Treasures of the Snow
With slight trepidation, I began reading Treasures of the Snow, one of my all–time favourite books, with my 11 and 6 year old. I was worried that my experience of reading the book thirty years ago would not be replicated in my children. I couldn’t remember any of the details of the story but I knew that I had been moved to tears reading it. Would my children, be similarly impacted by the story line? Would it be relevant in a world of Netflix, Strictly Come Dancing and Britain’s Got Talent?
I needn’t have worried….It quickly cast its spell over us.
Set in Switzerland, it follows the story of Annette, Dani and Lucien as they cope with the aftermath of an accident in the mountains. The children wrestle with feelings of anger, guilt, bitterness and regret in a way that many modern books avoid.
The most wonderful thing about reading Treasures of the Snow is that it has a thoroughly Christian worldview. The author, Patricia St. John, continually alludes to the God of the Bible, His love for us and His desire for us to turn to Him. In our increasingly secular world, this is something I think we often miss. It felt really special, each evening, to enter a world of fiction, but also a world with God at the centre. A bit like reading Narnia, there seemed to be something very powerful about fiction with a Christian worldview.
As well as weaving a gripping plot–line, Patricia St. John, explains the Christian life, sin, the work of the Spirit in a way that a child can really grasp. It didn’t feel like we were doing a Bible study or listening to a talk and yet night after night, we were learning what it means to follow Jesus. It was so moving seeing first Annette and then Lucien come to Jesus and be changed by Him.
Some of the language and ways of talking about faith seemed a bit dated or unfamiliar to my children but it was still helpful. I wonder if the description of choosing to follow Jesus even if it is costly might stay with the children longer than a Sunday school lesson or discussion over dinner ever could.
We have all been challenged and moved over the last month as we have read Treasures of the Snow and it has got me thinking about the power of Christian literature and its place in family discipleship. If you are feeling dry or your family Bible times have lost their way, perhaps reading a story with a Christian worldview could be something to add to your repertoire? It was at times a bit twee, but the overall experience has been wonderful. Most of all, Patricia St. John has made Jesus seem more real and more precious to us.
Claire Walford
Treasures of the Snow
Set in Switzerland, this classic children’s Christian book tells the story of Lucien, who causes a tragic accident, and Annette, who is determined to punish him for his crimes forever. What I love is that although the story is ‘safe’ for children to read and ultimately has a happy ending, it is heart-wrenchingly real about the cost of forgiveness and repentance. It doesn’t patronise the reader by lessening the emotional journey, and all the characters feel utterly real. It’s more slow-moving than more contemporary novels, but once the accident has happened you just have to know how it turns out.
The Christian message of a God who welcomes sinner and sinned-against is there but it never feels preachy or twee because it fits the story, rather than twisting the story to fit an agenda. Because it was so close to my heart as a child, I read it together with my son, and it had us both crying, laughing and cheering, feeling like we were right there in the remote Swiss mountain village. A really special book, and one worth sharing with the children in your life. Highly recommended as an absolute classic.
Tanya Marlow
