Missoula

Missoula is where Marian and Jamie grow up. There, they live with their uncle, Wallace, who is their stand-in father. They are both adventurous children, often exploring the wilderness and indulging a taste for adventure. Marian’s love of flight begins in Missoula after the Brayfogle couple flies into town. She also begins her flight lessons with Trout Marx here, and meets Barclay MacQueen here, whom she eventually marries. Marian yearns to leave Missoula. She thinks the world feels small there. Marian feels a sense of home in Missoula, but also wants to leave it behind as she embarks upon her life as a pilot.

Alaska

Marian’s first sense of freedom is in Alaska. She flees Barclay and lives there after aborting her fetus. For a time, she lives as a freelance pilot. She is content to fly planes and live a solitary life, but Marian still...