I just finished reading this book and I was fascinated by the entire story. In many ways I didn't want it to end. It was beautifully written. The language describing the Alaskan homesteader's tough existence, the loneliness of the land itself, the characters described in such detail that I felt I knew them, and the tenacity of the homesteaders was literally captured in the writing. I am highly recommending this book to my book club.