I ran across a glowing description of Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John. Written in 1948 by an English missionary … who has passed on … it’s a book beloved by generations of children.
I had never heard of it. So naturally I had to read it.
Annette, age 12, lives in a Swiss mountain village with her dad, grandma, and little brother, age 5 or so. It’s a sweet household. But then a neighbor boy Lucien, the village bully, accidentally knocks Annette into a snowdrift. He doesn’t help her get out of it, and things start to go sour. Annette, full of anger, makes sure Lucien feels the consequences of his actions, and his schoolmates shun him.
Ill will escalates when Lucien’s response results in injury to the little brother, and soon Annette can find only hatred in her heart for Lucien. Grandma’s Bible verses aren’t touching her any more. Meanwhile Lucien feels sad and ashamed.
How can Annette get out of this spiral of anger, hatred, and shame? Grandma explains how Jesus, if you ask him into your heart, doesn’t leave room for dark feelings.
As the story unfolds, the book becomes a strong gospel presentation on a child’s level of understanding. It portrays the dark side of the human heart on a child’s level without apology. I think this story would make a great family read-aloud. Care to give it a try?