The Great Alone

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!

There is so much richness within this book that it is hard to describe. There is the story of Leni, the awkward, frightened girl, living under the threat of her violent father. Cora, the mother who loves her child but is incapable of resisting her sick husband suffering from PTSD after a his stint in Vietnam Nam. Then, there is Alaska, the beauty, the challenges, the culture of the misfits who are drawn to the promise of total independence. There is Ernt, the damaged, dangerous veteran full of rage and promises he is incapable of keeping. Finally, there is Matt, the innocent drawn into the circle which can only bring violence.

A fluke inheritance from an army buddy brings the Allbright family to an isolated part of Alaska, THE GREAT ALONE. Hannah clearly loves the land and its' beauty, but understands the danger and the people who live there.

The family hopes that this isolated land will bring peace to the troubled family, of course it only brings Ernt's vilolence to pollute the pristine land. Within the tumult is the exquisite story of Matt and Leni. The reader knows they are hurtling toward disaster. Hannah does not disappoint and pulls it all together in a satisfying ending.

Although the darkness and the violence represented by Ernt is countered by Alaska and the beautiful, sensitive love story of Leni and Matt, this book is still very disturbing. Domestic abuse and murder are not easy to digest.

This book is so different from Hannah's THE NIGHTINGALE, it is hard to believe that these very different books could have been written by the same author.

As a fan of Hannah and the beauty of Alaska, I truly enjoyed this sweeping love story.

PERFECT!!! I just loved this book. That is all....

The Great Alone by the incomparable Kristen Hannah had me connected with heroine Leni on page one. The journey from Washington to Alaska caught my imagination and the road was bumpy with experiences, challenges and opportunities that made be smile, cringe and cry. Intrigued? I was. I actually find myself wanting to take a trip to Alaska to see the mountains, the rivers, and the unique residents.

Kristen Hannah caught my heart in the same manner she did with The Nightingale. The Allbright family faced one challenge after another that began upon the father's return from Vietnam after his release as a P.O.W. He was not the man who left to serve and unfortunately help wasn't really an option. His challenge resulted in one challenge after another for his daughter Leni and wife Cora.

Is this title worth a read? Definitely! Make some tea, find a comfy chair, and take the journey with Leni. Laugh with Large Marge. Pray for Matthew. And celebrate the beauty and history of Alaska.

I spent three wonderful weeks savoring every page with Leni, Cora, Matthew and the other amazing characters that came to life from Kristin Hannah's writing. I'm a quick reader but I wanted to pace myself with this one as I did not want it to end. I can't imagine the pressure to write a novel after the incredible success of The Nightingale. While I have not yet read The Nightingale (blasphemy, I know), this book is now the front runner for me in my KH Favorites. This is hands down my favorite read of 2017 and I know you will all be wowed when it releases in February.

Thank you to St. Martins Press for a copy of The Great Alone in exchange for an honest review

The Nightingale, without a doubt, was one of my favorite books of 2015. With that said, The Great Alone does not disappoint! In this novel especially, Hannah excels in describing all there is to offer in each part of Alaska that Cora, Leni, and her father visit or live in. Alaska has never been a top travel destination for me, but I've now been converted because of the breathtaking scenery that Hannah depicts in this novel. Cora and Leni's mother-daughter relationship will remind millennial readers of the beloved Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, except with a survivalist, My Side of the Mountain mindset. The cast of characters in The Great Alone have great stories to share about their lives before Alaska and since they've been there, and Leni knows that one day she'll have these stories to tell as well. Like Jodi Picoult's books, Hannah deals with pertinent issues of the day (time spans from 1974-2009), with the most prominent being the undiagnosed PTSD affecting soldiers who returned from Vietnam and the way domestic violence was addressed in communities and courtrooms. It's a heartfelt story that will make you laugh, cry, cry some more, and then book a trip to Alaska for next summer.

I came late to Kristin Hannah's books, reading my first one a few years ago when a friend recommended Nightingale. That was my favorite book of the year and I, in turn, recommended it to dozens of other people.
I didn't know what to expect from the author and was a little worried another book wouldn't be able to compete with Nightingale. What I discovered is that Hannah is a very versatile writer. Her books don't compete with one another, they are uniquely their own.

The Great Alone is set mainly in the 1970s, not long after the Vietnam war in the wilderness of Alaska. Hannah is excellent at historical research and envelops the reader in the time and place of her choosing. Her character development is also first rate- her characters are never just one thing, they are always multi-faceted, flawed and beautiful at the same time.
The Allbright family is a close-knit little family, Cora, Ernt & Leni, their daughter. For many years Cora and Leni survived on their own, drifting from one group to the next, while waiting for Ernt to come home from Vietnam. What should have been a joyous reunion was marred by the horrors Ernt suffered as a POW in the war. Although they try to stitch a life together, he is restless, can't hold down a job, and suffers from nightmares and outbursts of rage. An unexpected gift lands in their lap and the family heads off to Alaska to claim a parcel of land and a cabin, hoping they will finally be far enough from civilization for Ernt to settle and the family to build a life together. The Kenai Peninsula turns out to be more remote than Cora & Leni ever imagined and the family discovers when they arrive that they are woefully unprepared to survive the winter.
The small, close-knit community of the tiny town, immediately pitch in to teach the family how to prepare for the winter, how to stock up for the long, dark, season with no easy access to food, how to build a greenhouse, smokehouse, animal pens & food cache high in the trees to protect it from predators. It is hard work but each member of the family grows stronger individually and pushes themselves to be more when faced with the challenges of Alaska. Unfortunately, as the darkness of winter presses closer, the little family realizes this remote land isn't the cure for Ernt's PTSD (which they didn't know how to diagnose and treat back then) that they had hoped for and they have to survive not only the elements of the land outside but the constant fear inside their home as well.

Cora & Ernt's relationship parallels life in Alaska, at times. Times of love, beauty, and peace that turn deadly at a moment's notice with a sudden storm. Despite their relationship affecting so much of the events in the book, the story is really Leni's story: her growth in confidence and skill as she is tested by survival in Alaska; the friendships and community she gets to be a part of (but always a little removed from b/c of the secret she keeps about her family); the hardships she overcomes; her discoveries about her family and love, and her place in the world. Ultimately, her loyalties are tested and she has to make choices she never would have dreamed of. My heart broke for Leni and Matthew (did I mention Matthew? Leni's best friend and eventual love interest?) and for Cora and Leni and even for Cora and Ernt as all of these relationships evolve and are tested by Alaska and by each other. A complex and fulfilling read.

The Great Alone is set in the 1970's but the topics are on point relevant for today. The characters are so fully developed they leap off the page. The setting in Alaska is vivid and alive, I felt like I was there. Kristin Hannah's writing is developed in a way that each word belong on the page. Coming off the success of the Nightingale, this book will stand up on its own as her next great story.

One of the greatest books I have had the pleasure of reading in a very long time. I truly believe that many people can relate to this story in one way or another. I feel in love with this book. Will be recommending to lots and lots of different people!!!

In the mid 1970’s, Leni, her father Ernt and her mother Cora begin a new life in the wilds of Alaska. Leni doesn’t remember what her father was like before the Vietnam War,and even though her mother assures her that he was a kind and loving man, all Leni knows is that now, her father is volatile and often violent. Believing he can start fresh in Alaska, he and his little family make a new home on a spit of land there over the ocean. The locals are welcoming, but also full of warnings about the realities of living in Alaska, especially in the winter. While things begin well for the family, as the dark and long days of winter descend and alcohol flows freely, Leni and her mother will discover that the wild animals and ferocious weather are not what they should fear the most. This was one of the most incredible stories I’ve read in quite a while, I completely forgot everything going on around me as I spent the day with Leni, her family and the wild beauty of Alaska. One of the best books of the year