Jaclyn’s Review: The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

The Great Alone
written by Kristin Hannah
published by St. Martin’s Press, 2018

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Apple Books, Target, Walmart, Kobo, Book Depository, Goodreads

Did I enjoy this book? Hang on . . . I’m still trying to compose myself. This book was nearly the end of my reading career. I read this book, set it down, and thought, “That’s it. I cannot read another book; that was the best book I will ever read in my entire life.” The scenery, the characters, the plot, the . . . everything! I loved every single thing about this book. Even the parts of the plot that I didn’t love because they didn’t fit into a fairy tale I still loved because they were absolutely the right choice for the story. There were so many different depictions of strength and power. They were obvious, they were subtle, they were hidden until the end. I cannot think of a single bad thing to say about this book.

Would I recommend it? Drop everything you are doing and read this book right now. I don’t just recommend this book. I may make this required reading. Want to be friends with me? Read this book first. Please. Read this book.
 

 

About the book – from Goodreads: 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.

 

 

 

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** This post first appeared on Every Free Chance Books (everyfreechance.com) on November 27, 2019.