Touching Snow

The author had written an essay, during the height of the octomom fervor, on her own experience as the mother of twins. The quality and warmth of her writing made me seek out this young-adult novel. I was not disappointed. I recommend it highly and enjoyed the humanity and non-patronizing way the author characterized the children. Bravo!

I have 14-month-old twins and two school-aged children and my husband was out of town when I bought this novel. Yet I read it in three days. I couldn't put it down. Though abuse at the hands of The Daddy runs thick through the novel, the story is also a coming-of-age of 13-year-old Karina, the daughter and stepdaughter of Hatian immigrants who struggles with physical pain at home and the emotional pain of middle school. It is a mystery, a thriller and a romance all in one. It is also a celebration of the joys of sisterhood. Touching Snow is M. Sindy Feline's first novel. I can't wait to read her next.

the daddy hammers them. he beats them. he insists they do things his way. quiet, clean, eat everything on their plates or they will be punished. the act of revenge that throws him in jail is supposed to keep them safe. but it doesn't. he comes back. i cried my way through this and reveled in my tears of triumph on the last pages. what a great book!

Karina is that part of us which feels stuck and resigned with the yet undiscovered sense of personal power. Touching Snow draws us intimately and passionately into Karina's journey of self-discovery, and through her story allows us to experience our own sense of power in situations which seem insurmountable.

"The Daddy" is known for his violent temper in New York, just like he was before the family moved from Haiti. Karina is glad that he has to work so many hours as a taxi cab driver. Otherwise the beatings would happen more often. And the beatings were horrendous. "The Daddy" went ballistic over things such as the children not eating all of their dinner. Karina and her siblings often hid under the table or locked themselves in the bathroom when "The Daddy" began the beatings. Karina felt like a coward, but knew that "The Daddy" would beat his kid of choice just as hard if she didn't hide. Plus, then she'd get a beating, too. When Karina sees her sister, Enid, hurt so badly that she may be dead, Karina vomits so forcefully that she thinks she herself might die. But then she hears her younger twin cousins calling for her. Karina couldn't die and leave everyone else to deal with "The Daddy" alone. When "The Daddy" finally gets found out and put in jail, Karina thinks that maybe they will be safe at home. That is until she has to be interviewed individually by the authorities. Does she tell the truth about the atrocities "The Daddy" has created in their home? Would she be safe if she told the truth? You'll need to read TOUCHING SNOW to see what Karina decides. As if Karina's life isn't complicated enough, just as in real life, many things happen in our lives at the same time. In addition to dealing with this heartbreaking home life, Karina is the victim of bullying at school, struggles with her grades and learning the English language, and her evolving development as a young woman. How many things can one person juggle at a time? Read this book to see how yet another resilient adolescent deals with adversity and finds her voice. Reviewed by: Dianna Geers