About Grace

Winkler’s mother fosters in him a fascination with snow from a young age when she shares stories of her childhood in Finland and a book on snow crystals by W. A. Bentley. Winkler’s first true love is his mother, and their relationship has a profound impact on his life. As a result, snow crystals became his obsession and then a basis for his studies and career in meteorology. Later, Winkler meets Naaliyah and shares with her a fascination with insects that for her develops into the same sort of obsession, guiding her education and career choices. Likewise, Winkler’s grandson, Christopher, develops a fascination with insects, providing Winkler with a connection to the young boy that helps their relationship grow.

Snow crystals and insects are more than just objects to Winkler. They symbolize human connection for him, a way that he connected to his mother, a way that he reaches out to both Herman and Grace later in the novel, and his mode of building a relationship with young Naaliyah and then Christopher. Additionally, snow crystals and insects provide a way through which Winkler understands the world around him and his place in it. While he struggles with his inability to find Grace, during his stay at Camp Nowhere he uses the pastime of photographing snow crystals not only to fill his days but also to give him a purpose given that Grace had once been his sole purpose.