'A woman has to be tough as steel up here. You can't count on anyone to save you and your children. You have to be willing to save yourselves'

Thirteen-year-old Leni is coming of age in a tumultuous time. Caught in the riptide of her parents' passionate, stormy relationship, she dares to hope that Alaska will lead to a better future for her family, and a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if it means following him into the unknown.

As Leni grows up in the shadow of her parents' increasingly volatile marriage, she meets Matthew. And Matthew - thoughtful, kind, and brave - makes her believe in the possibility of a better life.