My mom thought I might be interested in this book, and since it deals with themes of isolation and nature I can see why it appeared on her radar. Unfortunately I wasn’t very impressed with the writing overall, and the pacing of the story in particular.
First, the good news. While reading this book you get the feeling that the writer not only knows about Alaska but considers it a place where they belong. Especially I enjoyed the descriptions of nature, and the excitement of the family who starts a new life there. There is a real small town vibe to the place when they arrive from Seattle in the 1970s, and there are lots of scenes with odd-ball neighbors pitching in to help each other. The writer gives a balanced picture of life in Alaska, showing the light and dark sides.
The problems I had with the book were with the storyline, which seemed to move very slowly at first. I was happy to let the author take their time and set up the pieces, but towards the middle and end of the book the pace suddenly accelerated. I felt like resolution was being crammed into the book at the last minute.
The characters were often written very simply as being good/bad/nice and not very complex. I also had a problem with the father in the story, who is so one-dimensional that I just couldn’t buy his motivation or struggles.
But the final section of the book is just totally on a different vibe with the rest – like a go-for-broke tear-jerking attempt. I guess I just prefer writing with a little more subtlety.
Next I am reading The Hidden Globe by Atossa Araxia Abrahamian.
