Pilgrim's Wilderness

Very well written. This book does an excellent job of weaving together the history and movements of this family with the history and opinions of the the places they inhabited. I found moments a bit bogged down in history of politics in rural Alaska, but that's about the only complaint I could muster for it. Wildly interesting, very heartbreaking.

Kizzia explores some interesting dynamics between the Park Service and remote Alaskans. I found Hale's control of his family very disturbing, as well as the fact that his abuse could go on for so long, masked by the family's “quaint” charm and the respect for privacy (particularly in Alaska). Hale was truly a psychopath.