Amy Snow

Publisher's Summary

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.

Don't miss out on this one.

Years ago I would take time to write a review for almost every. single. audible. book I would listen to, because that's just what you did. Take the time. These days however, I just don't have the time. Heck. I'm lucky to find time to get a shower before I head off to work.

That said, I must warn you about Amy Snow. I say WARN simply because this one caught me off guard. It warmed my heart in a way I haven't felt in a truly long time. It quietly swept in and kept hold of my attention to the point where I was sitting in my garage after a long days work, still listening to it even though I knew someone in the house had dinner on the table. It was that captivating. So much so, that I plan to listen to it straight away (as soon as I finish Florence Grace...that I'm listening to currently).

Do not miss out on this one. It's well worth your time. You will not be disappointed. :)

103 of 104 people found this review helpful

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.

32 of 32 people found this review helpful

Delightfully intriguing.

This story is sort of a "Downton Abbey meets Anne of Avonlea. " both of which I adored. It contains elements of a intrigue yet is a romance and a tale of rising from disadvantage. Definitely an uplifting story. The narrator is excellent as heroine but her male portrayals are decidedly feminine. :) Still she was not a distraction overall.

34 of 35 people found this review helpful

Two women, Two tales

Any additional comments?

This book was captivating from the first sentence. Both the main character Amy and her "friend" and "mentor" Aurelia Venaway are strong women woefully trapped in the social mores and customs of Victorian England. Aurelia discovers a baby abandoned in the snow on her parents estate and names her Amy (after her favorite doll) and Snow for obvious reasons. Young and demanding Aurelia insists that the family keep the child however her parents are not nearly as enthusiastic and only agree out of pure propriety. Amy is shunned, treated as a servant and forgotten by the elder Venaway's all while cherished, mentored, educated and beloved by Aurelia.
Aurelia's poor health and short life leave Amy abandoned once more at 17. She is immediately cast out of the house and warned to never return. From this moment forward mysteries abound!
Every second of this book leaves you wanting to read/listen more and learn more. The book takes a slow pace, but I find that to be the brilliance of the writing - you the reader are left to feel the same impatience as the title character to find out the final bits required to understand the whole of the story. Aurelia is an interesting character - she reminds me a great deal of Lady Sybil Crawley from the Downtown Abbey Series. Head strong, aware of her privilege but determined to live life on her own terms.
Amy is a victim of society with no real measure of her own worth until she embarks on the journey of a lifetime, traveling places she would normally not and becoming entangled with a cast of interesting and wonderful characters. Enjoy her journey....I did.

15 of 15 people found this review helpful

Absolutely stunning debut!

A must listen for lovers of historical fiction. A cozy novel that transports you to the inner world of a girl and her noble friend in Victorian England. Of hundreds of books, this is in my top ten.

18 of 19 people found this review helpful

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!!

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Absolutely Loved This Book! One of my Favorites!

This is a wonderful story that takes place in early to mid 1800's in England. A romantic, historical fiction novel with a twist of mystery. Masterfully performed. Well written and thoroughly enjoyable. I highly recommend. I will read more from this author.

15 of 16 people found this review helpful

Great YA book

I found this book to be sweet but a bit juvenile. It would have been the kind of book I loved when I was a young teen - historical fiction,fairytale plot, rated PG and a happy ending. I was getting a bit bored early on but the reader was excellent and I just kept listening. It was pleasant enough to listen to, but nothing with any meat or substance. If you are looking for an escape and sweet fairytale, then you will like this book. For YA I rate it 5 stars, for adult it gets 3.

29 of 32 people found this review helpful

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.

13 of 14 people found this review helpful

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.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful