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 author. Not my favorite book written by her but a very good one. Enjoyed the look at Alaska and a different life / culture.
Excellent!
Love this author. Her characters are very real and in most of the situations you can feel their emotions .
I really enjoyed this book. It started off a little slow but as I got into it, I could not put it down.
A book that stayed with me a long time after I closed it. My heart went out to the characters (all of them) and the story really makes one think. It isn’t an easy story.
So descriptive. I felt like I was experiencing Alaska. Wonderful women characters.
The description of the Alaskan territory where the main story takes place is vivid and amazingly accurate. The characters are well drawn. The reader feels as if he/ she knows each one as the story evolves. So much more makes this book a great, page- turning read!
Truly one of the best books I have read. Engaging, original, realistic characters, entertaining… and a satisfying and surprising ending.
The best book I’ve read in a long, long time!
This didn’t start out sounding much like a Kristin Hannah novel but eventually it became familiar. The description of the Alaskan frontier made me feel I was right there with them. An enjoyable story, it seemed to drag on unnecessarily towards the end. I supposed the ending and was correct. Kristin Hannah did not disappoint on the emotional and satisfactory conclusion.
I loved this book. The characters are real. The wilderness of Alaska is not just a backdrop, it’s a character in itself. The interaction of the land and the people is fascinating. Kristin Hannah does it again.
There are incidents of spouse abuse which I did not enjoy reading. Otherwise the book is very good.
It was captivating and very well written so you could almost visualize everything
All I can say is that this was an Awesome novel. The Great Alone is the first Kristin Hannal book that I have read and I plan to look for more of her titles. I came of age during the Vietnam War and a number of my high school classmates went over there and came back irrevocably changed. I can easily believe that a man such as Ernt Allbright would come back from his experiences as a soldier and POW as a broken man. His wife’s Cora’s unfailing devotion and love was not enough to heal him and, after years of constant moving to find a life that would work for them, they moved to Alaska. At first with the help of their neighbors, life looked hard, but good. Summer was a time of hard work preparing for the long dark winter. It was the winter that brought out the worst in Ernt. That was when Cora and their daughter Leni tiptoed around Ernt trying not to arouse his anger. Ernt wrapped himself in conspiracy theories and plans for survival. Leni’s escape was school and books and eventually love with a boy who happened to be the son of her father’s worst enemy.
“Someone said to me once that Alaska didn’t create character; it revealed it.”
Very tough issues to read about, my heart wasn’t safe. Leni’s loneliness was heartbreaking. “Brave” didn’t even begin to describe her. Leni’s heart bled for Alaska and everyone but she wouldn’t allow it to bleed for herself.
“You either belong here, wild and untamed yourself, or you don’t.”
Reading this is like going on a rollercoaster ride. The buildup, the ascend is a bit slow, the anticipation is killing you but you can’t stop reading, then you face the event you fear at the top, culminating in the swift descent towards the end.
“Every one of your scars breaks my heart and puts it back together.”
ONe of the best books Ive ever read.
At first, I didn’t know what all I was getting into. As many of my books on my library hold list, someone posted it was amazing and I put it on hold without any more thought. I almost abandoned Leni and her adventure several times. The beginning of the book was interesting, but not gripping. Because of the reviews, I pressed on. I read the second half of the book in less than 12 hours (and I slept for most of those hours). I truly was able to connect with the characters and cried and cried with them- both happy and sad tears. I was emotional for sure. The ending was all I could have asked. This book and the characters will stay with me forever. Highly recommend. I will be seeking out anything else by Kristin Hannah- her style is so captivating and she effortlessly paints these characters and their environment. I could hear this book- feel the Alaskan chill- I was ready to fight for these characters. Kristin Hannah created the characters that aren’t stuck in a book; they become your friends and there’s that weird feeling at the end when you realize they won’t be a part of your life anymore. They’re so real that I felt I could call them up and ask what happened next, how’s the family?
Loved it
Powerful story of survival in Alaska post Viet Nam war.
I loved this story, too! I love Kristin Hannah’s way of telling all the stories. So powerful, and true.