An Old Book

I remember reading a book when I was much younger. It was a child's book - about a boy, or it may have been a girl, searching for either his/her sister or family, I think. I'm not sure where it was set, geographically, but wherever it was, it was winter. I remember that the snow, ice and cold played as much a part in the novel as anything else did, but for the life of me I can't remember the details of the book.

I remember one scene in particular, where the boy (let's just say it was a boy) comes to a town, or a party, in the middle of the snow. The people there are full of life, laughing and dancing round a large bonfire. Even though he knows something isn't right, the boy can't help but get caught up in the excitement and joins in the dancing. The people are dancing round and round in ever-decreasing circles, dancing closer and closer to the fire, and at the last instant, something happens and the boy realises the entire scene is an illusion. Everything fades from around him, and the bonfire disappears to reveal a massive pit in the ground, into which the boy was about to dance and plummet to his death.

Some of the imagery behind the story has stuck with me all this time, even though I can only remember snatches of it. I also remember something to do with the boy saving his frozen tears, tiny pips of ice, which I think he throws at someone or something in the story.

It's been pointed out to me that I may just be half-remembering The Snow Queen, and filling in the blanks in my memory with my imagination, but I don't think so. I'll need to pick up a copy of the book to check I suppose.