When Leni arrives in Alaska at the age of 13, it's hard for her to imagine a more remote and lonely place. For her father Ernt, though, it's exactly what he needs. Returning home from Vietnam was not a smooth transition, to say the least, and Ernt needs a fresh start. Surely Alaska will be the place for Leni's family to finally settle down and for Ernt to work out his demons. Alaska, though, has its own ways that can mess with a person - and it takes a special kind of survivor to be ready to endure what Alaska has to offer. For Leni and her family, Alaska will either be the solution to the crisis or its breaking point.
This is definitely a coming of age story (which I like) and I have to first say that no book I've ever read has made Alaska and its wilds come alive for me the way this one has. It practically oozes with the sounds and smells and glory that is this great northern wilderness. So much of this story I appreciated and there was a lot of nuance with the characters and their relationships that was both interesting and upsetting - domestic abuse both emotional and physical are a thread throughout the book, so a content warning to those who might not be ready for that. For my interest in the story and its characters (both main and secondary) and my appreciation of the writing, this book gets 4 stars. I can't give it five because of a few plot holes that grated on me as well as a feeling that some of the things that happen in the later fourth of the book just felt like TOO much for me, where I had to start stretching my imagination a little too much for me to just enjoy the ride the way I wanted to. Glad I read it though.
1 comment:
This sounds great!
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