The Great Alone

I've always had a fascination with Alaska. It's always seemed like the most expansive wilderness that's still mostly untamed. That would be even more true back in 1974 where this book takes place. I'm that wild setting, The Great Alone ties together enough different storylines, all from the same household, that you feel connected to their lives, their fears and their dreams. This had similarities to Educated, but with more tears, less fundamentalism and equal amounts of fear that the government is out to get you.

“[b:The Great Alone 34912895 The Great Alone Kristin Hannah https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1501852423l/34912895.SY75.jpg 56275107]” by [a:Kristin Hannah 54493 Kristin Hannah https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1517255843p2/54493.jpg] is a heart-wrenching and breathtaking novel that took me on an emotional roller coaster from start to finish. Once again, Kristin Hannah has written a remarkable story that is both hauntingly beautiful and unforgettable.My personal introduction to Hannah was her brilliant novel “[b:The Nightingale 21853621 The Nightingale Kristin Hannah https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1598993363l/21853621.SY75.jpg 41125521]” (which is still my favourite book of hers) and both this novel as well as the later “[b:The Four Winds 53138081 The Four Winds Kristin Hannah https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1594925043l/53138081.SY75.jpg 79888572]” firmly cemented her position as one of my favourite authors.The story follows the Allbright family as they move to the remote wilderness of Alaska in search of a better life. They are a family struggling with inner demons, and the isolation of Alaska proves to be both a refuge and a danger to them. I was fascinated by the way Hannah portrayed the beauty and the harshness of Alaska through her descriptions. She made me feel like I was right there, experiencing the cold, the snow, and the rugged landscape myself and I felt simultaneously drawn to and repulsed by it. The characters in the book are well-developed and multidimensional. I found myself relating to them and their struggles, particularly the protagonist, Leni Allbright. Her journey from a scared and lonely teenager to a strong and independent woman was both inspiring and, at times, heartbreaking. I also appreciated the way the author portrayed the relationship between Leni and her mother, Cora, as it was complicated, nuanced, and realistic.Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed was the way it tackled themes such as love, loss, resilience, and the importance of community. The author did an excellent job of exploring these themes through the characters' experiences and their interactions with one another.The one missing star is due to some lengths that I feel are strangely unique to “The Great Alone”. While the detailed descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness were mostly an asset, at some points of the story I was eager to move on with the plot. Also, the romance between Leni and Matthew seemed a bit drawn out. Overall, though, “The Great Alone” is a great novel that I would highly recommend to anyone. Fans of Kristin Hannah can rest assured that their expectations will certainly be met. Four out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

The Allbrights move to Alaska and they are painfully unprepared. After returning from the war (Vietnam) Ernt is full of big dreams and ideas, that never really go as planned. Alaska is full of dreams and dangers. But what happens when the danger is inside your house.

I love this book. It's going to be hard to find a book to top this for me this year. Definitely a 5 star read.

‘'Outside, night had fallen. A full moon cast blue-white light on everything. Stars filled the sky with pinpricks and elliptical smears of light. Up here, at night, the sky was impossibly huge and never quite turned black, but stayed a deep velvet blue. The world beneath it dwindled down to nothing: a dollop of firelight, a squiggly white reflection of moonlight on the tarnished waves.''

The Allbright's seem a typical American family trying to find its way in a nation tarnished by the effects of the Vietnam War, in a society that undergoes significant changes. Ernt, Cora and their teenage daughter, Leni. Ernt, a veteran of the war, suffers from PTSD turning what should be a family haven into a battlefield of turmoil, threats and ferocious insecurity. Dissatisfied with his country, surrendering to his absurd notions of how a country should be governed, he drags his family into the Last Frontier. Alaska. A place of unimaginable beauty and danger. Everything changes for Leni, Cora and the residents of what seemed like the ideal, closely-knit community because of one man's madness and vicious character.

I am sorry to say that this novel left me cold and disappointed...

There is no doubt that the premise of the story is interesting and realistic. The descriptions of the Alaskan nature are breathtakingly beautiful and there are quite a few elements that made me feel invested in the story of the Allbright family initially. This historical era is one that always attracts my interest and Hannah did a good job transferring it into the heart of the narration. All the familiar 70s trademarks have been put into good use. The search for a spiritual destination, the notion of Unitarianism, the rallies for peace. The yet unnamed ‘'don't show, don't tell'' PTSD, the IRA attacks, the Watergate, the nightmarish terrorist attack during the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972.

In this background, enriched by many 70s cultural references, Hannah poses a major question: where does patriotism, the honest, peaceful love for one's country end and nationalism, racism and mass hysteria begin? How can women respond and defend themselves in an era when men still think they rule everyone's fate? The inseparable bond between a mother and a daughter, two survivors of a man's madness, is hauntingly beautiful, seen through the eyes of Leni, a bookish girl and one of the most well-composed characters in Contemporary Literature. However, I'm afraid this is where my positive thoughts on this novel end...

The dialogue suffers from a number of cliches, in my opinion. Stilted and exaggerating like a cheesy Hollywood film. Repetition didn't do any favours to the continuation of the story. This is my main complaint with this novel. How many chapters do you need to say the same things again and again? A writer doesn't properly build tension in such a way. The only thing it made me feel was irritation and a deep desire to read the end and abandon the book altogether. I could have skipped pages after pages and I wouldn't have missed anything at all. The way many chapters ended seemed like the old lingering take on a protagonist's ridiculously lost expression in a soap opera. Not my ideal picture of an interesting book. On a side note, the references to The Thorn Birds and the friendship between Frodo and Sam were melodramatic, cheesy and irritating. In my opinion.

In terms of characterization, I wasn't impressed at all. With the exception of Leni (whose romantic story was laughably bad), the rest of the characters left me utterly indifferent. I quickly lost patience with Cora. I mean, girl, you don't want to lose face or you really enjoy Ernt's you-know-what. That's fine as long as you are alone. But being blinded by your illusions and shoving your ridiculous excuses to your daughter's mind do little to ensure her safety. I didn't buy any of Cora's musings. Call me heartless, that's my opinion. Despite the fact that she takes some action, her character is no figure to look up to. At least, not according to my standards. Ernt is a loony. Plain and simple. No justification, no pretext. The excuse of PTSD is quickly wasted. He is mad and that's the end of it. Horrible character, written as a caricature to force drama. Don't even get me started on Matthew and Large Marge because we'll be here until Doomsday...

This novel is begging to become a Hollywood production. Unfortunately, I seldom watch these and ‘'Hollywood'' books are absolutely not to my liking. I'm certain that somewhere deep inside those pages, beyond all this repetition and drama, lies a perfectly good book and many trusted friends loved it. This is the reason why I grant 3 stars and not 2 (not that it matters but for argument's sake...). For the beauty of the Alaskan territory and the character of Leni and for the fact that I was not the suitable reader for this book. I am sorry but family melodramas that try to force my feelings are not for me...

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com

Wow - I think I have found a new favourite author! This book was amazing and really opened my eyes to what living in the wild was like, but also living with a violent person. It all felt so real. I actually had tears in my eyes at the end - so glad she went home!

Kristin Hannah - the queen of emotional manipulation - has done it again. I cried. Congratulations Ms Hannah on making me feel the feelings. I was going to give this 5 stars, but then it went on... and on.. and then it went on some more. There was a perfect ending to this novel and it should have stopped there. But all in all a lovely story with big heart.

Though I found the story a bit formulaic at times, I did enjoy reading this novel set in Alaska. It was an interesting location and my favorite part of the book. Kristin Hannah is a great storyteller.

I have never read Kristin Hannah before, but I loved the idea of a family living off the grid in Alaska. I fell in love with Leni, a fellow bookworm. I think this story ripped my heart apart and then put it back together. I want to read more Hannah now.

Not for me. I am interested in the Alaska frontier community but can't slog through 400 pages of domestic abuse. This is the second Hannah I've abandoned.

This is one of those books that you never forget. Leni and Cora, battling not only the Alaskan wilderness but the wild in her Vietnam vet father are two characters I will never forget. Hannah has a way of writing women characters in vivid colors, and characters who would be villains in a lesser writer's hands with cold humanity, in all its shades of grey.

As with The Nightingale, read with a box of tissues at hand.

13 year old Leni, her PTSD-plagued vietnam-vet father, and her mother who can't stop loving her abusive husband - move to Alaska for a new start. We learn about the harshness of living in Alaksa, a lot of drama with the dad ensues, and Leni finds love. First I was all charmed by this book, as I love stories about living in deserted tough places, the storytelling was fast and engaging, and the father's outbursts and his paranoid survivalist nature gave the whole thing the touch of a milder version of [b:My Absolute Darling 33572350 My Absolute Darling Gabriel Tallent https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498911183s/33572350.jpg 54375969]. But somewhere around the middle everything just become too predictable and was missing a layer of depth for my taste. And then the ending was straight from a Hollywood tearjerker.

Spoilers below.


Kristin Hannah is an immensely readable author which is why I finished this book. And why it received 2 stars instead of 1.

That said, had I known the extent of violence against women (physical, sexual, emotional) I would have skipped it.

I was so excited to read The Great Alone after devouring The Nightingale but unfortunately it wasn't as compelling. That being said, the way Kristin Hannah described Alaska was incredibly moving and that is what bumped my rating from a 2.5 to a 3. But when I found myself wanting more pages detailing the landscape than I did detailing the characters I knew that there was something missing for me. It's a good but not great read.

Remember when Kristin Hannah used to write romance novels? Those days are long gone! The Great Alone is like a Jack London book crossed with Anna Quindlen's [b:Black and Blue 5157 Black and Blue Anna Quindlen https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388459940s/5157.jpg 2349447], as a troubled Vietnam War vet impulsively moves his wife and teenage daughter to a remote corner of Alaska. Major props to Hannah for showing the beauty and the danger side by side in our northernmost state, especially in the 1970s before tourism tamed some of the landscape. (Fortunately her annoying habit of inserting random radio songs into scenes as if to say “Look! It's the 1970s!” largely disappears once the action shifts to a cabin with no electricity.) The family drama is at times difficult to read because of the constant violence that Leni's mother Cora endures at the hands of her husband, accompanied by the familiar cycle of “I'm so sorry, it won't happen again” and “I have to stay with him, he needs me.” There are only a few notable secondary characters and much of the book keeps the main trio isolated from everyone else, creating a somewhat claustrophobic atmosphere. Leni does find a romance, albeit one with lots of tragedy and separation, but the real love story is between Leni and Cora, who stick together no matter what, even when their lives are at risk. You could argue that Cora isn't a good mother because by staying with Ernt she puts Leni's life at risk, but she does all she can to protect her daughter until the very end.The book suffers slightly from a bit of uneven plotting, with a slow start and a rushed ending, but overall this is a strong novel that deserves the bestselling status it will probably achieve.