A young girl and her widowed father are out snowshoeing in the New Hampshire woods near dusk when they hear a cry in the woods. Following the sound, they discover a newborn baby wrapped in a sleeping bag, abandoned by persons unknown. Twelve-year-old Nicky, the daughter, is anxious to keep the baby, but naturally, her father contacts the authorities immediately. Nicky feels that the baby might help to assuage some of their grief over the loss of her mother and baby sister 2 years before, an event the precipitated their move from New York City to New Hampshire. Two weeks after their discovery a college-age woman who has recently given birth arrives at the family's cabin during a blizzard.
Shreve has created a complex story in a deceptively simple package, examining grief and the complexities of parent-child relationships. The novel has a calm, almost relaxing feel, like a snowy wood. I haven't read any of Shreve's other novels, but I probably will.
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