Chapter 1, The Place Summary and Analysis

Adrian Hoover, an art director for a Chicago-based textbook publisher, and his wife, metallurgy researcher Helen Hoover, are vacationing in a guest cabin on the north shore of Lake Superior. Spring has just begun. The Hoovers, hoping to purchase woodland property far from civilization, follow a lead provided by the U.S. Forest Service. They drive a long treacherous road, finally arriving at the lodge. Although the lodge is still closed for the season, the proprietors, Sven and Hilda Peterson, prove hospitable.

Following a tip from the Petersons, the Hoovers look at a log cabin for sale two miles up the road. Carl Johnson, the cabin's owner and builder, shows them around. The Hoovers find the cabin to be small, weathered, and rustic but figure that they can polish it up. After a day's consideration, they decide...