Genre Fiction
![Paula Lichtarowicz - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_paula_lichtarowicz.jpg)
The Snow Hare: A Novel
In this "riveting, heartfelt" novel of love and consequences (Heather Morris, New York Times bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz), a woman dreams of becoming a doctor until World War II leads her instead into an astonishing love-and a fateful choice.
Is it possible to fall in love at the edge of life?
Lena has lived a long, quiet life on her farm in Wales, alongside her husband and child. But as her end approaches, buried memories begin to return. Of her childhood in Poland, and her passion for science. Of the early days of her marriage, reluctant wife to an army officer. Of the birth of her daughter, whose arrival changed everything.
Memories less welcome return, too. Her Polish village, transformed overnight by the Soviets, and the war that doomed her entire family to the frigid work camps of the Siberian tundra. And buried in that blinding snow, amongst the darkness of survival, the most haunting memory of all: that of an extraordinary new love.
Exploring motherhood, marriage, consequences, and our incredible human capacity for hope, The Snow Hare is the story of a woman who dares to love and to dream in the face of impossible odds, and of the peace we each must make with our choices, even long after the years have gone by.
Is it possible to fall in love at the edge of life?
Lena has lived a long, quiet life on her farm in Wales, alongside her husband and child. But as her end approaches, buried memories begin to return. Of her childhood in Poland, and her passion for science. Of the early days of her marriage, reluctant wife to an army officer. Of the birth of her daughter, whose arrival changed everything.
Memories less welcome return, too. Her Polish village, transformed overnight by the Soviets, and the war that doomed her entire family to the frigid work camps of the Siberian tundra. And buried in that blinding snow, amongst the darkness of survival, the most haunting memory of all: that of an extraordinary new love.
Exploring motherhood, marriage, consequences, and our incredible human capacity for hope, The Snow Hare is the story of a woman who dares to love and to dream in the face of impossible odds, and of the peace we each must make with our choices, even long after the years have gone by.
Editorial Reviews
"Love and loss, and courage and compassion, collide in this brilliantly told story of survival against the odds. Based on the true story of her grandmother, Paula Lichtarowicz's exquisite novel takes readers on a family journey full of passion, longing, regret, and eventual acceptance of choices made a lifetime ago. In these riveting, heartfelt, and brutally honest pages, Lena keeps a lifetime of secrets and dreams from her loved ones, but never allows them to stop her from loving in return."―Heather Morris, New York Times bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz
"This is historical fiction at its absolute best--epic in scope and intimate in detail. Paula Lichtarowicz reminds us that even in the most brutal of circumstances, hope, love, and forgiveness sustain us."―Lauren Fox, New York Times bestselling author of Send for Me
"Lichtarowicz delivers a dramatic story of a Polish woman's coming-of-age during WWII. . . . The gripping narrative of Lena's wartime experiences contrasts bleak deprivation and suffering with sumptuous scenes of familial affection and the ache of true love. This will transport readers."―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"The Snow Hare by Paula Lichtarowicz is an extraordinary novel of fate, hope, love and determination. Lichtarowicz' beautifully drawn story, set against a backdrop of real historical events, is every bit as heart-wrenching as it is inspiring. The Snow Hare brings the past to life in a vivid, evocative way--reminding us that history echoes through time, and hope can sustain us even through the most difficult of circumstances. This is one of the finest historical fiction novels I've read in years."―Kelly Rimmer, New York Times bestselling author of The Warsaw Orphan
"Lichtarowicz is a writer of great talent, with the ability to portray hardship and grief shot through with humour and hope. The gorgeous prose, compelling storyline, and emotional depth ensure that The Snow Hare remains in the reader's mind long after the last page. I can't wait to read her other books."―Frances Liardet, New York Times bestselling author of We Must Be Brave
"The Snow Hare is a profound and moving novel of the first order. Lichtarowicz brings a lost world to life with vivid and electric prose, attentive to the richness of her characters and acutely...
"This is historical fiction at its absolute best--epic in scope and intimate in detail. Paula Lichtarowicz reminds us that even in the most brutal of circumstances, hope, love, and forgiveness sustain us."―Lauren Fox, New York Times bestselling author of Send for Me
"Lichtarowicz delivers a dramatic story of a Polish woman's coming-of-age during WWII. . . . The gripping narrative of Lena's wartime experiences contrasts bleak deprivation and suffering with sumptuous scenes of familial affection and the ache of true love. This will transport readers."―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"The Snow Hare by Paula Lichtarowicz is an extraordinary novel of fate, hope, love and determination. Lichtarowicz' beautifully drawn story, set against a backdrop of real historical events, is every bit as heart-wrenching as it is inspiring. The Snow Hare brings the past to life in a vivid, evocative way--reminding us that history echoes through time, and hope can sustain us even through the most difficult of circumstances. This is one of the finest historical fiction novels I've read in years."―Kelly Rimmer, New York Times bestselling author of The Warsaw Orphan
"Lichtarowicz is a writer of great talent, with the ability to portray hardship and grief shot through with humour and hope. The gorgeous prose, compelling storyline, and emotional depth ensure that The Snow Hare remains in the reader's mind long after the last page. I can't wait to read her other books."―Frances Liardet, New York Times bestselling author of We Must Be Brave
"The Snow Hare is a profound and moving novel of the first order. Lichtarowicz brings a lost world to life with vivid and electric prose, attentive to the richness of her characters and acutely...
Readers Top Reviews
B Burke
This book was sent to me by Netgalley for review…an ingenious author has woven a tale that could be true to life…war and misery…heartache and love…family and friends…romance…secrets and the enemy…memories abound on this story as one woman remembers…this is a cannot put down…
JodyB Burke
This strange and beautiful book! It's a coming of age tale. A story about war and love and loss and grief. It's a World War II novel that's different from any other I've read. It's just gorgeous. The novel weaves so perfectly between times, revealing the full story as it goes. I never felt teased. It never felt like a device. It is simply the way the story needed to be told. This book will stay with me.
Mary LinsJodyB Bu
“The Snow Hare”, by Paula Lichtarowicz, is not your typical WWII story! It takes place in Poland and Siberia and shows us a unique point of view of the invasion of Poland and then the break in allegiance between Stalin and Hitler. But that history is just the backdrop and action catalyst for the story of our protagonist, Lena, a young woman who is singularly focused on becoming a doctor (just as Polish medical schools are beginning to admit females), when something cataclysmic happens to her. At first I had a difficult time understanding some of Lena’s behavior, but then I soon realized that Lichtarowicz is writing Lena as someone on the Autism Spectrum (of course this is before Dr. Asperger made his diagnosis in 1944.) It was when a character who clearly has Tourette Syndrome was introduced that I understood; Lichtarowicz is showing us not only the lack of female power and agency in that place and time, but how much MORE difficult it would be for someone on the spectrum. Lena lacks the “social graces” required of young women of that time, often abrupt and “rude”, she has a savant-like ability to recite medical facts, she does not notice social cues or gestures, she often lacks empathy towards the feelings of others, she is obsessive and intransigent. She lacks the ability to dissemble, even when that would be the prudent course of action. All this makes Lina utterly FASCINATING; her journey and struggles are richly compelling. I was thoroughly immersed in the story and emotionally invested in all the characters and their various fates.
Td3Mary LinsJodyB
The Snow Hare is a beautifully written story of a Polish woman at the end of her life as she remembers her past and the love she experienced during her lifetime. It was a bit disorienting in the beginning, but once I knew what was happening, I became engrossed in her story. Living in Poland when the Soviets invaded, her life was turned upside down when her family was sent to a Siberian camp. As she recounts her years, readers will meet a young woman with dreams of becoming a doctor, a reluctant bride and later a young mother with a fierce love for her child. As she ages, her heart softens and it seems she has a bigger capacity for love. The proof of this is how her life has settled as she lays dying. The loved ones by her side are her reward for a life well lived—one of heartache, love and forgiveness. This was a wonderful story for the snowy, rainy days we have been having and has a calming, yet sober tone overall. Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown & Company for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to offer my honest review and recommend this book to readers.
