It's Snowing in Las Vegas

by Robert Lovinger

"What I'm about to tell you is an extraordinary story about an ordinary woman."

So begins the tale of Linea Janeiro, a young woman who comes to America from Brazil to escape unbearable sorrow born of a terrible accident. She lands a job in the U.S. with a company that sells snow globes to tourist sites around the country. One day, Linea gathers the vacation time she's accumulated and sets out on an eventful voyage across her new country, using snow globes as rough guideposts.

Through encounters with the people she meets, as well as with the land and with a mysterious boy, hers becomes an odyssey, too, of emotional discovery. In the end, she must decide whether to stay locked inside her broken heart or shed her sadness and re-engage with life.

Once she chooses, she finds a surprising new reason to live. "It's Snowing in Las Vegas" is a moving story of tragedy, redemption, snow globes and a magical journey across America.

296 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 8, 2013

Reviews

[Inês Montenegro]

“It’s Snowing in Las Vegas” is an “on the road” type of romance. Living in the EUA and working for a snowglobe distribution company for five years already, Linea is a Brazilian woman who’s still running from her past, dealing with guilt, remorse and memories. However, the trip she does through the continent – deciding her destinies with the influence of the snowglobes – becomes the start of a healing due not only to the places themselves, but particularly to the people she encounters. Those people and the stories they have to tell are the main issue. Linea is a different woman in the end thanks to them: even when it seems she isn’t affect or that she disagrees with them, she is either influenced or moved. She learns something, a little something that contributes to the main picture and her final decision – bringing her the peace she needs as a human being.
One of the characters informs Linea about studies based on the contribution travelling and vehicles do regarding decisions. I couldn’t agree more, and in the end I had the feeling that her story backups those studies.
It says on the back cover of the book that the author is a journalist – that’s perceptible on the writing style, which is kind of journalistic. There are, however, a few mistakes – the English ones are no more than distractions and really just a few. On the other hand, the Portuguese ones are more frequent, especially regarding accentuation (the Portuguese accents are tricky little things, I know).
I had conflicted feelings while reading this book. Despite never getting to the “didn’t like it” (using goodreads terms), I kept balancing between the “it was ok” and the “liked it”, which I suspected is connected with my feelings regarding Linea. She is, after all, the book’s backbone, the one who connects it all, and several times, I thought she was feeling it more than I was. That’s natural, if it’s based on a real story: no one can feel it the same way, for no one has the same personality, back story and situation (especially mental situation), but strange as a reader. In the end, I liked it. If I took something from her experience? I don’t know yet. It was her trip, not mine – I didn’t feel it like mine. But I don’t believe I would come through her story, and through all the stories she learn, and see nothing that would be worth keeping. I probably will find out what I learnt when the time of need comes.
I gained this book on a goodreads giveaway, which is why I’m thanking the author the offer, as well as the amiable words which come with it.

[Rick Bangham]

I really enjoyed this book. For one thing, it's a great story, but it is also quite thought-provoking. It is a very moving and interesting story that contains some lessons here for all of us about the importance of creating a quality life that adds value, despite personal tragedy and loss. Lovinger seems to have a very good understanding of the finer points in connections people make and where they can lead, relationships that develop, and how people cope when faced with adversity. In this, he weaves an entertaining and interesting story of a personal journey that will give you much to think about and appreciate.

[Wendy Jensen]

This is a story about Linea, a lady in Brazil, leading a normal life until tragedy strikes. She moves to the U.S.A., away from her family and works for a snow globe distributor. Not taken holidays for many years, she sets off across the states with her box of snow globes to guide her where to go. She meets many people and through her travels faces the guilt that she has kept inside of her. She returns to Brazil and her family and begins her life anew.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Robin]

This book was the best I've read in a long time. The story follows a woman who is suffering from great loss. It is heartbreaking and uplifting and brought me to tears more than once. I could not put it down and read it over 2 days. I recognized her struggles and could identify with her insights.
Read this book!

[Christine C]

Wow

I just finished this book and can't even put into words how I feel yet. Linea's journey, both physical and spiritual, is incredible.
such an amazing read.