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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Great book
It was an engaging read for the first 120 pages. I got a little frustrated with the doormat mother though.
As an Alaskan, I’m hard on authors when they use my state for a setting. But Kristin Hannah did a terrific job depicting the unforgiving Alaskan environment in all seasons. I loved following one family’s journey through difficult and challenging circumstances. The characters are wonderful and I cared what happened to them. This is a well written story. I advise taking time to read Hannah’s amazing depiction of Alaska; the good and the bad. I recommend this book!
I know I know I am super late to The Great Alone party but here I am, a sobbing mess. No joke I literally cried the whole last hour listening to this book. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. I loved Lenny and wanted so badly for her life to just come together and finally for once work out. And I loved that she had someone like Matthew in her life. I thought Kristin Hannah tackled the subject of domestic abuse in such a true to life and raw way. Like real life, things were extremely messy and complicated. Even though Cora knew the right thing to do that didn’t make doing it any easier. Or the fact that she herself kept holding out hope that this time it would be different. Another thing you cannot help but take away from this beautiful story is Alaska. The way of life there is unlike anything I have ever experienced so I was fully immersed and intrigued to know everything. The way the whole town came together for each other was such a powerful thing. I’m sure most of you have already read and loved this book just as much as I did but if you haven’t prepare your heart and make time to read it this year, you will not be disappointed.
This book had me until the third act. So many of the character’s choices were so counter to the characters Kristin Hannah offered us. She helps us understand these characters through the situations and confrontations in the first two acts, then they go completely off the reservation.
So many choices in the later stages of the book had me scratching my head. They didn’t match the characters at all.
Leni is a strong character. We see how strong in the opening of the second act. And then we don’t see that clarity of thought or decision ever again. She is written to be a heroine; let her be one.
And Tom Walker would not have let his son go alone. But I guess those decisions had be be made or not made so the story could end up where it did…even writing this review I am shaking my head at the choices all these seemingly level-headed Alaskans made. It was they who told me that Alaskans couldn’t only ever make one mistake… I guess they all decided to do it at once.
Nobody can tell a story like Kristin Hannah. I highly recommend this book and all of her books.
Quite an interesting story. Though it was scary in parts it really held my attention.
I loved this book, read it shortly after I had visited Alaska . I could actually envision what the author was writing about. The book was full of suspense and excitement as well. Had a very hard time putting it down!!!
The Great Alone refers to a line from Robert Service’s poem, ‘The Shooting of Dan McGrew,’ describing a scene during the gold rush of the Klondike and Alaska. It’s an apt title for this novel. It is well written with excellent location descriptions and characters to bring out your entire range of emotions. It is well narrated by Julia Whelan in a flawless performance.
This is not a happy book full of joy and rainbows. This is a book which will make you angry for the most part. While most of the key characters are victims, the heros, particularly a woman known as Large Marge, take no shit.
The story begins in the 1970s of Seattle, Washington, where Leni is an awkward thirteen year old girl living with her parents Cora and Ernt. This coming of age story is told by young Leni and ends a decade later after one helluva ride.
Leni’s mother, Cora begins to lose my sympathy early on in the story. She is an enabling, co-dependent woman addicted to the damaged man who is dominating her and Leni. She is not an unintelligent or untalented woman. Unfortunately like many people in abusive relationships, she doesn’t have the brains or guts to leave.
Ernt has just returned from Vietnam to his young family in Seattle. Ernt may have started out as a decent guy, but he rapidly deteriorates after his return to the States. After losing numerous jobs and close run-ins with the law, he moves the family to a rural outpost in Alaska where his now-deceased Army buddy has left him title to a ramshackle cabin.
The family of three are excited to pile into an old VW bus for the long drive to the town of Homer, then take a ferry across Katchemak Bay to the fictional town of Kaneq. Once they find the remote cabin, the disappointment and challenges really begin. The homestead is run down and truly off the grid; no electricity, no phone and no indoor plumbing.
As they settle in, the family also settles into a deepening pit of dysfunction. Ernt is an alcoholic, clearly has PTSD, and is a mean drunk. Cora, the target of Ernt’s jealousy, becomes his punching bag any time she dares to disagree with him. Ernt will descend into dangerous, delusional paranoia. Leni is learning to love the landscape and spirit of Alaska as the family is tested by the rigors of life in the wilderness. In fact, Alaska is as much a character in this story as the humans.
I must declare that I lived in the same area and built a few homesteads where the author Kristin Hannah describes, during the period when the book takes place. She’s done an impressive job of evoking visions and emotions while describing what Leni is experiencing through the weather and living conditions, and the eccentric folk that live on the outskirts of civilization. Hannah writes some great literary lines tying the Alaska landscape to the personalities and emotions.
It seems that every time Leni begins to find joy as she grows up and works her way through the difficulties of a homesteader’s life, the spousal and family abuse get worse. Without sounding like a violent pyshco myself, there are times when you’ll want to cold-cock Ernt. There are times when you want to shake up Cora and tell her to get her daughter and herself the F out of there. But stick with it, and there is resolution to this bleak story. If you want happy or cozy stories – this is not the book for you.
The cultural references to the era are dead on-target.If you’ve lived in Alaska, you’ll relate to all the characters and personalities. If you’ve never been to the state of Alaska and the Great Alone state of mind, this story may be an amalgamation of the people, and it’s spot-on. It’s a five-star work, in my opinion.
I absolutely LOVED this book! so in depth and well written, deep, and it takes you totally into the Alaska in a way you never imagined.
A thrilling story of Alaska, of young love and a mentally sick father, and a group of people who love living in and making a living off a wild life.
This was my first Kristin Hannah novel. The Great Alone is truly an epic story. The author totally immerses you Alaskan life. You experience the struggles to simply survive. I love the strong women in the story. For me this was a very emotional story. Hannah realistically illustrates what it’s like to live with domestic violence. This book will stick with me for years to come.
Very enjoyable
I just finished this book about a young girl moving to Alaska with her parents during the 70s. I loved the descriptions of all they needed to do to prepare for winter. It was a great quantine read because it transported me to a different place for many days .
Listening to the audiobook of The Great Alone was akin to traveling to the wilds of Alaska. The story is completely immersive both in its telling and its setting. I was easily drawn in by both, wanting to know more about the characters within the first few chapters. This is my second book by Ms. Hannah, the first being The Nightingale and I can say for certain, more of her titles will be making it onto my reading list. A stunning read!
Super depressing.
I loved this book’s setting in Alaska and the descriptions of the harsh realities of life along with the magnificent beauty. Well written with unforgettable characters.
THIS WAS A WINNER!!!!
Wonderful Well-written novel. A real page turne.
This is my favorite book by this author so far. I found it action-packed and haunting.