“Cold Enough For Snow” by Jessica Au

In all of my travels, the country that I found most enigmatic was Japan. It was also among the most charming, beautiful, and wondrous. Jessica Au captures all this and more in her meticulous and captivating debut novel, “Cold Enough for Snow”.

Au’s writing is beautiful and sublime. It is especially compelling in flashbacks and musings that add layers to what on first blush reads like a simple mother/daughter “road trip”, maybe for the last time. Instead we are offered subtle glimpses of a far more complex story of expatriation/immigration with the complexities of 1st generation assimilation and alienation that can be so wrenching. Japan with its past and present history and beauty is the perfect setting for these contemplations.

“Cold Enough for Snow” is a worthy recipient of the inaugural Novel Prize given by Fitzcarraldo Editions/New Directions/Giramondo for “a novel written in English that explores and expands the possibilities of the form”. Jessica Au is an artist to watch as her career unfolds.

Thank you to Fitzcarraldo Editions/New Directions/Giramondo and NetGalley for the eARC.