Amy Snow

A Novel

De: Tracy Rees

Narrado por: Melody Grove

Winner of the UK's Richard & Judy Search for a Bestseller Competition, this pause-resistant debut novel follows an orphan whose late, beloved best friend bequeaths her a treasure hunt that leads her all over Victorian England and finally to the one secret her friend never shared.

It is 1831 when eight-year-old Aurelia Vennaway finds a naked baby girl abandoned in the snow on the grounds of her aristocratic family's magnificent mansion. Her parents are horrified that she has brought a bastard foundling into the house, but Aurelia convinces them to keep the baby, whom she names Amy Snow. Amy is brought up as a second-class citizen, despised by the Vennaways, but she and Aurelia are as close as sisters. When Aurelia dies at the age of 23, she leaves Amy 10 pounds, and the Vennaways immediately banish Amy from their home.

But Aurelia left her much more. Amy soon receives a packet that contains a rich inheritance and a letter from Aurelia revealing she had kept secrets from Amy, secrets that she wants Amy to know. From the grave she sends Amy on a treasure hunt from one end of England to the other - a treasure hunt that only Amy can follow. Ultimately, a life-changing discovery awaits...if only Amy can unlock the secret. In the end Amy escapes the Vennaways, finds true love, and learns her dearest friend's secret - a secret that she will protect for the rest of her life.

An abandoned baby, a treasure hunt, a secret. As Amy sets forth on her quest, listeners will be swept away by this engrossing gem of a novel - the wonderful debut by newcomer Tracy Rees.

©2016 Tracy Rees. All rights reserved. (P)2016 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Deserves more than 5 stars!

What made the experience of listening to Amy Snow the most enjoyable?

This book was absolutely a treat in every way imaginable! I am only disappointed that its over!! This story was different in that there was mystery, which we all enjoy, but it was...well.. a fun mystery I guess. The scavenger hunt that Amy was set on was to find out what Aurelia's secret was. How and why she was being sent to the different places was fun and interesting. I loved that after having only one experience of love and connection in her entire life, everywhere she went she found friendship, support and even love. I've read some reviews that complained that they were able to figure out what the mystery was halfway through. Well, my opinion on that is two things... Of course we were able to sort it out, at about the same time Amy was! Thats what happens...we figure it out. Also, I LIKE not being forced to wait until the last minute for clues and hints and guesses. I don't understand why the complaints. Also, we were treated to a last minute solved mystery. So we all got the best of both worlds!

What other book might you compare Amy Snow to and why?

I'm not really sure I can compare it to another book, however I can say I surprisingly enjoyed it as much as The Tea Rose. That book was also a pleasant surprise. The Tea Rose is a series of 3 so it was also nice that I didn't have to say goodbye like we do here.

Which character – as performed by Melody Grove – was your favorite?

Melody Grove did an absolutely fantastic job of really differentiating the characters! I enjoyed them all! I had never heard of MG before this, and I will look for her in the future to be sure!! I am really sitting here trying to think of all the characters and which I liked the most, but I genuinely liked all of her characters!!

Who was the most memorable character of Amy Snow and why?

Mama Vennaway. She was so incredibly hateful and unnecessarily cruel. The whole way through you just really hate her. Then, we get a little snippet about her suffering. As a woman, my compassion for that particular plight led me to feel empathy towards her. I still dont forgive her her behavior, but it just caught me off guard to feel so deeply for her pain.

Any additional comments?

I went into this book with hope, but very little expectation. I really enjoyed spending time with Amy Snow and learning about her life with Aurelia. I was at first bothered by the back and forth because I was impatient to know the things I wanted to know, but soon enough I settled down my impatience and just took the time to enjoy. I hope that Tracy Rees will continue to write, and I look forward to trying out more of her books. I believe she will be a huge author, one of notoriety, if she keep writing with such quality. I will also be looking for books by the narrator.

Outstanding

Outstanding novel. Totally swept me away and I couldn't put it down. I loved the characters and felt a kinship with each of them.

A lovely story, great for teen listeners!

What made the experience of listening to Amy Snow the most enjoyable?

Amy, a 17 year old servant girl is sent on a treasure hunt by her dearly departed best friend Aurelia. Melody's narration was perfect. This story is part L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables) and Jane Austen meets The Amazing Race. I listened to it twice and thought this would be great for kids to listen to, especially teen girls.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

This would be a lovely film, the characters were very vivid. I love a period flick!

Any additional comments?

Loved it!!

Good and fun.

A Victorian feminist mystery heavily influenced by Dickens with a smattering of Jane Austen. I liked it a lot (I love Dickens). You have an orphan of mysterious parentage (Amy Snow), her patroness, who is an heiress of high spirits and unconventional behavior who has a tragic illness (Aurelia), her rigid and cold aristocratic parents, a handsome groundskeeper, etc. Well-drawn characters. My favorite and most interesting character was the elderly and eccentric Mrs. Riverthorpe, who is the mysterious catalyst for the heroine's quest for the truth. After Aurelia dies, Amy is cast out into a world about which she knows nothing, following clues in the form of letters stashed in interesting places. Amy meets many people along the way, finds love, and ultimately uncovers the precious secret which was held by her beloved Aurelia. It's a good first novel. Definitely a cut above most Victorian mysteries.

Fun and original plot (for me)

What made the experience of listening to Amy Snow the most enjoyable?

The treasure hunt, what's going to happen and why was she left in the snow?

Also, THANK YOU for the epilogue. I need closure, I do, just saying. It didn't have to be grand, but I did NEED to know. ;-)

What was one of the most memorable moments of Amy Snow?

"Most memorable?" IDK, but, I thoroughly enjoyed the bit when she was told to burn all your cloths, you wont need those anymore.

Did Melody Grove do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Sometimes the story doesn't give the reader 4 or 5 star worthy material. While I did enjoy the reader and her voice was perfect for Amy, the story didn't call for much differentiating. She was good. I gave her a 3; it's an underrated... rating.

Why must everything be a 4 or 5 to be positive? 3 stars is satisfactory and she was. I was pleased. But there is a difference between a 5 star rating, Davina Porter (the Outlander series), Simon Vance (the Vampire Lestat) and Kate Reading (the Witching Hour series), a 4 star rating, Nick Podehl (The Name of the Wind), Graeme Malcolm (Merrick) and David Pittu (Blackwood Farm), a 3 star rating, Melody Grove (Amy Snow), Paula Brackston (the Silver Witch) and Julia Whelan (the Midwife's Daughter) and of course, a 2 star rating, Jonathan Marosz (the Vampire Armand). I need to be more honest about my ratings. Sometimes the story doesn't give the reader 4 or 5 star worthy material.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Oh yes. I was surprised how damped/sad I felt when Amy read the very last letter. I was impatient and interested to know more about the secret and all that, but... then the reality of "no more," of "the last," of "everything going silent," snuck up on me.

Any additional comments?

In my admittedly limited reading/listening experience, this was an original story line. I enjoyed that aspect very much. If I knew I was dying relatively soon, and had the energy, I would want to send my favorites on such a treasure hunt. Who wouldn't?! What a great way to take control.

took a while to get Interesting

I ended up enjoying the listen, but it took several chapters to gain my attention!

Beautiful, Richly-Written Story

What a beautiful love story, full of delightful twists and turns. I loved the way that Ms. Rees laid out the story. Such a delight! I've definitely become a fan.

Wonderful

A beautifully written & narrated story. A well crafted mystery with delightful characters. I highly recommend this book!

Even before it was finished I knew I would be sad to be done listening to it

Great story line that kept me coming back for more and even stealing a chance for just 5 more minutes in between tasks that kept me from listening.

loved Loved LOVED!

I got so swept up in this story I was sad to see it end. I felt like I lost a friend in Amy's story ending. I loved it!!!