How does Helen Hoover use imagery in A Place in the Woods?

Much of the imagery is of raw nature. The Hoovers, needing more room to work on the log cabin, buy a second, larger cabin nearby. In the process of making the log cabin livable, the Hoovers run across an injured mouse and her young. They keep the mouse as a pet until it finally passes away, while her young are left on their own. Instead of returning to Chicago, the Hoovers decide they would rather stay in their wilderness home. They quit their jobs.