The northern soul
Gazing at the mounds of blindingly white snow around her, perforated by pine trees and pathways compacted hard by the tread of boots and runners of sleds, Julia started to wonder why on earth she had chosen to come to such a cold, unforgiving place.
‘In fact,’ she ruminated miserably, ‘this isn’t just cold.’
This was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before: the endless, dark sky, the bitter, icy air, the utter sense of emptiness.
Despite wearing more layers than a millefeuille, she was frozen to the bone, the wind whipping away her body heat in an instant, leaving her feeling numb all over.
‘Sickness took her from Julia’s life, leaving a chasm that was too deep to fill’
It had all seemed so magical a year ago, when she’d started planning her trip to Ivalo, the folkloric home of Santa Claus. It had been on her bucket list for years. She’d almost forgotten how many times she’d leafed through brochures, spent hours
