The Secret of Snow: A Novel

This book began very slowly for me. I complained to reader friends that it was not worth reading about an entitled woman who loses her job, has to go home, gets a new job, totally doesn't listen to family and friends, thinks everything has to be her way and runs from any confrontation. About 1/3 of the way in, I purposefully left the book at home when I was on a week long business trip because I just needed to see if I wanted to pick it back up when I got home. I did, but still wasn't invested in the story.I. Was. Wrong.Once I found out what she was running from, the whole book began to make much more sense.Loss and grief effect people in different ways. Sonny didn't want to have to face the loss and her own thoughts about possibly causing the tragedy. It took opening that part of her life up to self scrutiny and sharing her issues with others to get her past the block in her heart and the block she put up around anyone getting too close.I felt the ending was a bit too happy, with all of the tendrils that had been coiling around the story, wrapped up a bit too conveniently. Now she has a perfect job. Perfect significant other. Perfectly perfect everything. A feel good ending that many Viola Shipman books have. I guess that's why I read them.

Sonny Dunes, many of us can relate to the middle age runner who has issues forming relationships! Life isn't always easy or fun! As Sonny found out it can be painful and challenging.I like to think of what happened to Sonny as a God Wink...his way of guiding her path back to where he needed her so she could heal and grow. And boy what a wink it was ❤Of course there was Mom, our most needed element whether we admit it or not. And of course the handsome man didn't hurt either! But what was used to turn her life around was the greatest gift of all...Snow ❄⛄❄I can't explain to you how much I related to this book other than to share with you my winter with my aging parents. The coldest, snowiest winter the Great State of Ohio had seen in years and there I was right in the middle of it! It was the first time I had ever heard snow...sitting out on the porch late at night, lost in my sad thoughts, I heard the most beautiful sound I had ever heard...I heard the snow falling!Does snow heal, yes it does. Does snow bring peace and tranquility, yes, it most certainly does!!And that's all I'm going to say! Get the cocoa, put on the jammies, and snuggle up in your favorite blanket! Get the book, take the trip, and learn all about the healing power of love, loss, family, and...Snow ❄❤❄

A lovely read with rich characters. So much more than just a Christmas Book!The Secret of Snow = The Secret of Life

Have you ever read a book that resonates with you? One that leaves an impact in your heart? Well everyone of Viola Shipman’s novels do with me. They touch you so deeply. You don’t ever want them to end. The Secret of Snow is no different. It has especially touched my heart. Viola Shipman has done it again!Viola Shipman has such a unique writing technique. The way she writes, she draws you in until you are right there with the characters. The way things are described you can see them, touch them, like you are right there! This is a book that takes you away! The Secret of Snow shows you when things go wrong always look up. Never give up. It will make you laugh, will make you cry. It will make you realize it’s ok to go on living after a horrible loss. How important it is to celebrate your loved one. It has a way to make you reflect on your life, your past, your future. And what matters most. A feel good story. We all could use a little bit of happiness.

There are SO many things to love about this book. The characters are real, the emotion can be felt, the message is real. This is not just a story about a woman who makes it big on air as a meteorologist in sunny Palm Springs. It’s more about what drove her to make that her life and go so far away from her home in snowy Michigan. It’s about ill-perceived guilt, loss and how fate may have a hand in cracking open the protective shell that she developed to escape it all.The empathy that the author, Viola Shipman, conveys in his writing of this story is so real you feel it in the descriptions of what the main character, Amberrose, AKA Sonny Dunes, is trying to block out. And you feel it in the description of how another character, Mason, has dealt with his loss by embracing it. By bringing these two characters together the author gives us heartfelt lessons on handling grief and moving forward.This author has never let me down. In fact, he has always lifted me up with his words!

When Sonny Dunes, chief meteorologist at a Palm Springs TV station, learns she is being replaced by a virtual weather girl, she does what any 50-something career woman would do. She gets drunk, heads back to the station, and has an on-screen meltdown. This makes her a pariah. Forced to accept a job back in her native Michigan, she moves in with her mother believing that this will only be temporary. While there Sonny falls prey to the demons that she put behind her when she left the snow capital for the sun and warmth of Southern California. As luck would have it, the only way to salvage her career is to accept a job at a failing station near her hometown of Traverse City, Michigan.In spite of the bevy of people who try to ruin her by sabotaging her efforts at a new start, Sonny learns to find the warmth within her as she accepts her past and puts her inner demons to rest. Along the way, Sonny finds love with a handsome widower. Finally embracing her roots in the winter wonderland of Michigan, Sonny learns The Secret of Snow.I loved the interplay between characters in The Secret of Snow. From Sonny’s 75-year-old mom to 23-year-old Icicle, we see things from several viewpoints. This gives the story a roundness or a fullness not often encountered. Secondary characters are memorable, as with Polly Sue.I thoroughly enjoyed this story highly recommend it.Rating: 4.5 stars

Recommended to me by a friend. Very sweet story. Much like reading a Hallmark Movie. Yes, that's what I meant. As I read the book, the Hallmark Movie played along in my head!

I expected a Christmas book but didn't get it, however, "Viola Shipman" once again did not disappoint in his story telling. I enjoyed the challenges that his main character encountered in the snow. Looking forward to his next book.

I loved all of Viola Shipman’s novels and this one is no exception. He writes from his own experiences so his books speaks to most people.