirit in her newest novel.

My thoughts: This was a very compelling book. I have never read anything by Sandra Dallas before and when I was asked to read and review this book, I gladly welcomed the chance. I was hooked from the beginning. It starts out with the events of the avalanche and then each subsequent chapter is about one of the parents/caregivers of the children. We really get a glimpse into their lives and come to find out why each child is so important to the adult. The final two chapters pull it all together and we get a glimpse of  what happens in the aftermath of the avalanche. Sandra Dallas has a knack for storytelling and she creates memorable characters. She also is able to capture the essence of the time period and setting of her story. While this was a relatively quick read, it certainly had depth, delving into areas such as parent/child relationships, sibling rivalry, racial tension, poverty, loss, grief, marriage, love, and faith. It is a story that stays with you long after you finish reading. I am excited to have found Sandra Dallas and will be looking into reading some of her other works.

About the author: Sandra Dallas is the author of nine novels, including Prayers For Sale, Tallgrass, and New Mercies. She is a former Denver bureau chief for Business Week magazine and lives in Denver, Colorado.

Visit Sandra’s website for more information about her and her other books.

You can find an excerpt from Whiter Than Snow here. 

Thank you to Anne from The Book Report Network for sending me a copy of Whiter Than Snow by Sandra Dallas to review.

GIVEAWAY RULES:

Anne at The Book Report Network has provided one copy of this awesome book for readers of this blog! All you have to do is follow my blog and leave a comment. Be sure to include your email address in your comment.

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GIVEAWAY ENDS

AT 6 PM, EST, JUNE 30th