Title: The Great Alone    

Author: Kristin Hannah

Genre: Historical Fiction     

Publisher: St. Martins Press  

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 435

Rating:5/5 stars

*Warning: domestic abuse is portrayed in the book.*

Synopsis (Goodreads):

 

Alaska, 1974.

Unpredictable. Unforgiving. Untamed.

For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival.

Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.

Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if it means following him into the unknown

At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they 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 Allbrights’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources.

But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. 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. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves.

In this unforgettable portrait of human frailty and resilience, Kristin Hannah reveals the indomitable character of the modern American pioneer and the spirit of a vanishing Alaska―a place of incomparable beauty and danger. The Great Alone is a daring, beautiful, stay-up-all-night story about love and loss, the fight for survival, and the wildness that lives in both man and nature.

 

Review:

Ok so I don’t know if this review is going to be easy to follow along, as I have a lot of thoughts, so I will try to organize them in a way that makes sense, without giving away spoilers, but also doing justice to this amazing book.

Ok, so if you’ve been following me for a while, you know how much I love the Nightingale by this author. So I’ve been going back and forth with reading this novel because I don’t want to end the magic spell that this author cast over me. But you guys, this book is just as good in such a different way!

Ok so premise of the book: Ernt comes back from Vietnam where he was a POW and he moves his family to Alaska thinking that this will help him overcome his trauma. However, it does not and his family is launched into a new world that they have to navigate through to survive. His daughter, Leni, is a smart, strong and beautiful thirteen year old when they move, and she develops into a strong and kind and compassionate young woman in the harsh Alaskan wilderness! I seriously loved her character so much! The resiliency they she showed through all her hardships was really heartwarming. Her character development really made me connect with her as a reader! Her parents were frustrating in a way that they were meant to be, so the author elicited the right emotions from me. The first 50 pages were a little slow so I didn’t know if I would like this one, but I totally recommend you keep reading with this one as it was not at all what I expected! I also really liked the descriptions of Alaska as I have never been, but I felt like I was transported into the beautiful and dangerous terrain! Overall, I definitely recommend this book!

 

Happy reading!