Nobody Gets Out Alive: Stories – Leigh Newman

Nov 2

Nov 2 Nobody Gets Out Alive: Stories – Leigh Newman

Expectation: A companion to Kristin Hannah’s “The Great Alone,” with a focus on women taming the last frontier and the men around them.

Reality: Highly nuanced character studies that are more intimate than adventurous. Alaska looms large, but these probably aren't the stories you expect them to be.

My Take:

Even though dedicating time and energy to writing amateur book reviews would make someone believe I’m serious about the critical analysis of literature, I’m not. First and foremost, I read for entertainment purposes and mostly interpret text at the surface.

This is both a blessing and curse.

A blessing because it allows me to be present in a story and enjoy the journey a writer takes me on. A curse because it sometimes means I overlook (or dismiss) more nuanced storytelling.

And that’s almost what I did with “Nobody Gets Out Alive,” a short story collection that traces the Alaskan experience over 100 years through a handful of — sometimes interconnected — characters.

The marketing about “women struggling to survive” led me to expect the usual fare of off-the-grid living and tense encounters with wildlife, but instead Leigh Newman explores the less intriguing and far more sinister side of Alaska: depression, alcohol and drug dependency and intimate partner violence.

At first I took these plot points at face value, but that was a huge disservice to the meticulously constructed character studies Newman presents in both mundane and remarkable circumstances. These characters — yes, mostly women — are not struggling in the elements, they are struggling with themselves.

Upon completion of the novella length “Alcan, an Oral History,” an ingeniously crafted story of intersecting narrators and timelines that starts as a road trip and ends as a thriller, I realized I had underestimated the author and her layers.

What she presents is not simply moments, but the lived experiences of countless people who sought a place to belong and thought Alaska would provide refuge. More often than not, it didn’t.

There’s little levity to be found in these pages, but I was engrossed by each story. One complaint is that each section has a fair amount of bloat. If you’re willing to put forward the effort and concentration required to appreciate what Newman does here, this is worth a read or listen.

The audiobook was narrated by a full cast, including Carlotta Brentan, Erin deWard, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Jackie Sanders, Aven Shore and Erin Ruth Walker. I couldn’t tell you who took the reins of each story, but all did great work of bringing these assorted people and situations to life.

Below is a brief synopsis and rating for each story:

Howl Place (4/5 stars) - Dutch, a longtime resident of Diamond Lake, struggles against the shifting tide of the place she’s called home for 50 years. Interesting insights into how life has evolved in the shadow of Alaska’s largest city while providing one of the more lighthearted stories in the collection.
High-Jinks (3/5 stars) - Pre-teen friends Katrina and Jamie spend a weeklong camping and fishing trip with their fathers as each man struggles with the adult women in their lives. Several of the characters pop up in later stories, but I thought this one overstayed its welcome.
Nobody Gets Out Alive (3/5 stars) - Told through the eyes of Carter, Katrina’s new husband, as they head back to Diamond Lake for a wedding reception. Explores how the place that made you who you are is often difficult to shed, no matter how hard you try.
Alcan, an Oral History (5/5 stars) - The best of the collection, I listened to this one twice because the ending threw me for a loop, and I needed to see how Newman set the action in motion with each alternating POV. Part character study, part thriller it starts as a confusing mishmash of events but morphs into a complex quest for money, love and escape.
Slide and Glide (2/5 stars) - The lone skippable story. During a remote cabin stay, a big secret slowly unfolds between married couple Bobby and Meryl. A well-worn premise that covers little new ground.
Valley of the Moon (4/5 stars) - Another standout story in the collection, even if it becomes a little unfocused. A now adult Jamie is struggling with the repercussions of generational trauma stemming from her father’s abuse.
Our Family Fortune Teller (3/5 stars) - An interesting exploration of issues and challenges facing mothers through the eyes of a “clair,” who can hear the thoughts of others. Newman’s setup is creative, but she lost her way with various characters and subplots.
An Extravaganza in Two Acts (5/5 stars) - A fictionalized version of territorial governor Walter Clark’s journey to Alaska and entry into politics. Newman has fun exploring the history and expectations of men and women, especially those considered outsiders, during this era.