The Snow Queen: A Novel

“Regardless of your theological position on signs and wonders, that voice, Cunningham’s inimitable style, is the real miracle of The Snow Queen…He writes so wisely about the cruel taunting of remission and the way illness both deepens and frays romantic relationships, endowing the dying with a kind of security and purpose that healthy people crave. His portrayal of the once-blessed Meeks brothers, raised in expectation of fame and riches they’ll never attain—not even close—is full of affecting pathos.” —Washington Post

“The same masterful language that earned Cunningham a Pulitzer for The Hoursin 1998 elevates this story…to a gratifying examination of transcendence in ordinary life… Overall, The Snow Queen proves to be a fulfilling literary experience, especially for fans of Cunningham’s previous work.” —Los Angeles Magazine

“The Snow Queen is inspired by classic fairy tales, though Cunningham’s sensibilities skew in a thoroughly modern (even post-modern) direction, resulting in a very beautiful hodgepodge…The lush writing is gorgeous throughout…At a technical level The Snow Queen is extraordinary.” —Irish Independent

“Whether taking readers along on an ecstatic drug trip or picking over the fine line between creative genius and maudlin tripe, Cunningham’s masterful eye for human observation leads the way. Once again, he shows his talent for picking away the crust of familiarity and revealing the diamond brilliance at the heart of every moment of our lives.” —Shelf Awareness

“Tender, funny, and sorrowful, Cunningham’s beautiful novel is as radiant and shimmering as Barrett’s mysterious light in the sky, gently illuminating the gossamer web of memories, feelings, and hopes that mysteriously connect us to each other as the planet spins its way round and round the sun.” —Booklist (starred review)

“Cunningham explores the interconnected lives of Barrett, Tyler, and Beth, three individuals awaiting deliverance from their own personal dystopia, a dilapidated Bushwick, Brooklyn, apartment…Though these characters are all searching for redemption (whether it’s through religion, rehab, or a cure), the secret of humanity is ultimately revealed to each through the others’ lives. Verdict: In concise yet descriptive language, Cunningham weaves the secret of transcendence through the mundane occurrences of everyday life. Those who enjoyed his Pulitzer Prize-winning The Hours will be pleased to see similar themes emerging in his newest novel.” —Library Journal (starred review)

“At its heart, Cunningham’s story is about family, and how we reconcile our closest human relationships with our innermost thoughts, hopes, and fears…Cunningham has not attempted to answer any of life’s great questions here, but his poignant and heartfelt novel raises them in spades.” —Publishers Weekly

“Narrator Claire Danes delivers an exceptionally good performance. Her clear, thoughtful reading is suited to both Cunningham's moments of soaring, lyrical language and to the casual, irreverent tone of the dialog among friends. A well-written novel that's enriched by the audio performance. —Library Journal

Quintessential New York listening, whether you're gliding across the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset or mired in midtown gridlock. —O Magazine

Gracefully narrated by Claire Danes, this quiet story of yearning and connection becomes a surprisingly poignant audio. —BookPage

Narrating with clarity and a touch of gentleness, Danes voices characters who sound typically American, while also infusing them with a wonderment that subtly signals Cunningham's transcendent examination of love, fate, and the meaning of it all. —AudioFile Magazine

Like By Nightfall (2010), Cunningham's elegant and haunting new novel examines the complex dynamics among a couple and a brother. In this configuration, Barrett Meeks, a poetically minded man in his late thirties who has just been dumped by his most recent boyfriend via text message, shares a Brooklyn apartment with Tyler, his older musician-bartender brother, and Beth, Tyler's great love. Beth and Barrett work in Liz's vintage shop. She's 52; her current lover, Andrew, is 28. Beth is undergoing full-throttle treatment for cancer. Tyler is struggling to write the perfect love song for their wedding, and breaking his promise not to do drugs. Barrett, long afflicted by his flitting interest in everything, remains in an altered state after seeing a strangely animated "celestial light" over dark and snowy Central Park. As his characters try to reconcile exalted dreams and crushing reality, Cunningham orchestrates intensifying inner monologues addressing such ephemeral yet essential aspects of life as shifting perspectives, tides of desire and fear, "rampancy" versus "languidness," and revelation and receptivity. Tender, funny, and sorrowful, Cunningham's beautiful novel is as radiant and shimmering as Barrett's mysterious light in the sky, gently illuminating the gossamer web of memories, feelings, and hopes that mysteriously connect us to each other as the planet spins its way round and round the sun. —Donna Seaman, Booklist (starred review)