Book Review - Touching Snow

Touching Snow by M. Sindy Felin

Karina is a Haitian-American, struggling to get through middle school, avoiding the taunting and teasing of her classmates, and trying to avoid being put into special education classes in the fall. At home, Karina and her sisters fear the wrath of their stepfather, whose harsh discipline includes regular "beat-ups", as Karina calls them. Living with her extended family in Chestnut Valley, New York, Karina and her sisters Enid and Delta know exactly what sets their stepfather off -- wasting the hard earned food that kids in Haiti would love to have, leaving lights on, not cleaning the kitchen properly, or being late to school. One night, he takes one of his beat-ups too far on Enid, and Karina and her sisters think that this might be the last straw, that their mother will finally kick Gaston out and they will no longer live in fear. This book will having you racing through to the last page. You'll be rooting for Karina and her sister, hoping they can escape a life of violence. It also gives a wonderful insight into what life is like for an immigrant family trying to adapt to living in the United States.