The Simple Wild: A Novel

At the start of the narrative, Jonah is a stern and judgmental Alaskan pilot who contrasts with Calla's city-girl attitude. His harsh approach toward Calla’s excessive luggage and appearance reveals a man steeped in rural Alaska's practical, no-nonsense culture. Jonah's early interactions with Calla are fraught with tension and conflict, emphasizing their opposing worldviews and personalities. His gruff façade slowly peels away, revealing a man who is sensitive, devoted, and protective of those he loves. His passion for the Alaskan community and his career as a pilot demonstrates his sense of duty and honesty. These characteristics become more apparent as Calla gets to know him more, allowing her to look past his initial roughness. Moreover, when Calla shaves Jonah’s scraggly beard, a symbol of his tough, woodsman persona, she finds a beautiful man to whom she is intensely physically attracted. Shaving Jonah's beard symbolizes transforming his character from a rugged, unapproachable man to a more open and vulnerable person. When they finally connect physically, she says, “Jonah is: a man. All the other guys I’ve ever been with were just boys” (294). Though Calla enjoys lusting after Jonah’s handsome face and impressive physique, she also admires his strong character.

Jonah's character is further developed through his backstory and personal struggles. His protective nature is rooted in past experiences and parental loss, shaping his outlook on life and relationships. Understanding Jonah’s background provides context for his initial behavior and helps Calla soften toward him. Initially, Calla sees Jonah as overbearing and in competition for Wren’s affection. However, through learning about his past, she understands that she and Jonah are on a more even playing field. Jonah’s journey involves supporting Calla in her reconciliation with Wren and confronting his fears and insecurities about emotional vulnerability and commitment. He says, “I do know what it’s like to decide you want to try to forgive someone, only to realize that you waited too long” (145). His relationship with Calla reveals his gentler, more reflective side, allowing him to shed the emotional armor he's built up over the years. Jonah's growth is characterized by his ability to blend strength and vulnerability, genuineness and compassion, and independence and interdependence. This is evidenced in the end when he realizes he needs Calla in Alaska to be happy and fulfilled.

Wren is Calla’s estranged father, and for most of her life, she has known him primarily through Susan’s stories and memories. Calla sums it up as “Complicated. That seems to be the buzzword when it comes to my dad” (149). Wren’s initial depiction in the book paints him as a man who prioritized his life in Alaska over his responsibilities as a father, creating a sense of abandonment and resentment in Calla. Calla’s arrival in Alaska disrupts Wren’s life, forcing him to confront his past actions in person. Wren’s terminal cancer diagnosis compels him to confront his previous mistakes and forces him to open up and reveal emotions he had previously suppressed to reconcile with his daughter fully. Wren’s character exemplifies the redemptive power of acceptance and The Healing Power of Familial Reconciliation to Overcome Estrangement.

Wren has a deep love for flying and the Alaskan wilderness, contributing to his sense of duty to the community. Calla sees his passion for his work as a pilot and his dedication to serving remote areas, and she gains new respect for her father. This helps her understand his sacrifices, particularly in his relationship with Calla and her mother. This duality shows him as a dedicated professional and a flawed, deeply human individual, father, and former husband. With Agnes and Jonah’s help, Calla realizes she must forgive the past to cultivate a new relationship with Wren. She describes her epiphany: “I’ve spent the last twelve years dwelling on all the things Wren Fletcher isn’t. I should have had the guts to come and find out all the things he is” (366). Wren's efforts to reconnect with Calla demonstrate the real guilt his character faces and a desire to make amends. His attempts to share his world with her, including introducing her to the people and places he adores, reflect his desire to close the gap that has kept them apart for so long. Wren and Calla’s example proves that it’s never too late to seek forgiveness and make amends.

Agnes is Wren’s neighbor, a close friend, and an Indigenous Alaskan. Her husband was a pilot for Alaska Wild. After he tragically passed away in a plane crash, Wren felt a deep sense of responsibility and took on the role of caretaker for Agnes and her daughter, Mabel. Despite her good intentions, Calla mistakenly assumes that Agnes is Wren’s partner and that Mabel is her step-sister, which adds to the series of misunderstandings about Wren's life that she must eventually confront. Apart from being a valued employee of Alaska Wild, Mabel also has strong community ties and becomes a pillar of stability and wisdom for Calla as she assimilates into Wren’s life. While Jonah's actions make Calla feel like an outsider, Agnes's warm, friendly, and generous nature provides Calla with a much-needed sense of belonging.

Agnes’s tender interactions with her daughter, Mabel, and with Calla showcase her maternal instincts as she offers them emotional support and assistance. This becomes especially important for Calla as she struggles with her strained relationship with her father and misses her mother back in Toronto. Agnes's nurturing manner and knack for creating a homely and familial environment in the rugged Alaskan terrain underscore her role as a surrogate mother figure for Calla.

This dynamic proves vital in guiding Calla through the complexities of reuniting with her father and acclimating to life in Alaska. Agnes’s balanced and compassionate perspective serves as a contrast to Calla’s initial judgments, gently guiding her toward developing empathy and understanding. Calla moves from being jealous of Agnes and Wren’s found family relationship to respecting their connection and seeing Agnes as a perfect match for Wren and wishing they had become a couple. Agnes's role as a mentor to Calla is significant, as it not only guides Calla's personal growth but also shapes her evolving perspective on family and relationships.