Felin, M. Sindy

PERSONAL:

Daughter of Haitian immigrants. Education: Wesleyan University, B.A., 1994.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Suburban Washington, DC.

CAREER:

Writer.

AWARDS, HONORS:

National Book Award in Young People's Literature finalist, 2007, for Touching Snow.

WRITINGS:

Touching Snow, Atheneum Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

M. Sindy Felin's debut novel, Touching Snow, was one of five finalists for the 2007 National Book Award in the young people's literature category. Touching on themes of abuse and revenge, the novel tells the story of a Haitian American girl who wants to transcend her culture's tradition of male dominance. The novel's title refers to the way Haitians describe moving to America: they will "touch snow."

Karina Lamond, the conflicted heroine of Touching Snow, lives in constant fear of her stepfather, a man who sees no dividing line between punishment and battery. When Karina's father beats the girl's sister into unconsciousness, the family finds itself at a difficult crossroads: Either they cover up the crime, or some members will be deported to Haiti because they are illegal immigrants. The solution Karina finally discovers is scarring but perhaps inevitable. According to a Publishers Weekly reviewer, Touching Snow "carries a strong message about the complexities of abuse and why victims are not always willing to take a stand."

Felin is herself the daughter of Haitian immigrants, and critics have noted that Touching Snow is "richly textured with Haitian folklore and superstition," according to a Kirkus Reviews contributor. The novel stems not from the author's personal experiences, but from her observations of the disparity between American and Haitian forms of punishment. Although the book's subject matter is grim, according to Horn Book critic Claire E. Gross, Felin's "remarkably nuanced characters give this challenging read just enough humanity to make it bearable." In Kliatt Claire Rosser compared Touching Snow to Alice Walker's novel The Color Purple, suggesting that it similarly confronts mature themes of violence and sexuality. According to Rosser, in Felin's novel readers encounter "amazingly resilient heroines, [together] with an original authentic voice telling the story of survival."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, May 15, 2007, Francisca Goldsmith, review of Touching Snow, p. 43.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, September, 2007, Karen Coats, review of Touching Snow, p. 19.

Horn Book, July-August, 2007, Claire E. Gross, review of Touching Snow, p. 394.

Kirkus Reviews, May 15, 2007, review of Touching Snow.

Kliatt, May, 2007, Claire Rosser, review of Touching Snow, p. 10.

Publishers Weekly, June 4, 2007, review of Touching Snow, p. 52.

School Library Journal, September, 2007, Carolyn Lehman, review of Touching Snow, p. 195.

Voice of Youth Advocates, April, 2007, C.J. Bott, review of Touching Snow, p. 46.

ONLINE

National Book Award Web site,http://www.nationalbook.org/ (November 11, 2008), Rita Williams-Garcia, "M. Sindy Felin."

Simon & Schuster Web site,http://www.simonsays.com/ (November 11, 2008), "M. Sindy Felin Shares the Emotionally Charged and Utterly Gripping Back Story of Her Novel Touching Snow."