Book Review: Amy Snow by Tracey Rees

England 1848 After the death of her benefactor and only real friend, it’s time for Amy Snow to leave the only home that she has ever had. Found, as an infant in the snow on the grounds of Hatville Court by then eight-year old Aurelia, Amy’s lineage is a complete mystery to almost everyone she meets. Armed with a secret legacy and a letter, Amy is going to learn the secret of what Aurelia was up to over the year leading up to her untimely death. The quest is a chance for Amy to leave the mistreatment and coldness from Aurelia’s family, who are happy to finally be relieved of the burden she had become. In that first letter are a set of instructions that Amy must follow if she is to receive the next clue to her journey. Amy discovers on her journey that people are expecting her arrival and some have further letters from Aurelia, written in the months leading up to her death. Throughout the journey, Amy discovers a new side to herself and new confidence, which previously had been unknown to a child who was forced to stay hidden in the shadows. She becomes attracted to two very different men, and must decide which she will marry, knowing that the decision may impact on the remainder of her journey. Her final choice won’t be a surprise to readers, and in some ways, this element of the story is predictable. There is no real fear that Amy will not find love with one of the men, but it is somewhat engaging to see how the truth unfolds. Amy will, by the end of the book, discover Aurelia’s secret, and, even though readers will be vying for her to discover her lineage, the real reason for Aurelia’s disappearance has nothing to do with it. When Amy’s lineage is revealed at the very end, told from the perspective of the one character who no one expects to hear from, it tries to paint a dislikeable character in a more favourable light but fails to provide any real impact on the story.