In Kristin Hannah’s The Great Alone, a desperate family seeks a new beginning in the near-isolated wilderness of Alaska only to find that their unpredictable environment is less threatening than the erratic behavior found in human nature.#1 New York Times Instant Bestseller (February 2018)A People “Book of the Week”Buzzfeed’s “Most Anticipated Women’s Fiction Reads of 2018”Seattle Times’s “Books … Women’s Fiction Reads of 2018”
Seattle Times’s “Books to Look Forward to in 2018”
Alaska, 1974. Ernt Allbright came home from the Vietnam War a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes the impulsive decision to move his wife and daughter north where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.
Cora will do anything for the man she loves, even if means following him into the unknown. Thirteen-year-old Leni, caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, has little choice but to go along, daring to hope this new land promises her family a better future.
In a wild, remote corner of Alaska, the Allbrights find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the newcomers’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources.
But as winter approaches and darkness descends, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own.
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This is one of the most real books that is fiction that isn’t about a fictional place, that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It’s hard core in a lot of places but that is the way it is, up there. If you have the determination to read this book all the way thru you will enjoy it very much.
I really wanted to strangle that man with my bare hands
Excellent. One of my favorites.
Very good! It kept my interest thru the whole book!
A marriage collides against the backdrop of hard country. A mother, daughter and a father make new discoveries. They also learn escape from self and one another is not easy. The questions asked are: how is love shown properly? Does it have to hurt?
I deeply fell in love with the characters in this book. Each of them was a whole person who was explored in many ways so you feel like you really know them. I loved the setting of Alaska and learning about how people live in extreme conditions. It did make me cry a lot, but I AM a cryer. It’s worth the crying.
I wasn’t sure if I would like this book. But, the story and the characters drew you right in. You were there with them in Alaska.
I knew life must be difficult living in Alaska but the lives described were above and beyond what I imagined. The book left me with the feeling that it was based on a true story!
This story of family drama, well, community drama, is not one I have read yet. Loved the characters and that it was told from the view point of the child of the family, a coming-of-age girl who thrives in the wild and unpredictable environment she is thrust into. Was unexpected and beautifully written.
This book explained all the hardships of living off the land in an isolated Alaskan town.
Also handles abuse in a brilliant way !
I loved it and so did all of my friends.
Longer than it needed to be, the ending took too long time get to and wasn’t entirely satisfying
Love her books. Entertaining. Unique setting in Alaska.
Having been completely mesmerized by Kristin Hannah’s “The Nightingale”, I consciously adjusted my expectations downward when I began reading “The Great Alone,” believing it wouldn’t be nearly as harrowing or as gripping, considering the premise. Boy, was I wrong. This book is every bit as enthralling and heart wrenching as The Nightingale, maybe even more so because the threat to Cora and Leni come from the very person who is supposed to keep them safe.
There is such poetry in the language used to tell this story, illuminating the harsh realities of living in the Alaska frontier with a broken, violent man who controls his wife and daughter with brute force and the constant threat of mayhem. The tension in their everyday lives is palpable, brought to life with the author’s vivid details. I really felt as if I were witnessing each scene as it unfolded, my heart thumping, my mind whirring.
The bright star in this saga is Leni. She compelled me to follow her as life keep her unmoored and uncertain, even though her journey was painful to witness at times. After being uprooted from her home too many times to count, she’s transplanted in the fertile, inhospitable Alaska wilderness with the mother she adores and the father she fears. I really felt for her, for the hopelessness of her situation.
Leni’s love for the beauty and grandeur of Alaska allows her to thrive and put down roots, in spite of her circumstances. Even the commando-style training her Viet Nam vet father forces on her from a very young age serves her well in their harsh environment. Every victory and beautiful moment in Leni’s life is undermined by her father’s twisted fear of things seen or imagined. Those scenes are what propel the story to many dramatic climaxes.
I loved finding out the background for this incredible saga at the end of the book. The story felt so real and authentic to me, I wasn’t too surprised to find out that the setting and the details of Alaska had come from Kristin Hannah’s own experiences while living there. I know that this book will remain with me forever. Bravo and thank you for sharing such a powerful tale with your readers!
Love this book!
As someone who homesteaded in Alaska in the early 1970s, I’m impressed with Hannah’s knowledge of how it was out in the Alaskan bush. A well plotted story with realistic characters who stuck with me long after I finished the book.
felt as if I were back in Alaska
Loved it
I Love Kristin Hannah and have never been disappointed in any book I have read by her. This was a great read. The characters come to life and I really liked the characters (except the dad he was crazy) and really cared about what happened to them. I read this quickly I had trouble putting it down. Very much recommend!
Never a dull moment in this memorable, whirlwind tale of a girl whose dysfunctional family moves to Alaska. There, she learns to face obstacles well beyond her years and discovers a strength she never expected in herself.
I enjoyed the setting, characters, and story very much! Great read!