11 Great Books Set in Cold Weather
It’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the US and I debated on what kind of post I should do on the blog. Over the years, I’ve noticed (and this has been pointed out by many BIPOC) that white people have been wielding MLK’s words in ways they were never intended.
White people have been twisting his quotes about peace and kindness, taking them out of context and ignoring his words imploring white people to take action and do the work of antiracism, and acting as if those quotes stand alone. White people have been using MLK’s quotes to vilify and condemn Black people for fighting for their rights. White people have been using MLK quotes, taken out of context, to justify their racism.
It’s gotten to the point that I give a sideways look to any white person quoting MLK, especially when their motives aren’t clearly antiracism. And as a white person, I didn’t feel right about trying to write a blog post about books he would’ve liked or books you should read about race on this day. I’ve written several antiracist book lists in the past and MLK’s words don’t need my propping up by me. Go read them in their entirety. “Letter From Birmingham Jail” will forever be one of my favorite essays.
Instead, I encourage you to do something antiracist today. Donate to Black Lives Matter or your local mutual aid fund. Buy books by a Black author. Volunteer your time doing something good.
In the meantime, this week’s post is brought to you by one of my favorite fellow book bloggers, Liza Achilles! She’s pretty rad.
Having moved to Michigan when I was 9 years old, from warmer climes, I had to adjust to new weather patterns. Colder, grayer weather patterns. Freezing cold, overcast days stretched from September until May. Layers of snow turned to yellow-brown sludge that stuck around for weeks.
Feeling overwhelmed by this unfamiliar weather, I remember wishing that more books featured people coping with winter weather. Why did all of the books I happened to read seem to be set in southern California or summertime? (Admittedly, I was obsessed with the Sweet Valley Twins series at the time. . . .)
I remember my sense of relief when I finally happened upon a novel set in a Minnesota winter. There was a blanket of snow, and a woman was caring for a child with Down syndrome, and there was something about a mailman, and . . . alas, I don’t remember much else about the book, least of all the title or author. (If you can identify this novel, let me know!)
I can’t recommend that book to you, not knowing what book it was. But I’ve read a lot of other wintry books since. So get yourself a hot beverage, put on your coziest p.j.’s, light a fire or a candle, and let’s talk winter! In alphabetical order, here are 11 great books set in cold weather.
The Children of Frost by Jack London
Most any Jack London book will more than satisfy any craving you have for extreme winter weather. I could have chosen any of his books, but I settled on this lesser-known collection of stories because I am particularly enamored of the ending of the short story “The Law of Life.”
Coming to Light by traditional Native American storytellers, edited by Brian Swann
I can’t recommend this collection highly enough. Translations of traditional stories, originally told in traditional languages, are accompanied by explanations for readers unfamiliar with the different cultures. You might begin with the Koyukon Athabaskan (Alaska Native) story “The One Who Kicked His Grandmother’s Head Along,” which contains this lovely imagery: “It was freeze-up time again, and thin ice was beginning to run on the river.”
Creatures by Crissy Van Meter
This debut novel, published in 2020, is about a woman living on an island near California. She struggles with her lifelong relational traumas, against a backdrop of the severe weather and natural disasters that are endemic to the island. Get your cold-weather chills from chapters titled “Snow,” “Winter,” “Hail,” and “Freeze” (amidst other not-so-cold, but equally cataclysmic, chapters).
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
This short novel, set in Massachusetts, features deep snow, freezing temperatures, and sledding. But don’t expect joyous times; this is a cautionary tale about how lives can be ruined through poor choices and bad luck.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
The author climbed Mount Everest as part of a tour group, but the expedition did not go as planned. Due to poor decision making, bad weather, and bad luck, many died or suffered debilitating injuries. Krakauer offers a riveting eyewitness account of the disaster, including his theories on what happened, why it happened, and what people might do differently to prevent future tragedies.
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
Set in Chicago, this 1905 novel is a screed against capitalism and the meat-packing industry. The characters struggle to make a living while oppressed by cruel bosses, horrific conditions, and cold weather. This fictional tale inspired a real-life investigation and reforms.
The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann
This intellectually vast novel is about a young man who accidentally gets entrapped at a sanitorium in the Swiss Alps, where it’s always chilly (but seldom frigid) and everyone’s always sick (but seldom dying). This German novel, published just after World War I, is a fount of ideas about Europe in the early twentieth century; various philosophical theories; and the choices we make, consciously or unconsciously, and their unintended consequences.
Night by Elie Wiesel
In this eyewitness account of the Holocaust, a Jewish boy is forced to move from his home to concentration camps. Wiesel describes traveling and living in horrific conditions—including in temperatures so low that survival is barely possible, and only through intense physical and mental effort. He survives and tells his story so that we can know what happened and work to prevent it from happening again.
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
The author spent many years in Soviet work camps, as a punishment for writing negative comments about Stalin in a letter to a friend. Instead of attempting to describe a years-long timespan, Solzhenitsyn describes only one day. Since most days were the same for prisoners, this was a brilliant creative choice. The chosen day was bitterly cold (as most days naturally were, in Soviet work camps).
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
I probably could have selected literally any Russian novel for this list. War and Peace is a delightful read (if a bit long) with many cold-weather scenes. Plus, there’s this metaphoric gem: “. . . Natasha . . . had just passed him in the ballroom with a look of such icy dignity.”
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
English novels generally don’t get frigidly cold, but they do get blustery—or, shall I say, wuthering? Chapter 2 of this famous novel opens with this: “Yesterday afternoon set in windy and cold.” Indeed, the winds blow in chilling (if a bit sentimental) directions in this gothic novel.
Liza Achilles is a writer, editor, poet, and coach based in the Washington, D.C., area. She blogs about seeking wisdom through books and elsewhere at lizaachilles.com.
