Grief

Grief is a major theme in this novel because Jack and Mabel are still struggling to come to terms with the loss of their baby who was stillborn ten years before they moved to Alaska. In fact, the two moved to Alaska because Mabel believed it would be good for her to get away from children and pregnant women. She felt these were constant reminders of her failure as a wife and mother.

In Alaska the couple faced new kinds of grief. Mabel was deeply depressed by the long cold winters. Jack was distressed because he worked hard on his land but was still struggling to survive. The couple hit a new level of sorrow when Jack hurt his back while farming and was unable to work. Mabel felt they had no choice but to move back East.

It was not until the two began to...