Black Woods Blue Sky

If you are interested in what life is like in rural Alaska you should read Black Woods Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey. This story is about a young single mother named Birdie. She never knew her father. Her mother abandoned her and her sister with her grandparents. Her grandmother, fearful she will take off and abandon her daughter like her mother did, is very critical of Birdie to the point she can't take it anymore. She gets a job at a local bar/restaurant that comes with a free cabin. She tried to be a good mother to Emaleen but sometimes she gives into temptation. She meets a guy named Arthur who is anti-social and not mentally well. She is drawn to him because he is different from the other folk in the town. She decides to join Arthur in the wilderness despite the advice of everyone else and town. Birdie, Emaleen, and Arthur take off in a plane piloted by Arthur's adoptive father. Arthur's father tries to keep an eye on them. He flies back with supplies every couple of weeks and checks in to see how they are doing. This was a good story with just a touch of magic.