Book Summary and Reviews of The Snow Hare by Paula Lichtarowicz

Book Summary

In this "riveting, heartfelt" novel of love and consequences (Heather Morris, New York Times bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz), a woman dreams of becoming a doctor until World War II leads her instead into an astonishing love—and a fateful choice.

Is it possible to fall in love at the edge of life?

Lena has lived a long, quiet life on her farm in Wales, alongside her husband and child. But as her end approaches, buried memories begin to return. Of her childhood in Poland, and her passion for science. Of the early days of her marriage, reluctant wife to an army officer. Of the birth of her daughter, whose arrival changed everything.

Memories less welcome return, too. Her Polish village, transformed overnight by the Soviets, and the war that doomed her entire family to the frigid work camps of the Siberian tundra. And buried in that blinding snow, amongst the darkness of survival, the most haunting memory of all: that of an extraordinary new love.

Exploring motherhood, marriage, consequences, and our incredible human capacity for hope, The Snow Hare is the story of a woman who dares to love and to dream in the face of impossible odds, and of the peace we each must make with our choices, even long after the years have gone by.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. The Snow Hare explores how memories can haunt us throughout our lives. Why does Lena see the little girl and the "bone man" in her final days? Were you surprised by who these characters turned out to be?
2. How do you feel about Lena's character? Did you like her? Does that matter? Is she a different woman at the end than she was as a child in Poland?
3. One of the novel's central questions is how much control we wield over our own lives. To what extent does Lena have agency? What happens when an external force – such as war – deprives us of our own choices? What do you think motivates Lena to keep going?
4. On p. 279 Lena tells Grigori "Everything matters or nothing matters." What does she mean? Do you agree? ...