Kristin Hannah hit it out of the park again.  I previously read her book The Nightingale – a story of World War 2 + the French Resistance (click to read the review) and it was so good that I jumped at the opportunity to review her latest novel The Great Alone.

The novel begins in the mid-1970s with a family - father Ernt, mother Cora, and their young teenaged daughter Leni.  After coming home from the Vietnam War, Ernt is a very different man; a drinker, moody, sometimes scary.  Today we call what he has PTSD.  He's a man who's suspicious of the government and other people and can no longer hold a job.  The thought of getting away from civilization appeals to him.

When an opportunity to move to a little village in the wilds of Alaska pops up, Ernt jumps on it with little consideration of Cora and Leni.  They move into a small cabin without much preparation for the coming winter - one with 18 hours of darkness, weeks without being able to travel, and no fresh food.  Thankfully, for them, some of the residents come and help them prepare.

The cast of characters living in and around Kaneq, located off of Homer in Kachemak Bay, is fascinating and as varied as the day is long.  There are those who long to improve Kaneq and make it place others would want to visit and those who want the outsiders to stay away.  Ernt is eager to join those who enjoy keeping others away.

The main character, though, is Leni.  A 13-year-old young lady who has moved multiple times, attended multiple schools, and who doesn't understand how her mother can continue to stay with a man who drinks too much.

But Leni is coming of age in a small village, learning how to defend herself against wild animals, hunting for food, and experiencing friendship.  At the same time, the hours of darkness and cold of the winter changes her father.  Makes his dark moods return.

Soon Leni and Cora are defending themselves from Ernt.

I loved this book and had a very hard time putting it down.  Hannah writes a fabulous book that would appeal to women and men.  I highly recommend reading both of these books.

Historically, Alaska is a place that has attracted those fed up with conventionality. - Bill O'Reilly

I have been a fan of author Kristin Hannah for a long time. I believe this is her best book to date.

This is a story that will make you feel - and not all of those feelings are going to be good ones. I spent most of this book tense, upset, and waiting - because I knew something terrible was going to happen.

So, okay, that might not be everyone's idea of an excellent book but, in this case, it really is. Do be aware, though, that this story contains a lot of triggers. It sure enough triggered some bad memories for me. But the writing and the story are excellent and important.

The story fits my own timeline too. It starts in 1974, which is near to the year I graduated high school. At that time in my life I almost moved to Alaska for some of the same reasons mentioned in the book. And I had an abusive boyfriend at that time.

1974 - Ernt and Cora Allbright move near Homer, Alaska with their young teen daughter Lenora (Leni). Ernt fought in the Vietnam War and was a POW, now back and suffering PTSD (not something that people knew much about in those days).

The Allbright family is financially unprepared to live in the boonies of Alaska and Ernt is emotionally unprepared for the long, dark winters. And so a cycle of domestic abuse starts with Leni caught right between her mother and her father.

This is one of the best books I've read about this cycle of abuse but it's also a story of the great beauty and unforgiving nature of Alaska. I've been there in the wintertime. It's awesome and scary.

I recommend this book highly even though it is a story with many dark moments.

I received this book from St. Martin's Press through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

After reading a fair number of KH's books, I find myself still very much in love with her brand of storytelling. Fellow fans and new fans, I do very much believe that "The Great Alone " shall be trending the book lists as soon as it hits stores this Tuesday(February 6th).

The Great Alone introduces us to Alaska in the 1970's- the last frontier and the American population was still feeling the effects of the Vietnam War as soldiers like Leni's father adjusted to civilian life. But "battle stress" clearly shows that Leni's father is not the same man that he was before. Trigger Warning for scenes involving domestic violence. Certainly an issue that is certainly very much a conversation in our society with veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Although a bit "long in the tooth" and a fairytale quality ending that has me holding back from a 5 star, The Great Alone demonstrates once again that Kristin Hannah is not afraid to tackle the tough issues of the heart.

I received a free Kindle copy of The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah courtesy of Net Galley  and St. Martins Press, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus pages.

I requested this book as I am looking for asomething different and it takes place in Alaska, one of my favorite places. It is the first book by Kristin Hannah that I have read.

The author's writing style makes this an easy and fairly quick read. The book itself did not overly engage me as the main plot line was very predictable as to outcomes. The book itself deals with young love, domestic violence, PTSD, and community support. The book itself will appeal to certain types of readers (based on reviews I have seen), but it did not resonate with me.

The Great Alone spans about four decades telling the story of Leni whose life was anything but easy. Kristin Hannah told Leni’s story with emotion and compassion. There is much to like about the book from a simple entertainment view.

What is not to like is the tired, stereotypical portrayal of the Vietnam veteran. Only a few pages into the book I knew it would be the same old story of an abused man becoming the abuser. While the mid-1970’s was not known for being on the forefront of positive treatment of the vets, there were places and people who did do marvelous work with PTSD. I would love to read a novel by an excellent writer who tackled this subject and showed some positive outcomes. Leni’s story could have been that book, but it is not.

Four stars for the prose. Kristin Hannah is one of the best. One star for taking the easy way out in the portrayal of the veteran.

I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest review. Thank you.

Latest book from Kristin Hannah details the lives of a family affected by the father's PTSD after serving in Vietnam. Hannah deftly outlines how the family was affected and how the mother dealt with raising a teenage daughter under these conditions.

The Great Alone is the latest novel by award winning author Kristin Hannah. As in all of her stories, the depth of research and understanding of her subject matter is amazing. The rich portrayal of her characters is perfection. And her underlying threads of PTSD and abuse of women, although shown back in time, are so incredibly relevant today.

This story is set in the mid 1970's to the latter 1980's. Leni Allbright is thirteen and a very lonely young lady. Her family's constant moving and lack of funds continues to make her the new girl and the poor girl in school. Although an avid reader and an interested student, moving so often makes school difficult. Leni's Vietnam POW veteran dad Ernt, once a skilled mechanic, has suffered so much he can no longer hold a job and they live on her dropout mom's waitress wages.

When out of the blue, Ernt receives a letter telling him that his best Army buddy, who their Vietnamese captors killed before Ernt's eyes, had left his cabin and forty acres near Homer, Alaska to him. Feeling this is the best thing that has ever happened to him, Ernt sells off their few belongings, gets a used VW bus, and packs up what they have left and heads north from Seattle to Alaska, the great alone.
When they arrive in the small town of Kaneq, the first person they meet is general store owner Large Marge, who is also a neighbor. But soon they have found something they never had before, friends and a community. On her first day at the one room schoolhouse Leni makes a friend of her own, 13 year old neighbor Matthew Walker. They have both waited their entire lives for a friend the same age.

As Ms. Hannah spins this very poignant coming of age story, she does so in a vast and desolate, yet picturesque landscape. The harshness of the setting reflects the unsettling depth of this story. The wildness of the land, the strength seen in so many of the characters, and the way they came together to take care of their own is a gripping tale that I did not want to put down. I wholeheartedly recommend this book!

When I decided to read “The Great Alone” by Kristin Hannah, I had no idea where the subject would take me. It is a coming of age and beyond book about a young girl/woman, Leni, who is moved to Alaska when her father, Ernt decides it is the next place for them to live. This is after many other moves in the past as he tries to escape the emotional trauma he is left with after being a POW in Vietnam.

Living with her damaged father and her mother Cora, who will not stand up for herself against her husband, Leni
learns first to survive in the harsh Alaskan landscape and then to learn to love the land for all of its harsh beauty.


Ernt continues his spiral downhill and Leni learns more and more about just how bad he has become. She is blessed to have found a friend her own age, Matthew, who gives her an emotional break from the drama and trauma of her family life. Notwithstanding her friendship, her life continues to get darker and darker where both physical and mental survival become her primary goals.

The book was an amazing read in the resilience of a young personal determined to make a life for herself. I will certainly be reading more books by this talented author in the future.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

After having read five of Kristin Hannah's novels, I expected her most recent publication, The Great Alone, to be emotionally heavy and beautifully written; it is most certainly both of those, yet I am left feeling rather conflicted.

In the first half of the novel, those of us who have no knowledge of the history of Alaskan homesteaders are in for vividly explicit descriptions of the extreme winter conditions and endless summer days. Hannah does an incredible job of harnessing her own personal memories of Alaskan adventures and translating them into a captivating narrative, full of characters with potential for development.

"They lived on a piece of land that couldn’t be accessed by water at low tide, on a peninsula with only a handful of people and hundreds of wild animals, in a climate harsh enough to kill you. There was no police station, no telephone service, no one to hear you scream. For the first time, she really understood what her dad had been saying. Remote."

By the half way mark, I began to make some predictions (several of which materialized by the end) and feel a little less enchanted with the Alaskan wilderness and the ongoing domestic violence; much of this is due to a transference of personal beliefs/challenges on this topic, so readers should be aware of this trigger.

"Yelling was like a bomb in the corner; you saw it, watched the fuse burn, and you knew when it would explode and you needed to run for cover. Not speaking was a killer somewhere in your house with a gun when you were sleeping."

This novel is dense: not only in page count, but also in characters, narrative and possibilities. There were times, while reading, when I could not imagine how this story would draw to a close; I sent a message, after completing the novel, to friends to say that I thought the 76% mark (I read an electronic copy) would have been the perfect opportunity for a conclusion.

While there were elements about this novel that I enjoyed - the descriptive writing, the setting, most of the characters the dynamics of their relationships - I would have traded some of the extended story in the last few chapters for a little more character development and nuance.

Fans of Hannah's previous work will be pleased with The Great Alone and I have already read several favorable reviews; it's not The Nightingale, but it's not supposed to be.

This is the book I am recommending to everyone now. The characters, the setting, the tension, the story - all are important and memorable. I have family who lives where this book takes place and the description of the scenery and the character of Alaskans ring true. I see some awards in The Great Alone's future!

<b>----->"Dad had taught Leni how dangerous the outside world was. The truth was that the biggest danger of all was in her home."</b>

This is my first read by Kristin Hannah and I LOVED it! Honestly, if I had not heard amazing reviews of her previous novel, <i>The Nightingale</i>, I would not be interested in reading a book about Alaska in the 1970's BUT I would seriously be missing out! Hannah had me so captivated in learning about Alaska and The Great Alone and how this transient family was able to make their mark and learn to survive fast in this beautiful, but treacherous environment.

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/pCWkJ5gGQnIHu/giphy.gif" width="" height="" alt="description"/>

<b>"Up here you can make one mistake. The second will kill you."</b>

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/MeVYchhGw8ges/giphy.gif" width="" height="" alt="description"/>

Throughout the book you really look at a community coming together and 'taking care of their own' and how this family of three made a major impact in this homestead settlement. When you read this book, make sure to be snuggling up by the fire, because reading about winters in Alaska it just makes you feel that bone chill cold. Hannah also gives you the imagery of the shift in seasons to spring with the melting ice crackling and able to really imagine Alaska and all its beauty.

The Great Alone touches upon so many important issues: women's rights, domestic abuse, political issues, alcoholism, PTSD and the list goes on. I <b><u>Highly Recommend</b></u> this book and I am off to read <i>The Nightingale</i>!

Something about this book grabbed me and squeezed.

I loved Leni and Large Marge and some of the more ancillary characters, but the greatest character is Alaska life in the 70s & 80s. I wish more time has been spent on the events of the last 50 pages at the expense of some of the front end of the story, but nevertheless I sped through it and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is outside of my normal genre, but I have been wanting to try this author for quite a while. When I saw the blurb was about Alaskan homesteaders, I knew that I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and start with this one. I get sucked into those Alaskan Bush People type shows from time to time, and I have always wanted to go to Alaska, so I knew that the subject matter would be interesting. I have to say that Kristin Hannah is a master storycrafter and I will definitely be adding more of her books to my TBR.

The Great Alone is not a happy story by any means, but it is poignant and captivating. The narrator of the story is Lenora "Leni" Albright, whom we followed as she came of age in the 1970s following the Vietnam War. Leni's father, Ernt Albright, has returned home a changed man after years as a POW in Vietnam. As he suffers from (likely undiagnosed) PTSD, Leni and her mother, Cora, do everything they can to appease Ernt, including following him to the Alaskan wilderness to get away from what he sees as the deterioration of society.

The Albrights arrive in Alaska wholly unprepared for the realities of living in such a harsh environment. Luckily the small community of homesteaders on the Kenai Peninsula are willing to help cheechakos that come up from the Outside and help get them settled and prepared to survive the harsh winter. I enjoyed the sense of community that we saw around Otters Cove, and each of the secondary characters added a needed dimension to the story. I enjoyed the diversity of thought and methods of living that we saw from the townfolk - from survivalists, to escapists, to people who loved the Alaskan beauty.

Sometimes it was hard to read about Leni's life. She and Cora were suffering the fate of many females of the time, struggling to get by in a world where women's rights were still a new phenomenon. Hardest of all was dealing with the volatility and declining mental state of Ernt, particularly once they had diminished resources in Alaska. I can only imagine how difficult and terrifying it was to live in that household that was more full of fear than love. There were times when I really wanted Leni to run, even if she had to leave her mom behind. I think that Hannah did an admirable job chronicling the life and circumstances of battered women, particularly the emotional turmoil that Cora felt over the man she loved, but who was also violent.

I enjoyed watching Leni come of age and gain maturity and experience in such a harsh environment. I respected her ability and love for this type of life, even if I don't think I could have survived it myself. The imagery was fantastic and allowed me to picture the harsh landscape in my head, but also sent me to google looking up images of Otters Cove and the surrounding area. I am no less fascinated by Alaska after reading this story, although I no longer think I would be capable of living the isolationist life in this type of environment.

While this story was not a happy tale for the most part, I do recommend it to those who enjoy dense historical fiction or captivating family sagas. The Great Alone was a one-sitting read for me, as I couldn't put it down until the very last page. Every time I would turn off the Kindle and try to sleep, I found my eyes popping back open and willing me back to the next chapter.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, St. Martin's Press.

"Tenderfoot, Alaska isn't about who you were when you headed this way. It's about who you become. You are out here in the wild, girls. That isn't some fable or fairy tale. It's real. Hard. Winter will be here soon, and believe me, it's not like any winter you've ever experienced."......

Ernt is a former POW. Home from Vietnam, struggling to find his place in society again. Fighting the nightmares that make up his existence. Ernt has the love of his wife Cora and daughter Leni. Cora is willing to do whatever it takes to help keep Ernt stable, including his idea to leave the world behind and move to Alaska. Leni is thirteen and been in school after school, always the new girl and never fitting in. She never gives up on the hope her parents will find a way for them to all be happy again. That one day she will get her dad back.

Ernt moves them to an obsolete area, acreage and a run down cabin left to him by a soldier he served with. Without electricity, indoor plumbing, or any amenities, their lifestyle is about to make a drastic change.

Can Cora and Leni survive this hardship? Living off the land may be the answer that Ernt thinks will solve his problems, but what will it do to his family?

From the very beginning this book drew me in. A reminder of the past, and a time when our soldiers came home and we looked the other way, or worse disrespected them.

What they aren’t prepared for is the reality of the wild Alaskan lifestyle. The hours of darkness, and the cold and snow. Lack of resources, lack of outside contact. It can weaken an already weakened mind. Can Cora and Leni help Ernt, and help themselves? This is a place where one would experience the true meaning of being alone. You can either find yourself or lose yourself completely.

I loved the descriptive story. I felt like I was there. Kristin Hannah has a way of pulling you into her books. A few surprises, unexpected outcomes, and an ending I hoped for.

Thank you Kristin Hannah, Netgalley, and St. Martins Press

4.5 Stars

The Great Alone was a compelling read that I could hardly put down. The story of Leni Allbright's coming of age under rugged, almost unimaginably challenging conditions in a remote area of Alaska was often painful to read. Her father Ernt, a Vietnam War veteran who had been held as a prisoner of war, is a deeply broken and violent man. Everything Ernt touches seems to wither and that includes his family relationships. Leni is raised to tread lightly around Ernt and to avoid triggering his episodes of paranoia and violence. Her mother Cora is deeply enmeshed in the violent marital relationship. The book was often excruciating to read given my years of experience in the child welfare sector and looking at how hard it is to get women to leave situations of domestic violence. At one point it looks like Ernt's violence will have stolen everything there is to take from Leni and Cora. The last quarter of the novel was truly harrowing.

This book is a powerful story about overcoming abuse and stunning losses and gives us a heroine that is both brave and loyal. The secondary characters are richly drawn, in particular, the ebullient Large Marge. My only quibble with the story was toward the end, with the criminal justice angle of things playing out as it did. I'm not sure I found it believable.

Kristin Hannah has given us another powerful story in which there are few easy answers but powerful women forging their path despite the challenges of their circumstances.

As my family was leaving Alaska, the Allbright family was arriving: Leni, 13 years old, Cora, who got pregnant and married at 16, and Ernt, the former POW who suffered from PTSD before it was acknowledged. As things are falling apart for the Allbrights, Ernt's behaviour problems causing him to be fired from another job and he begins to take it out on Cora, they find out he has been left a homestead by a former military buddy. So off they go to the great alone. But they found a much different Alaska than the one I lived in. I had a multi-room schoolhouse, indoor plumbing, a supermarket, and even an indoor pool at the local YMCA. Leni had an outhouse, one room schoolhouse, an abusive father, and Matt. (I'd like to mention that we both had Chilkoot Charlies! Because kids were always welcome in bars.) I would say reading this book was like watching a train wreck: you know it is going to be bad, really bad, but you can't look away. Thankfully, unlike a train wreck, Ms. Hannah is able to infuse optimism and joy into a story that could have remained as dark as an Alaskan winter. Though at times I found the book to have the feel of a YA book due to Leni being the central character, I found myself wanting to read just one more chapter, just one more page. I needed to know what was going to happen! You can't get better than that!

The Great Alone is another magnificent, compelling read by Kristin Hannah. This is truly a masterpiece follow-up to The Nightingale, which is her book that made me an immediate fan of her fabulous storytelling skills.

Hannah’s evocative and striking portrayal of a struggling family begins in 1974. Ernt Allbright has returned after years of being a POW in Vietnam a much different man-he’s restless, agitated, difficult, violent, and often suffers flashbacks and nightmares. PTSD was not diagnosed back then, but Ernt suffered from it and it began to destroy his life. Because of his PTSD, he’s had trouble keeping a job and has moved his family around a lot the past few years, so much so that Leni, his 13-year-old daughter has attended five different schools in four years. Leni longs for stability and wishes she could remember more of the laughing, smiling dad that he was before Vietnam. When Ernst finds out he’s inherited a cabin and property in the untamed frontier of Kaneq, Alaska from a fallen Army buddy in Vietnam, he swears that this is the answer to all their problems and begs his wife Cora to make the move. Ernt says living off the land, being free of pressures, having their own place, and living in a place where he can breathe again will change him and make things go back to the way they were before the war. Cora is a woman who will do anything for the man that she loves even if it means moving to the ends of the earth or the Great Alone no matter what the sacrifice or consequence.

When the family arrives in Alaska, things are not at all how they imagined since it’s a tiny, rundown cabin, no running water, no electricity, and they are completely unprepared for winter that will be coming sooner than they expect. Winter they immediately realize is a TREMENDOUS deal in Alaska and if you aren’t prepared for the days in almost total darkness, then you won’t survive. Thankfully, the community in Kaneq is welcoming, helpful, and do all they can to get them prepared for the upcoming long days and darkness of winter. Yet, Cora and Leni soon realize during their first winter that it isn’t the Alaskan winter that they need to fear but Ernt as the long winter nights worsen his already fragile mental state. Their home becomes a place of worsening domestic abuse, and the two women realize they have only each other if they want to survive.

This novel will grip you from the beginning to the end! I stayed up two nights in a row reading it until after 1 am, which is something I’ve not done in a long time since I’ve been forcing myself to sleep. No, this book put sleep way down on the list of priorities! It not only has fantastic major characters but minor ones too, and I adore the in-depth characterizations by Hannah; she always has such phenomenal characters! Large Marge is one of my favorite characters in the book, and I think she had one of the best lines when she warns “Alaska herself can be Sleeping Beauty one minute and a bitch with a sawed-off shotgun the next. There’s a saying: Up here you can make one mistake. The second one will kill you.” The description of Alaska as both Sleeping Beauty and a bitch with a sawed-off shotgun could not be more suitable based on Hannah’s description of the gorgeous landscape that is at the same time raw, untamed, bitter;y cold, and deadly, and that describes the Alaskan people in this community perfectly as well.

While this book is about the Allbright family, it is more a story about Leni, her coming of age, her bond with her mother, how she is shaped by all the tragedies she endures, and how she finds her true self in the end. It’s also a love story and a story about faith and possibilities. It is an exceptionally poignant novel that is beautifully written, engrossing, and captivating. Heartbreaking and stunning. It is a superb read by a magnificent author that I HIGHLY recommend.

**Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Kristin Hannah for an ARC copy in exchange for my fair and honest review. **

Although it took me a little while to get into this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it in the end. Reading a book set in the Alaskan wilderness in the 1970s was a pleasant and interesting change for me., as I have not read many (or any?) books with this kind of backdrop. I definitely will recommend this to patrons at my library. That being said, I won't have to work too hard as our patrons will jump when I tell them this is from the author of The Nightingale.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah is a gripping, raw, moving story. Hannah expertly weaves a tale that depicts the plight of Vietnam vets, the plight of domestic violence, and the basic instinct of survival. The backdrop of this story is the breathtaking beauty of Alaska, and the pioneer spirit in those who live there.

Leni is the focus of Hannah's story. As the novel opens, she is a young teenager who has trouble making new friends and fitting in at school. She craves her father's acceptance and love, and her closest relationship is with her mother, Cora. Hannah follows Leni from early adolescent, through her mid-twenties. This family, and in particular, Leni, faces overwhelming obstacles at every turn, and must fight to survive, and dare to dream.

You can't help but hope with this family. There was one scene that was building in intensity, and I actually had to set the book aside for a while to prepare myself to read it. I had a suspicion of what was about to happen, and it was too much to handle after other intense scenes. This echoed Lena's feelings and concerns.

The writing style in this book grabs you from the first page. Instead of enduring page after page of heavy description of Alaska's landscape, readers will watch the scenes unveiled and experience the beauty along with the character. Along with the rich description, the writing voice is compelling, and emotional. I couldn't read it fast enough!

If you are already a fan of Kristin Hannah's writing (as I am), you will not be disappointed. And if you have never read one of her books, you will find a new favorite author. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. These thoughts and opinions are my own.