The Great Alone

Angered by Tom’s ambitions to make Kaneq more tourist-friendly, Ernt calls a meeting at Mad Earl’s compound. He gives a speech about how Tom is destroying their way of life, but Thelma protests, accusing Ernt of making too much out of it. The women talk among themselves about how Tom always helps. At home, Leni is anxious about her father’s hostility, but she can’t pinpoint why. She thinks of Matthew and how they continue writing to each other. Even though Leni feels at home in Alaska, she is lonely.

Late that night, Leni sees her dad walk out with some equipment. The next day when they go into the town for some festivities, they find the saloon vandalized. Leni knows her father did it, and she feels “the schism in the town, the disagreement that could easily become a fight for the soul of what Kaneq should be” (190). The possibility of her father’s volatile temper resurfacing worries Leni. However, both Large Marge and Tom dismiss Leni’s concern. One evening while they are at Mad Earl’s compound, Tom comes by to talk to the Harlans and offers to hire them to work on the saloon. Mad Earl and his family need the money and hear Tom out. Furious, Ernt grabs Cora and Leni and leaves. Leni talks to her mother about how Ernt vandalized the saloon, and they talk about how things could explode.

Matthew is at Fairbanks playing hockey. Although he feels alienated from his peers, he has leaned on his sister Alyeska over the years. She stayed in Fairbanks to watch over him after the death of their mom. Matthew tells her he wants to finish the school year in Kaneq. Alyeska correctly guesses a big part of it is Leni, who he’s kept in touch with through letters. Although his return worries Alyeska, Matthew convinces her that he needs to return. When he arrives two weeks later, his dad greets him. Matthew steps into the Walker house and sees reminders of his mother everywhere. When he starts to speak about losing his mom, Tom tells him it wasn’t his fault and says he’s glad Matthew is back.

Leni remembers how she always hoped that come spring, her dad’s demeanor might improve: “[Spring] carried with it a sense of hope, of daylight coming of everything would be better now. Of he would be better” (204). Now Leni feels a sense of foreboding that agitates her. As she’s coming home, she sees a boat by their bay. She barely recognizes Matthew, who is now older. He pulls out the old copy of Lord of the Rings Leni gave him. They say they are like Sam and Frodo. Leni knows that her friendship with Matthew will cause problems with her father but doesn’t care. As the teens spend time together, Large Marge and Tom caution Leni and Matthew over the situation. Scared, Leni tells Matthew that her dad can’t find out about their friendship.

Cora notes that Leni is grooming herself more. She cautions Leni over getting involved with Matthew and ending up like her. Ernt continues his animosity towards Tom, so when he sees Tom working on the inn, he stops to yell at him. Leni skips work after school to spend time with Matthew. Matthew tells her how important his sister and Leni’s letters were to him after losing his mom. Leni is beginning to fall in love with him: “She might have talked to Mama, asked her about this edgy restlessness she felt” (218), but her mom has too much to worry about with her father.

Leni and her mom go to Mad Earl’s where Leni is once again aware that her father is sowing division in the town. Ernt has an idea to booby trap Mad Earl’s property against the unwanted visitors he believes are overrunning Kaneq. Arguments break out against this idea, which would be hazardous to Mad Earl’s own family, especially the children. Thelma convinces her father to reject the idea, which makes Ernt even angrier.