The Great Alone

The next day, Leni meditates on Alaska’s draw, which she views as “like her dad” (12), and goes with Cora to gather money for the move. Since her dad depleted their savings, Cora goes to get a credit card, but despite having a job, no lenders will offer her one without her husband’s signature. Cora must go to her well-to-do parents for money. Leni’s grandparents, Grandma and Grandpa Golliher, don’t like Ernt since he and Cora ran off when Cora ended up pregnant at 16. The Gollihers have watched with skepticism as Ernt has gotten Cora involved in failed schemes. When Cora obtains the money from her parents, she makes Leni promise not to tell Ernt. Leni’s father abruptly decides they’ll leave Seattle in four days, before Leni can finish out the school year.

Leni and her family drive from Seattle to Homer, Alaska. The changing landscape strikes Leni, and she imagines her coming adventure as if she were Frodo or Bilbo Baggins from The Fellowship of the Ring, her favorite novel. With her Polaroid camera, another valued possession, Leni takes pictures of the gorgeous scenery. The Allbrights spend a perfect day sightseeing and arrive in Kaneq via ferry. The town is full of shacks and old buildings in varying states of disrepair. To Leni, the town seems more like an outpost.

They go to the general store owned by a black woman who calls herself Large Marge. Ernt introduces them as new locals, and Large Marge talks to Cora, giving her advice on living in Alaska. She relates a common expression, “Up here you can make one mistake. The second one will kill you” (31). Large Marge also tells Cora that the community is tight-knit and willing to help newcomers.

The Allbrights reach their homestead, which is past Large Marge’s place. Cliffs border the property, and the ocean stretches beyond them. Since brush and trees block their path, the Allbrights hike up. Leni and her mother are wary at being so distant from civilization but continue to follow Ernt. They arrive at the peninsula where the cabin stands. The cabin is rundown and dirty and has no running water, electricity, or interior bathroom. Leni and Cora support each other through their troubling discoveries.

Leni and Cora clean the cabin while Ernt clears the driveway so that he can drive up the rest of their supplies. The Allbrights work for two days and eat at the beach. Leni notes the long Alaskan days. Her mother and father are happy, and Leni believes they can all be happy as a family. One morning Large Marge and two women come up to help them set up the cabin. One woman introduces herself as Natalie Watkins while the other introduces herself as Geneva Walker. Natalie tells them she came to Alaska following a man but “found a life” (39). Geneva herself says she fell in love with her husband’s land. They decide the Allbrights need a cache for the meat they hunt and a greenhouse. Cora asks Large Marge how long she’s been living in Alaska, and Marge replies 10 years. She loves Alaska and her freedom, quipping, “[I]f you’re tough enough, it’s heaven on earth” (90).

Cora tells Large Marge that Ernt was a soldier in Vietnam, and Large Marge asks about his nightmares, warning them to stay alert. Leni learns many skills from working alongside the women, who praise her positive attitude. Leni notes that even in the summer, Alaskans focus on the coming winter. Large Marge tells Cora that the Allbrights’ supplies aren’t enough. She tells Ernt to teach the women how to shoot to protect themselves. As they continue working, Ernt finally clears the road. The Allbrights go for a drive to see the Harlans, the family of the man who gifted them the property. At the Harlans’ land, they find shanty houses and armed people dressed in dirty clothing. The father of Ernt’s friend is an old man called Mad Earl. In him, Ernt finds a kindred soul who thinks another war is coming. The Harlans are more down-to-earth and welcome Cora and Leni, telling them about the town’s tiny school. Thelma, Mad Earl’s daughter, warns Cora about the harshness of winters and offers her chickens and crops from her gardens. She repeats the caveat about how a second mistake can be fatal in Alaska. Nervous, Cora wonders if moving to a remote Alaskan town was a mistake. Thelma assures her that the Allbrights will receive help.