Drawing on his personal experience and love of the outdoors, author Gary Paulsen often features detailed and sensory descriptions of the natural world. His vivid and sometimes visceral imagery immerses readers in his wilderness settings. Paulsen’s novels frequently involve characters facing survival challenges in harsh landscapes, with nature not only a setting but also a critical element in the characters’ struggle for survival. In Northwind, the cataclysmic plague is the force of nature that thrusts protagonist Leif into dire circumstances, in which Surviving Through Connection with Nature is his only option.

The cholera outbreak represents the neutrality of nature toward humanity, making clear that man is not exempt from the natural order. The disease is swift and volatile, decimating the fishing camp without mercy. For all human history, people have had to accept the unpredictability of nature; the epidemic is the first natural force Leif must overcome to survive, and his brush with death teaches him in no uncertain terms that the forces at work in nature are largely out of his control. Once Leif survives the illness, he must immediately shift his focus to finding food and avoiding predators.