In a stunning and unforgettable debut novel A Cold Season, Matthew Hooper captures the immensity of desperation and survival in a world of never ending hardship, through the narration of Beth, who is mourning the loss of her brother Sam and father Owen.
Living in a small cabin on what appears to be a subsistence farm, Beth and her mother struggle to keep the peace as they, each in their own way, live in hope that Sam and Owen will return home, each knowing full well they have been caught in a snow storm up in the high country. Little Sasha, the older brother is at times Beth’s only salvation from the rage and hurt inflicted by her mother.
Wallace, known as an outlaw in their little town, has a hold over Beth’s mother Grace, which is not a good one, as Beth has been warned never to be alone with him. As the days pass eventually comes the thaw with the return of Owen, but sadly not Sam, which once again changes the family dynamic.
The retrieval of Sam, becomes an issue, but Beth is firm in her desire to go to Sam, to see that he really is lost to her, which once again causes distention with her mother.
Hooper’s carefully scripted description of the journey is unforgettable, as it the time spent at the Cabin; Sam’s body lying outside frozen in endless slumber. Discussion as to the best way of bringing him down is earthy, real and heartbreaking.
Beth slowly begins to gain courage and perspective with the support of her father and when tragedy strikes again, she discovers a strength she never expected, fighting back in a blunt but very understandable manner. Talking through the tragic events with Owen sees Beth understand that sometimes life is not fair, just life!
Set between the First and Second World Wars, when times were hard, life is captured in stark clarity, with a sparsity of word that portrays the lack of education and immense vulnerability of children born into a life of hardship.
A Cold Season is, outstanding, unforgettable and certainly a classic in the making.
