Julie Edwards/Miyax Kapugen

This is the girl, Julie, for whom the book is named. Julie is her American name and Miyax is her Eskimo name. She prefers to be called Julie by the people she considers to be Americans and only allows her father to call her Miyax. It is significant that she thought of herself as Miyax while she spent time on the tundra with only wolves to keep her company, but now refers to herself as Julie. She is 14 and winds up in the remote Alaskan village after running away from an abusive husband.

Julie embraces her Eskimo heritage and the culture. She is strongly invested in the region she calls home and has a connection with nature, especially with the wolves. She is able to communicate with the wolves, partly because she was so desperate that she was driven to learn but partly because of...