Book Review: Snow Treasure
Author: Marie McSwigan
One of my all-time favorite books is Snow Treasure. I’ve read the book more than a dozen times, including once with my son and I enjoy it more and more every time. I recently read it with my 11 year-old-daughter. Just when I thought the book could get any more enjoyable, I discovered again how much more fun it is reading with my kids.
Snow Treasure is believed to be based on a true story but that hasn’t been verified. In the winter of 1940 German troops invaded Norway, including a small village called Riswyk. In anticipation of the invasion, the people of Riswyk prepared to hide their gold bullion from the Germans. The residents of Riswyk had more than $9 million in gold bullion and didn’t want to see it fall into the hands of the Germans to aid their war efforts.
Getting that much gold bullion out of the village and the country was a monumental challenge. The villagers came up with an ingenuous plan. They hid the gold in the forest and had their children smuggle the gold out on their sleds right under the German’s noses.
I won’t go into all the details and specifics about how they went about doing this. However, the book is worth the read to discover the details and see if they were successful. While it’s uncertain if the book is actually factual and if this story really happened, it’s a fascinating tale where I found myself rooting for the Norwegians and hoping they would be successful in their rebellion against the Germans.
I’ve always enjoyed World War II history. It stems from the fact that my grandpa served in the war. He didn’t talk much about the war but the few stories he told really illustrated how awful the Germans, under Hitler reign were. Grandpa was more involved in the end of the war and in liberating the country and based on the stories he told I believe his works played a role in the efforts of not only the allies but to the people of Europe, like those in Riswyk, and their efforts to sabotage the Germans.
I find that many of the books I read, or at least the ones I enjoy most, I read with one of my kids. Snow Treasure was no exception. Even though I had read it multiple times, reading it this time with my daughter was the most enjoyable time yet. It makes me look forward to reading it with my eight-year-old daughter next.
The book is 156 pages and includes a few illustrations. I highly recommend this book for children and adults of all ages.
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