When the Snow Fell

by Henning Mankell, Laurie Thompson (Translator)

Overview

Joel is growing up. He is getting interested in girls. Just look at his New Year's resolutions: 1 - to see a naked lady, 2 - to toughen himself up so that he can live to be a hundred, and 3 - to see the sea. They all look pretty impossible for a motherless boy in Northern Sweden. Especially as his sailor dad is keen to drown his sadness in drink, and all the local matrons are narrowly watching the pair of them. And then he saves old Simon from a frozen death in the woods, and Joel becomes a local hero.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781849398688
Publisher:	Andersen Press, Limited
Publication date:	03/08/2011
Series:	Joel Gustafson Series , #3
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	477,446
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Henning Mankell (1948-2015) became a worldwide phenomenon with his crime writing, gripping thrillers and atmospheric novels set in Africa. His prizewinning and critically acclaimed Inspector Wallander Mysteries continue to dominate bestseller lists all over the globe and his books have been translated into forty-five languages and made into numerous international film and television adaptations: most recently the BAFTA-award-winning BBC television series Wallander, starring Kenneth Branagh.

Driven by a desire to change the world and to fight against racism and nationalism, Mankell devoted much of his time to working with charities in Africa, including SOS Children’s Villages and PLAN International, where he was also director of the Teatro Avenida in Maputo. In 2008, the University of St Andrews conferred Henning Mankell with an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters in recognition of his major contribution to literature and to the practical exercise of conscience.

www.henningmankell.com

Hometown:

Mozambique, Africa

Date of Birth:

February 3, 1948

Place of Birth:

Stockholm, Sweden

Education:

Folkskolan Elementary Shool, Sveg; Högre Allmäna Läroverket, Borås

Read an Excerpt

When the Snow Fell

Editorial Reviews

Joel Gustafson, a fourteen-year-old growing up in a small town in northern Sweden during the 1950s, makes a set of New Year's resolutions to celebrate the first snowfall. He resolves to live to be one hundred, to see the sea, and, within the next year, to see a woman naked. Joel expects to have to overcome a few obstacles to complete his resolutions. It's the obstacles he did not expect that force him to reevaluate his relationships with people around him, his view of the world, and his hopes for the future. Extremely well written, Mankell's prose occasionally verges on poetry. His descriptions are vivid enough for the reader to almost feel the cold in the Swedish air, and his characters act and read like real people rather than constructs to move the plot forward. Especially deft is the portrayal of Joel's father's relapse into alcoholism after a failed love affair. Mankell shows both Joel's and his father's realization of each other's responsibility in what has been a cycle of recoveries and relapses. Ultimately this book is a vivid and carefully crafted portrait of a young teen. Although there is a plot involving Joel's efforts to complete his resolutions and a harrowing rescue during a blizzard, Joel's internal struggles and realizations are the meat of the novel. The novel might not appeal to reluctant readers, but many will find parts of themselves in Joel. Reviewer: Steven Kral

EBOOK COMMENTARY

Gr 7–9—While this is a companion to A Bridge to the Stars (2007) and Shadows in the Twilight (2008, both Delacorte), it is not necessary to have read those novels to understand the action and characters in this story. Joel, 14, is certain of two things: life gets more complicated over time, and winter always arrives unexpectedly. With the New Year approaching, he visits a graveyard to make three resolutions: to live to be 100 years old, to see the sea for the first time, and to see a naked woman. Enduring a winter night outside, trying to find a way to move away from his slowly decaying town, and seeking out the new shopkeeper's assistant are only a few incidents that follow. An awkward encounter with a classmate brings intense embarrassment, which is followed quickly by Joel's heralded heroic actions in an unrelated event. At times as spare and chilly as the Swedish winter, this book is an affecting portrayal of a young man's maturation and the difficulties of a troubled father-son relationship. Although the story is set in 1950s rural Sweden, readers will relate to Joel's mixed feelings about his father, his budding sexuality, and the fluidity of the humiliation and admiration that are bestowed upon Joel by his peers. Admittedly, the book's audience might be limited to mature and thoughtful readers who don't need constant action to keep the pages turning, but libraries that hold Mankell's related titles will want to add this one.—Jennifer Schultz, Fauquier County Public Library, Warrenton, VA

School Library Journal

Joel (A Bridge to the Stars, 2007, and Shadows in the Twilight, 2008) is now almost 14 and feeling all the bewildering emotions that growing up entails. He leads a rich inner life, filled with wild dreams and endless imagination. Along with his yet-unachieved goal of getting his father to return to a seafaring life, he resolves to live to be 100, to see a naked woman, to become a rock star and to see the sea. He sets about reaching these goals in his own inimitable way. Although part of him wants to hold on to pieces of childhood, he finds maturity and gains insights as he plunges from one misadventure to the next. Mankell employs a third-person stream of consciousness, allowing Joel's thoughts to roam unchecked and uncensored. There is a natural flow in the syntax, translated by Thompson from the Swedish, and the author treats Joel with empathy and kindness. This third entry in the series is more successful than the second; readers will reconnect with Joel's essence and wonder what the next year will bring. (Fiction. 12-16)

Kirkus Reviews