A biography in poetry . . . I was so intrigued. I knew very little about Nannerl, but this book drew me into her complex life, intimately revealing the nuances of her existence in a way no prose narrative has ever done. I appreciated the variety in the poetry, never knowing what to expect with the turn of the page. There is poignancy, anger, irony, humor . . . and each choice of word seems careful. A highly recommended book.

I had to go back and read "End of Winter" again once I read Sharon Chmielarz's Author's Note at the end of the book. There she explains that the two events portrayed in this book--the wearing of masks and the rolling of flaming wheels down mountainsides--were based on medieval Germanic rituals used to scare away the lingering winters of northern Europe. That certainly made a different in how I read this book and made me wish the Author's Note had been at the start of the book, or at least something that let me know there was an element of authenticity to the story in this book. Of course, up here in the Northland winter lasts from Halloween to Easter, so we are always looking for ways to keep the frigid season down to six months or so in length. The illustrations by Annette Cable are supposed to be inspired, in part, by the winter landscape paintings of Grandma Moses and the old Flemish masters, and I actually see the resemblance, which means the art books I have been reading lately are having an effect. This book might inspire some interesting classroom activities for young students who are getting antsy waiting for spring to come.