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.
4 Stars
"In Alaska you can make one mistake. One. The second one will kill you."
I needed a new book to read, and boy did Kristin Hannah deliver. *Shout out thank you to my neighbor for recommending and lending me this book!
The Great Alone captured my attention from the very first page, and held it until the very last. It was so hard to put this book down. How could I, when in its pages I got to explore the wild, dangerous beauty of Alaska? Kristin Hannah has some wonderful descriptions throughout this novel about the Last Frontier, and while I've always wanted to visit Alaska, the stunning imagery of this untamed land has me wanting to book a flight right now (but only for a summer visit! I would like to avoid the 18 hours of darkness during freezing winter).
While the life lived in Alaska grabbed my attention, so did the family this book revolves around. It's 1974 and Ernt, Cora, and Leni Allbright have their work cut out for them when they move to Alaska. They are utterly unprepared, and have a lot to learn if they have any hopes of surviving the coming winter. But the danger is not contained to the harsh Alaskan climate. It comes from inside their cabin walls as well.
Ernt, Leni's father, is a Vietnam POW. In a time when PTSD was not really known, there's not much help offered for Ernt. What he has gone through has changed him. The darkness lurking within him is brought to the surface even more so through the days of endless darkness that is Alaska in winter. Leni and Cora walk on eggshells around him, trying to diffuse any violent outbreaks, but there is only so much they can do. And Ernt's paranoia of the Outside and those around him puts his family in even more danger than the wild animals and dangerous climate surrounding them.
"That was how they did it, she and Mama. They took turns being strong."
Leni and Cora have to lean on their friends and neighbors if they want to survive, and I adored those characters. Large Marge is the kind of friend we all hope to have. The way the community leans on each other and helps each other is something to aspire to. I especially love the relationship between the female characters in this novel, of the strength between these women. I don't agree with most of Cora'a decisions, and I got frustrated with Leni's at times, but that's what makes a story: complex, complicated characters. Each character in this novel has a story, and I was invested in all of them.
I really enjoyed journeying through Leni's life with her. We experience so much with her, and I loved getting to see her grow up and become Alaskan. It was also fun to read a novel set in the 70s and 80s - I learned some new historical facts. Hannah handles these jumps in time really well.
The reason for knocking off a star is because of the last few chapters. So much of this novel felt real to me, but the ending is wrapped up too nicely to be realistic. I don't want to say more as to avoid spoilers, but you'll see what I mean if you read the novel (which I highly recommend you doing!).
Kristin Hannah did a marvelous job with this novel, and I am excited to read more of her work. The Great Alone has such stunning prose and imagery, and the whole atmosphere of this novel is enthralling. Add in fully developed, complex characters, heart-pounding tension, some shocking deaths, and strong female bonds and you have one hell of a novel. I know I will visit Alaska one day, and I hope I can find some of Leni's strength in myself when I do.
"Wild. That's how I describe it all. My love. My life. Alaska. Truthfully, it's all the same to me. Alaska doesn't attract many; most are too tame to handle life up here. But when she gets her hooks in you, she digs deep and holds on, and you become hers. Wild. A lover of cruel beauty and splendid isolation. And God help you, you can't live anywhere else."
About the Author
Kristin Hannah is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels including the international blockbuster, The Nightingale, Winter Garden, Night Road, and Firefly Lane.
Her novel, The Nightingale, has been published in 43 languages and is currently in movie production at TriStar Pictures, which also optioned her novel, The Great Alone. Her novel, Home Front has been optioned for film by 1492 Films (produced the Oscar-nominated The Help) with Chris Columbus attached to direct.
Kristin is a former-lawyer-turned writer who lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband. Her novel, Firefly Lane, became a runaway bestseller in 2009, a touchstone novel that brought women together, and The Nightingale, in 2015 was voted a best book of the year by Amazon, Buzzfeed, iTunes, Library Journal, Paste, The Wall Street Journal and The Week. Additionally, the novel won the coveted Goodreads and People’s Choice Awards. The audiobook of The Nightingale won the Audiobook of the Year Award in the fiction category.