Set in 1971-2, Seasons of Light and Dark tells the story of the physicians and their families who live and work at the Alaska Native Hospital in Bethel and struggle with living in this remote place. The tundra is wild yet beautiful, the Kuskokwim River is a fickle highway and source of food, the clocks tell the wrong time, the unpredictable weather dictates everything. Jennifer fears she will never complete her PhD project. Stephen finds a new friend after his wife leaves in a rage. Mera longs for another baby but dreads a delivery it at the Bethel Hospital. Deidre has an obstetrical complication. John needs a plane to rescue a sick baby and no pilot is available. Virginia finds the gussuk (non-native) people incomprehensible. Leonard tries to be a good hospital administrator but gets in his own way. The mystery of the Alaska natives who die strange deaths or suffer strange illnesses rattles both the doctors and the Native Alaskans. In the end, Jennifer, the discontented wife of one of the physicians, uses her knowledge of microbiology to solve the mystery.