Leni’s reading frames her experiences in Alaska and beyond. When she moves to Alaska, her father gives her The Call of the Wild to read. The vastness and danger of the Alaska she reads about reminds Leni of her father. On her way to Alaska, her trusty copy of The Fellowship of the Ring accompanies her. She identifies with Frodo and Bilbo going off on their adventure far from home. Love for Tolkien and other writers brings her and Matthew together as they bond over their favorite novels. Together they enjoy Robert Service poems about Alaska. The “Great Alone” that Hannah uses as the novel’s title comes from a Robert Service poem. As her and Matthew’s deepening relationship faces obstacles, Leni draws strength from romance novel heroines who are able to live happily ever after despite their struggles.

Leni’s experiences also reveal the limits of her reading. In living through the loss of Matthew’s mother, Leni reflects that real death is not abstract like it is in fiction, such as in The Outsiders, where death grants closure to narratives. The texts she reads also acquire different meanings. When she recites Robert Service poems to Matthew during his accident, it is to provide a lifeline for him and to soothe him.