Sitting under a blanket, with a cup of hot cocoa, watching the snow fall… ok, so in AZ I can do the first two and enjoy Winter Town, the latest from Stephen Emond, but alas, no snow here. But it’s not really necessary, since Emond does a good job creating a sense of winter on every page of Winter Town: the cold gray skies; the biting wind and thick blankets of snow; the pristine landscape; the almost harsh feeling in the air late at night when it’s far below zero. And of course, the feeling of isolation, the sense of reflection and doubt, and the slow passing of each day as you wait for the sun and your future self to emerge from a long hibernation – are all present in this “almost romance” that reminded me on more than one occasion of Pete Hautman’s Jan. 2011 The Big Crunch. In both books, two long time friends slowly discover that the friendship they’ve shared could blossom into more if they’d give themselves permission to take a chance, to trust, and to admit what they really want.
In Winter Town, ivy league bound high school senior Evan looks forward to winter break when his childhood friend Lucy comes to spend the holidays with her dad. Every year since she moved to Georgia following her parents divorce, they’ve rekindled their friendship and spent two weeks together feeling as if no time had passed. But this year, Lucy returns transformed: angry, sullen and distant, not to mention with a Goth look and facial piercings, all signalling to Evan that something harsh happened to her and he’s determined to figure out what it was. But getting to the heart of Lucy’s transformation means facing some hard truths, not only about her, but also about himself and what he wants for his future. Over the course what may be their last two weeks together, Evan and Lucy must decide if growing up means growing apart, or if they can take a risk and learn to trust, and if there will be a warm spring after a long, cold winter.
- Posted by Cori