Virgin Snow

by Moxie Gardiner

The truth does not always set you free....

At 13, Cosi McCarthy wants what every girl in Buffalo wants in the 1960s—to become a happy wife and loving mother. But that dream collapses when her father dies, ugly family secrets emerge, and her widowed mother is trapped in the double standards of a patriarchal culture and impoverished by the city's failing economy. Swept up in the idealism of youth, Cosi soon learns how hard it is to save the world, and that love is easy to mistake when you have no idea what it looks like.

“From the highly charged opening scene of young Cosi slipping into her dying father’s bedroom to the irreverent humor that classifies a handy crucifix and candles as “An emergency kit, of sorts, for Catholics on their last legs,” Moxie Gardiner asserts her writing chops in this coming-of-age story of a girl growing up in Buffalo, New York. Cosi’s heart-rending experiences spring from her desperate efforts to define herself in a culture that expects certain willing sacrifices. Polished by Gardiner’s love for her hometown, Virgin Snow shines. Keep tissues handy.”
--Ginny Fite, award-winning author of The Physics of Things

299 pages, Paperback

Published July 28, 2023

Reviews

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book resonated with me more than any in recent history. The authors sister is in my bookclub so we gladly took the opportunity to make it this months book selection. Since the setting for the book is my hometown it was a given that I would feel a connection from the beginning.Yet the story itself is so rich and covers so many issues from family relationships to friendships to infidelity,teen pregnancy,the Vietnam war ,Catholicism ,poverty,and political activism.This book has it all.Add in a bit of humor and it makes this book a true winner!

[Laura Grainger Vinograd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buffalo love

I grew up in Buffalo in the late 60's. The places, names, streets and food felt like visiting old friends. It was a time like no other and the author put her finger right on it.

[Ellen Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story!! I read it in a day and was completely captivated by the characters. This debut novel is a quintessential “coming of age” story set in Buffalo’s West Side in the 1960s. A beautifully written, compelling page-turner—can’t wait to read more by this author!

[Roberta M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful read rich with many WNY and Buffalo treasures. Even though I resided in North Buffalo, I definitely vibed with the all Catholic, Italian, and West Side references. It was like a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Having moved out of WNY ten years ago (at the age of 55) I so relate to the following quote from the book regarding Buffalo - "It'll always live deep in my soul because it's part of who I am."

I can't wait to read the author's next book...

[Margaret Meissner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent first book! The setting and characters were real to me and the Buffalo setting was accurately described. I hope there are more stories of Cosi and her family but I will read anything Ms Gardiner writes next. Thouroughly entertaining and thoughtful.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

mostly loved this book because i grew up in the era it was written and in buffalo. I loved reading about streets and places i am familiar with like Ellicott creek and the west side and the streets, etc.. it was a very good story, very true to the events of the day and the characters were interesting all the way around. my sister happened to find a signed copy at used book sale and shared it with me. we plan to share it with our siblings, too. very good book.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Virgin Snow" evokes the Buffalo I remember as a teenager in the 1960s. It's all in there--Buffalo's West Side, Catholic Church, Bethlehem Steel and the decline of industry, ethnic enclaves, Vietnam War and its effect on all of society--those fighting it and those protesting it, the awkwardness of being a teenager, even the once might Road Vultures.

[Larry Bostian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very satisfying coming of age story set in late ‘60s buffalo. Catholic neighborhood vividly drawn.