This book...this book wrecked me..but in a good way. I stayed up till 2am sobbing as I finished. Kristin Hannah writes characters and prose that just rip the heart of your chest and places it back again. It's the first time I've read a book that made me feel like the location of the book, Alaska, became a character in the book. It had it's own heartbeat and it took on a life of it's own. As soon as I finished, I just wanted to read it again. This book will stay with you for a long long time. Kristin Hannah at her best! And I believe it's her best book to date!

4.5 stars for the latest by Kristin Hannah. The story deals with a beautiful and harsh land while relating the story of survival, love and abuse and how they go hand in hand for some.

The abuse parts were probably realistic for many, unfortunately, which might be a hard read for some to watch Cora accept this "love" from her husband. All alone in Alaska with a man who has undiagnosed PTSD from Vietnam, raising a child in the wilderness, no one could deny that Cora's life is hard. Her supporting friends and daughter want her to leave him, but she can't/won't and is willing to suffer the consequences, but at what a cost to her and her entire family.

This book certainly kept my attention and I felt it was one of her best. Though it might be a novel, this story likely happened for some of the more daring among us who ventured to Alaska long before the cruise ships gave us the chance to see the beauty of the land. The Great Alone showed us what may have gone on behind the scenes as we never saw anything beyond tourist areas.

I loved the Nightingale by the same author so I was looking forward to reading this book. However, as several other people have said, I just could not get into the book. I knew Leni's father had severe PTSD from the War, and that was very evident in the first few pages of the book. I felt for Cora and Leni to have to live through that abuse. I wanted to shout at Cora to be strong and leave her husband and the abuse. I thought Mad Earl was totally crazy and it reminded me of people in this world who talk and act like him and Ernt and that is truly scary. I knew that Leni was going to get pregnant and several times I thought about putting the book down. But I did finish it and the ending with Matthew recovering and Leni bringing their son to Alaska was a surprise. I don't know if I would recommend this book. However, I would totally recommend the Nightingale by the same author.

I had to read this book over several days to take a break from the grittiness of the story. It is well written. It is an honest depiction of Alaska bush in the 70's.

While the storytelling and descriptions of the landscape and the time period were well written and well done, the story just didn't hold my interest. Although Ernt was going through PSDT, both Cora and Ernt were basically self centered and selfish, individually and as a couple. Leni was far more a grow up than either of her parents. The story was dark (no pun intended) and slow moving.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

The Great Alone is one of Kristin Hannah’s finest novels to date. The characters come to life on the pages. It is quit obvious the author knows her Alaska-and it’s history- and loves it deeply. The words she puts to paper flow with that love. The Allbright family-Ernt, Cora and Leni are vivid. The bone chilling cold so real as to make one shiver. The hunger they feel their first winter in Alaska enough to make one search the pantry for a snack.
As a returning Vietnam vet, Ernt has baggage he cant or won’t resolve. His inability to control his temper has causes him to lose jobs. He also takes it out on his family, repeatedly.
He resents a neighbor he perceives as having it all and assumes an anti government stance with another group. His new friends teach him important tips about living in Alaska. For a brief time, all is well for the Allbright family. Then suddenly it’s not. Leni and Cora have walked on eggshells for so long, that one day the shell was bound to crack.
The story is never sweetness and light. It’s mostly shades of dark. That’s not to say it’s without hope. At the cre, this is a novel about a young girl’s hope for a better future for herself, for her family. The Great Alone is a great book.

Wow! Kristin Hannah's "The Great Alone" was an intense rollercoaster! During parts of the book, all I could do was hang on and enjoy the ride up, knowing the ride down was going to be a crazy one. There were tears, smiles and an overall sense of pride "watching" Leni experience life with her dysfunctional parents. A book that I think you should read!

Very well written book. I felt like I was in Alaska and experiencing everything with the family. Kristin Hannah always writes a great book.

Author Kristin Hannah has certainly done it again. The Great Alone is a magnificent book about the beauty and darkness of Alaska. It is also a story about love…its intensity, its beauty…but also the cruelty of love. The characters are very complex- with their own set of emotional problems– and this draws the reader into the story from the first page. The Alaskan setting, enchanting and frightening, is so visually described that the reader cannot help but feel its unique powers of both endangerment and protectiveness that surrounds its residents. Overall, this ultimately is a story about survival…of loss love, renewed love, constant love, righteous love, and parental love that is boundless.
This is a great story and very highly recommended.

I have read everything by Kristin Hannah since 1996. I have now gone back back and also found some books from before this.

a Family looking for a new start again -- travel to Alaska
Learning a new way of life - learning to be tough - learning what the term REMOTE signifies
as they prepare for Winter you will feel the urgency
as they become a part of the community you will feel you know them

You will feel a part of Alaska,
living on the frontier,
and thrive in the adventure!!

I started this in the late afternoon planning to read for a little and then go to bed early. That didn’t happen. I read past my early bedtime. I read past my bedtime. I read until I finished the book. It was a story that grabbed me and wouldn’t let me stop until I had read the last page. It is the story of women. Women who love, often the wrong men. Women who fear. Women who struggle. But ultimately women who survive. At its heart it is a story of abuse and the love and fear that to often go hand in hand. It is also a tale of Alaska in the 1970s where individuals thrived and yet came together as a community to survive the isolation and brutality of the land. Leni is 13 when her Vietnam POW veteran father receives an inheritance of land and a cabin in Alaska and moves the family there. They are extremely unprepared for the realities of Alaska. The community comes together to help them learn to survive. But the isolation and long days of winter do nothing to soothe his rage. Leni comes to fear what is inside the cabin more than the wildness of Alaska.

This a powerful, emotional story of 13 year old Leni who is used to moving around with her parents as her Dad often loses his job and needs a new start. He is willed land and a cabin in a remote area in Alaska from a former POW who was in Vietnam with him. In the dark wilds of Alaska, Leni and her mother try to stay out of their father's way when his past demons visit him. The book jumps a few years later when Leni falls in love with a local boy and their relationship is affected by her father's abusive and angry ways. Leni has an unconditional love for her mother and Matthew and she makes heart breaking decisions to do what is best for them.

Another great !book from Kristin Hannah! The rugged beauty of Alaska plays a starring role in this story, but it is the spirit and bravery of the main character that will keep you reading late at night. A husband and father suffering from PTSD is the cause of much violence in this family, but young Leni fights to save herself and her mother from her father's delusions and fists.

September 25, 2017 -
While I enjoy the premise of the book, the writing style and the plot occurrences thus far are not enough to keep me engaged. I hope for more from this author as I enjoy how she's weaving Vietnam, Alaska, growing up, and family dynamics together; I simply cannot get into her style. I feel this is personal preference, not necessarily an oversight on Hannah's part.

September 24, 2017 –
26.0% finished: "Still not a huge fan of this book's style. There's a huge overlap of time that's just...gone. Not detailed, just over. Hoping for more in next few chapters or I may have to dismiss it. 😕"

September 23, 2017 –
12.0% finished: "So far I'm not a big fan of her writing style. The narrative is much more "telling" than "showing" in terms of sensory imagery. I have not read her previously acclaimed work, The Nightengale, so perhaps this will all play out as massive foreshadowing or closeted inferences. We shall see!! ☺"

I could not put this book down! Beautiful and heartbreaking, I absolutely loved it.

I was thrilled to receive this new novel by Kristin Hannah. Her last book was deep and difficult to get through in a right way. This book was much like that. I read it in two days as it grabbed my attention immediately and I wanted to know how the story continued. The story is rich in characters, settings, and plot. I could easily picture Alaska and what Brie and Cora were dealing with. This story is a wonderfully tragic and profound dark story that I can't stop thinking of.

I wasn't sure what to expect but once again I was blown away by Ms Hannah's storytelling. I did not expect the most important character in the book to be Alaska, but it totally was. This is a triumph that I will recommend heartily.

First let me say that The Nightingale is one of the best books I have ever read. I have been impatiently awaiting Kristin Hannah's next release and was so excited to see this coming up and even more excited to be selected to read and review an ARC. Thank you! I enjoyed this story very much. The last 25% of the book really picked up for me and I stayed up late to finish. There were parts that hurt my heart and tears were shed. I felt a connection to the characters and really enjoyed Alaska, which I didn't think I would. So that was a nice surprise! I will definitely recommend this to friends and colleagues.

You are such a wonderful author. I don't think I have ever held my breath so much while reading. I kept thinking who is going to kill him and will there be a happy ending. Such a great read. I have never wanted to see Alaska but I might have to change my mind. I am exhausted but happy!