Denali

by Don Brown

Karl Cain is many things, but he is no idle dreamer. His stubborn attitude has gotten him into trouble on more than one occasion, but this time, something is different. The night before he departs for Alaska to work in the family business, he meets a beautiful girl who is about to bring him full circle back to where he finally realizes he truly belongs-on the great mountain Denali. Karl has no idea how much the past has just affected his present. It is 1838 when Alaskan villager Karlek and his son, Kolosh, first arrive in San Francisco to start a business. As the company and his family grow, Karlek's mind often wanders back to Denali and the wise words his grandfather once spoke to him. Twenty years later, Karlek returns to Alaska with his ailing wife and soon realizes he has no roots to his past. Desperate, he once again returns to the mountain for answers. Denali is a story of one family's incredible life journey from a tiny village in Alaska to the shores of North America and how they eventually manage to achieve inner peace and their life purpose through the inspiration found high on a mountaintop.

324 pages, Paperback

First published January 20, 2012

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Elina Vaysbeyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Denali is a reflective and emotionally grounded novel that explores legacy, belonging, and the enduring pull of one’s origins. Through its interwoven timelines, the story skillfully connects generations, showing how unresolved questions of identity echo across time. The mountain itself becomes more than a setting it is a spiritual anchor that draws the characters back toward clarity and purpose.

What makes the novel particularly compelling is its quiet strength. Rather than relying on spectacle, Denali finds its power in introspection, family bonds, and the universal search for meaning. The journey from Alaska to San Francisco and back again mirrors the internal journeys of its characters, culminating in a deeply satisfying meditation on roots, memory, and inner peace. This is a novel that lingers with the reader long after the final page.