Thirteen -year-old Leni and her parents move to Alaska looking for a simpler way of life. Her Viet Nam veteran father, Ernt, has lots of issues and has trouble holding down a job so he thinks living off the land and being independent will be a new beginning for them. But they are unprepared for the harsh, unforgiving land that is their new home. The long, dark winters take their toll on Ernt's mental state and soon Leni and her mother fear being trapped inside the cabin with him even more than the countless dangers that loom outside. Leni comes to love the beauty of Alaska and this way of life, but she can't abide her father's violence. When fate finally intervenes, she is forced to make decisions that will change her life forever. I heard a lot about this book before it came out, but I hadn't planned on reading it until I had it in my hands. It's a perfectly fine book, but it just wasn't for me. Hannah does a good job of describing Alaska and dealing with the nightmare of domestic violence, but there's no surprising plot twists or spine-tingling suspense that I tend to look for. I found this story about wild Alaska to be a little too tame for me.