When the Snow Fell is a book about a boy named Joel Gustafson. He decides to make his own New Year resolutions. They are, to live to be at least one-hundred years old, set his eyes on the sea, and to see a naked lady. He makes these resolutions in the church grave yard. After he made the resolutions he ran into Lars Olson's grave, a boy who died at the age of fourteen. Joel was almost fourteen. Throughout the book he thinks about Lars and what he would've done if he wouldn't have died at such a young age. Joel has a lot on his mind throughout the book. He wants to see the store clerk in transparent veils, have the grey hound give him kissing lessons, and learn how to play the guitar. Joel gets mad and wants to run away, so he goes to an older guy, Simon. When Joel walked in, Simon wasn't there so Joel set out to look for him. When he got back to town he was a hero. Read When the Snow Fell to find out how Joel became a hero.