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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There are not enough stars for this book! First time reading Kristin’s books and I was blown away. Tragic, true, emotional, happy, educational, adventurous, heartwarming book, all in one. Beautifully written with well defined “real” characters. Loved it!! I have since purchased The Nightingale and I cannot wait to read another 5 star book… including all of her books
I am normally a big fan of Kristin Hannah, but the main characters in this book just really bothered me. I found the mother to be nearly unrealistically weak and needy and it just turned me off the story. And much of the story was just too outlandish to be real. Sorry.
The Nightingale is one of my favorite recent reads and I have been a fan of Kristin Hannah since, but after reading the publisher’s description of The Great Alone, I wasn’t sure I wanted to read about Alaska or the family described in this book. Neither was easy. If it were a movie I’d be closing my eyes through several scenes and wondering anxiously whether things were ever going to improve. That strategy doesn’t work well when you’re reading a book, and I had to pause a few times to catch my breath. Alaska is not for the weak of heart and neither is this book, but our brave young heroine, Leni Allbright, is such an engaging character, I had to stick around and see how everything turned out. It was worth the investment!
One of my favorite books!
Another great book by Kristin Hannah. She makes you see what Alaska was like in the early 70’s, and how different it was for those who came home from Vietnam, with what we now know is PTSD, and how little help there was for those veterans, how hard it was for them and their families. In the end however, it’s a love story, one of mother and child, husband and wife, neighbors, and the last frontier, and those hardy people that call Alaska home!
Kristin Hannah always creates the most interesting characters. She shows us how life’s experiences can alter our expected paths. Her writing draws you into the story and makes you sad to leave these people when the book us finished.
One of her very best!
It was too long for the plot.
It’s a good story about how a teen overcomes life with an alcoholic father with PTSD, when she falls in love with the son of her father’s hatred.
Some action scenes were a little incredible.
This is one of the best books I ever read.i recommend it to everyone.loved it
This was different than what I expected. Leni and her parents seem to be on a big adventure when they first move to Alaska. But the adventure turns tumultuous and then ominous as the family’s fragile structure cracks wide open. The way Leni and her mother handle things is a bit unbelievable as is Leni’s strong tie to Alaska that urges her return many years later. But all in all, I enjoyed the story.
I enjoyed this novel, but it doesn’t hold a candle to “Nightingale.”
Thought provoking. Hits current issues
Kristen Hannah has a way of drawing us in to the pages as though we have a behind the scenes view into people’s lives. The landscape of Alaska is so well described I felt as though I was there may be my favorite book I read this year!
Repetitive, and too unrealistic. It is a disservice to the PTSD people.
Good read.
Loved everything about this book!!
Love all Kristin Hannah books.
This was one of those books i couldn’t put down. If your looking for sunshine and rainbows, don’t bother reading it. When a book brings me to tears i know i’m reading something great.