Amy Snow

A Novel

By: Tracy Rees

Narrated by: Melody Grove

Length: 15 hrs and 43 mins

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.

The Perils of Amy

"Jane Eyre" kept popping up in my mind while I was listening to this mostly admirable, yet too long, book.

As in Charlotte Bronte's classic, Tracy Rees presents us with a main character who occupies a low place in the world. On her own, she must make her way and find what she longs for - acceptance, love, and a place to call home.

"Amy Snow," however, also offers a strong and unbreakable female friendship. Amy's quest is not only on her own behalf, but also involves solving a mystery presented in the form of a "treasure hunt" by the now-deceased woman to whom she owes her very life. For Amy's origins are completely unknown; she is discovered as an infant, shivering in the snow, by an extraordinary 8 year old girl named Aurelia who stands her friend and protector, even after Aurelia's premature death.

And protection is what Amy really needs. Aurelia's family is, from the first, hostile and unwelcoming to this unknown orphan brought home by their darling only child. Amy must rely on Aurelia's determined advocacy for a place to live, for her food and clothing, her education and any sense of belonging in the world. After being turned out of the house with enthusiasm after Aurelia's untimely passing, Amy can only seek her own future by following her friend's clues and discovering the secret Aurelia has been hiding.

Along the way, she finds money (provided clandestinely by Aurelia), travel, wisdom, friendship - there are many, well-drawn and varied characters. Most importantly, she finds a sense of herself and a confidence in her own future.

But, why so long? Amy is a very sympathetic heroine, but her tendency to self-analysis and hand wringing become just a tad wearying. As this is presented in the YA category, I fear many teens may not struggle with Amy through to the end (at least without skipping a good deal!). Much of the "mystery" is pretty easy to predict, and an "epilogue" sits oddly, as a tack-on revelation that couldn't fit in elsewhere.

At the end of this listen, there is an interview with the author. Historical details are explained; some young readers may appreciate this information, but it's given in something of a classroom voice.

Captivating

Enjoyable read and good narrator made this a hard one to quit listening to. Highly recommend

An amazing, beautiful & delightful book!

I loved everything about this book! The story was so cleverly written with delightful narration as the reader's accent added so much to my enjoyment. I think I would have missed a lot if I had merely read the book. I loved the descriptive language of the author. I would definitely recommend this book!

Very pleasant to listen to!!

I loved the reader!! She was enjoyable to listen to. The story was fun and while the main story was slightly predictable the antagonist acknowledges that fact. The adventures on the way to the ‘surprise’ was quite fun!! I should love to have known Miss Amy Snow.

Amazing story!

Melody Grove did such an amazing job reading this book aloud, and it was an amazing story! I was disappointed when it was over... such a beautiful story....

I wanted to really like this novel

I wanted to really like this novel, it was good but I didn't love it. I found myself with more questions than answers at the end. I found Henry to be annoying. I guessed the secret right away, but was unsatisfied with the ending. It was well narrated but the story was lacking.

Captivated

I listened to this book daily on my commute to work and home. This quickly changed to my listening of it while at home as I couldn't wait for the secrets to unfold. Wonderfully written!

Loved every moment!

Brilliantly written and narrated. A lovely story told well with the right mix of intrigue and character development. I just stumbled upon Tracy Rees and am just delighted! Worth the credit!!!

Slow moving and overly descriptive

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I thought the overall plot was interesting. However, the book really dragged on and on for me. I almost quit listening several times but thought I should wait to hear how it ended, and was trying to give it the benefit of the doubt because it had so many good reviews. I eded up listening on 1.5 speed just to try and get through it! I just felt that it dragged and it described again and again and again how much Amy Snow loved Aurelia and visa a versa. I just never really need up caring about either character.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Cut out at least half of the flowery descriptions and repetitions of undying affection. An abridged copy might have been interesting.

Was Amy Snow worth the listening time?

Not for me!

Wonderful Story!

What did you love best about Amy Snow?

She was a very endearing character and I loved that she was so genuine.

Any additional comments?

I found myself looking forward to each new message to Amy from Aurelia and couldn't stop listening until the conclusion. This is a book that just leaves you very happy and satisfied!