Part the Shining, part Romeo and Juliet. Set in the 1970s, this story revolves around a young family still reeling from the Vietnam War. The father, is a Vietnam veteran and was a prisoner of war. One of his war buddies died leaving behind his property in Alaska. His extended family calls Ernt and offers him the property. Lenora (Leni) and her family head to Alaska in hope that her father will find freedom and happiness especially from his nightmare.
Deeply evocative of the beauty and loneliness of Alaska. Hannah is adept at drawing the beauty and tragedy of life in Alaska. The seasons, the wildlife, the people. It’s a harsh life and not for the weak. If you love Alaska, don’t visit in the winter. The darkness delivers depression and desperation in full force, not only among the animals, but also the humans.
Leni, a bright well read strong young woman, wants her mother to leave her father. She won’t leave her mother behind, so she finds beauty and happiness in Alaska even though her home life is a nightmare. Eventually she finds love in a fellow Alaskan.
By camouflage, she learned to fit in, to survive.
Librarian a la mode 