Snow Goose

The moving wartime story of friendship and heroism, set against the dramatic backdrop of the World War II Battle of Dunkirk

In the marshes of Essex, one of the last wild places left in England, a disfigured artist lives alone in an abandoned lighthouse. Shunned by society, he spends his days painting scenes of the coast and the birds that migrate to the meadowlands every winter.  His days are solitary until one November afternoon, a young girl from a nearby village comes to his door carrying a wounded snow goose in her arms. The unlikely pair develop a friendship that deepens over the ensuing years, waiting together for the arrival of the birds every autumn.

In 1940, with England at war, the birds depart early from the shores. The man, too, is called away by his duty as an Englishman to help evacuate the soldiers stranded on the beaches of Dunkirk. A moving tale of love, war, bravery, and sacrifice.Paul Gallico was one of America’s most celebrated writers. Since the first appearance of The Snow Goose in 1941, his reputation grew steadily among his many best-selling novels were Love, Let Me Not Hunger, The Small Miracle, the Mrs. ‘Arris series, and The Poseidon Adventure. In addition, he was a frequent contributor to leading magazines. Mr. Gallico died in 1976.