ICE OUT

In this novel, a snowmobile accident leaves a woman and her young daughter fighting for their lives as her husband seemingly abandons them.

Long Islander Francesca Bellini is in her first year as a music teacher when she meets Ben Bodin. This “dignified” young architect catches her attention immediately. It isn’t long before the two get married and start a new life in Vermont. Though Francesca is reluctant to move away from her parents, the couple’s newly built home in the forest sits next to a beautiful meadow that Mother Nature herself made. Francesca loves her husband, but after she has a baby, she grows especially close to their daughter, Addie. She is miserable when she and her child are apart. One December evening, when Addie is 4 years old, Ben takes the family on a snowmobile trip across the wintry landscape. Although he’s a skilled rider, he can’t avoid an accident that throws all three into an icy lake. Francesca sinks into the blistering cold water, struggling to stay on the surface. As she screams for Addie, whom she can’t see, she’s astounded when she sees Ben find his way to solid ground only to run away and leave his family behind. In the dreamlike sequence that follows, Francesca somehow makes it to the nearby woods. She stumbles on an enigmatic individual called the White Widow, joined by her “sisters in spirit.” These women have all been betrayed—sometimes killed—by their husbands. As they all crave vengeance, Francesca may have to deliver their lethal brand of retribution against Ben.

Speranza meticulously develops the relationship between Francesca and Ben. She doesn’t skimp on scenes like the construction of the couple’s home; their adoption of a beloved golden retriever, Cruz; and Francesca’s road to motherhood. Softhearted Francesca, who’s an accomplished flutist, will easily win readers’ admiration; she’s the patient and firm one in arguments. But the narrative perspective shifts to Ben as well and largely centers on his dead twin sister, Lucy. He’s not quite as sympathetic as his wife, but the story does shine a light on the tragedy of teenage Lucy’s death, a topic Ben routinely dodges. Despite a potent connection between mother and child, the novel’s strongest bond involves Cruz and Addie. The dog, for example, “nudges” Addie when she’s trying to crawl and stays at her side as she learns to swim. The author’s tendency to describe things in painstaking detail makes for an unhurried narrative. Certain passages nevertheless read like poetry. There’s lyricism even in infant Addie’s wails: “Slowly, her mouth widens as she bellows her anguish, and moves her whole body in tandem with the sounds she emits, arms thrashing like a crazed conductor leading a rebellious orchestra, legs in synchrony, kicking the air above her.” Speranza wisely shrouds the relatively short White Widow sequence in ambiguity; readers may question if the meeting is genuinely happening or something else entirely is going on. The ending deftly focuses on redemption and forgiveness. Even if Ben doesn’t have a shot at redeeming himself, Francesca may choose to offer absolution rather than seek retaliation.

A slow-moving but engaging tale about thorny family ties.