The story is set on the vast, inhospitable, treeless plain of the far north, known as the tundra. Across the tundra sweep hard winds, driving snows, and thick blankets of fog. Beneath its surface is the permafrost, a layer of permanently frozen soil through which water cannot drain and roots cannot grow. Tundra is covered by a shallow soggy carpet of dwarf plants, sedges, mosses, lichens, and grasses.

The tundra environment pervades the story, functioning almost like a character and contributing to the details of the plot. There is no wood with which to make a fire, so Julie gathers dried caribou droppings instead. The landscape is rolling, with no obvious landmarks.

Julie camps in a small depression for protection from the wind. Whenever she leaves, she must take care to mark a path so she can find her way back. The arctic summer is only two or...