There were several elements I loved about this book:
The setting (Alaska) -- somewhat mysterious and quite culturally different than the lower 48.
The story -- unique and yet believable
The writing -- quiet, emotional and touching
The author conveyed much about characters and the setting without lengthy descriptions -- a skill I much admire. I've recommended this book to a number of readers for different reasons, and will be looking for more by Halverson (reminds me a bit of Leif Enger).

This is an enjoyable and pleasant enough novel, a reasonably compelling family drama set in Alaska - although it rather descends into melodrama and sentimentality, particularly towards the end. Kache Winkel loses his parents and brother in a plane crash and leaves home, unable to face life without them. Twenty years later his aunt asks him to come back to visit his grandmother, who has just gone into a care home. Much to his surprise, he finds that someone has been living in his old family home, and far from the house being the dilapidated wreck he expected it to be, it’s well cared for. Who this person is and why she decided to move in is gradually revealed and unfortunately the ending becomes fairly predictable early on. However, the setting is very atmospherically depicted, and the inclusion of a group of Russian Old Believers who fled to this part of Alaska brings an original and intriguing element to the novel. Overall I found it worth reading, even if I did get a bit impatient at times.