Book Review: The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico

 

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“He had mastered his handicap, but he could not master the rebuffs he suffered, due to his appearance. The thing that drove him into seclusion was his failure to find anywhere a return of the warmth that flowed from him.”

In 1930, painter Philip Rhayader takes up residence in an abandoned lighthouse on the marshlands of the Essex coast, retreating from a society that has judged him and been unkind to him on account of his physical deformities. He spends his time amid nature, sailing his small boat, painting and providing sanctuary to birds during the harsh winters When a young girl from a local village, Frith appears at his door with an injured snow goose, Philip cares for it nursing it back to health christening it “The Lost Princess”. Every year the snow goose returns In October before flying north, in the spring. Frith, drawn to the snow goose, also returns. The friendship between Philip and Frith friendship grows over the years - a friendship forged from their loneliness and a shared love for nature even. But as WWII looms large, Philip is unable to remain unaffected by the events happening around him and in a selfless act of courage, decides to play his part.

Originally written in 1940 and developed into a novella in 1941, Paul Gallico’s The Snow Goose is an incredibly moving story about loneliness, kindness, friendship and sacrifice. I was directed to this story while reading a novel inspired by the same. At barely fifty pages, this is a short yet immersive read and I’ll admit that I shed more than a few tears. Though this is considered a children’s story, I believe the subject matter and the historical context would appeal to all readers.