Nobody Gets Out Alive by Leigh Newman

I am not a big fan of short stories, but this one is full of stories that are set in Alaska, and mostly more rural Alaska, not Anchorage, which is a hybrid frontier experience. Geography serves to link the stories, and the isolation of Alaska causes tension throughout the collection. Several stories unfold in the lower forty-eight states, but they always connect back to the north. The distance serves as a source of conflict: to leave, to arrive, to travel to Alaska are all essential to the experience of the place. The collection shares the characteristics that the people come and go, but the stories otherwise stand on their own. The characters are deeply crafted and filled with complexity that are reminiscent of real life humans. While their reappearances extend their individual histories, even when contained within a single story, we see multiple dimensions: good and bad, flaws and strengths. So not altogether likeable, laudable, nor repugnant. Overall, I would recommend it because it will leave you thinking.