Review ~ The House of Frozen Dreams by Seré Prince Halverson

Harper
An imprint of Harper Collins
2015

I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but this one is so striking that I was immediately drawn into the blue and white cold of an Alaskan wilderness and the story of two people who have been irreparably damaged by the catastrophic events of their lives.

Nadia has been living in the Winkel's homestead for the past ten years. She has had virtually no contact with the outside world and apart from her dog Leo, has been isolated and alone.

Kache Winkel returns to his abandoned homestead after two painful decades of trying to come to terms with the tragedy of his life. When he finds Nadia in the home he thought long abandoned, painful memories from his past threaten to rise to the surface.

What then follows is a beautifully written story about love and loss and of painful memories and lasting hurt, and of the need we all have to keep our memories and our loved ones safe. The writing is evocative and glorious and conjures an image of cold, crisp air in such striking detail that I actually felt the cold and experienced the isolation of living in a community that was full of secrets, controlled by lies and isolated to the point of loneliness.

Nadia’s and Kache’s story is allowed to evolve slowly but is no less dramatic because of this. We learn of their lives, their hopes and their dreams, and ultimately their fears, and as their individual stories begin to coalesce, a relationship starts to develop, which is both heartbreaking and uplifting in equal measure.

Without doubt,  this is a lovely, lovely story and one that will stay with me for quite a time. 

My thanks to Harper for my copy of this book.

About the author

 Seré Prince Halverson




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