Hannah’s beautifully written story caused me to read too much in the day, neglecting my other duties. How different might Leni’s father have been if Ernt was able to get help for his PTSD? How different might his life have been? Her mother’s? Her own? However, the book is also a reflection of a bygone time when soldiers came home broken and unable to find help. This is a book that will make you pack up and want to go to Alaska, if only for the beautiful scenery and good neighbors that Leni finds (the exception being Mad Earl). Both Leni and her mother are afraid that they won’t make it through the winter. However, the darkness descends both outside and in. When the long Alaskan winter descends upon them, Leni’s father tries to control his temper. Mad Earl seems to fuel all of these thoughts. While he was always a bit paranoid, now he worries about government intrusion in his life as well as the end of times and how to prepare for it. When her father meets Mad Earl, the father of the man Ernt inherited land from, Leni’s father’s problems worsen. While their neighbors teach them about the dangers all around them and how to survive the long Alaskan winter, Leni soon discovers that the real danger is inside the cabin.
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