The Great Alone
By Kristin Hannah
- Release Date: 2018-02-06
- Genre: Fiction & Literature
Description
In Kristin Hannah’s The Great Alone, a desperate family seeks a new beginning in the near-isolated wilderness of Alaska only to find that their unpredictable environment is less threatening than the erratic behavior found in human nature.
#1 New York Times Instant Bestseller (February 2018)
A People “Book of the Week”
Buzzfeed’s “Most Anticipated Women’s Fiction Reads of 2018”
Seattle Times’s “Books to Look Forward to in 2018”
Alaska, 1974. Ernt Allbright came home from the Vietnam War a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes the impulsive decision to move his wife and daughter north where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.
Cora will do anything for the man she loves, even if means following him into the unknown. Thirteen-year-old Leni, caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, has little choice but to go along, daring to hope this new land promises her family a better future.
In a wild, remote corner of Alaska, the Allbrights 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 newcomers’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources.
But as winter approaches and darkness descends, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates. 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.
Reviews
Just a dope author
5By BoobysmooveNightingale was the first novel I read from Kristin Hannah and was blown away. So I tried this new title, the Great Alone, and I was blown away again. In my opinion, she’s terrific at pulling you into the story. You see, hear and smell the world she’s written with the images she leads you to conjure. She makes it so easy to relate to her characters, because they’ve been created in such vivid and disturbingly realistic detail. I look forward to reading her entire catalogue. She’s dope.I want to go to Alaska!
5By A weird sisterTerrific novel, very hard to put down. I will recommend this to everyone I know who reads. Loved this book.The Great Alone
1By MT ReviewsI’m not sure this book deserves one star. The characters are underdeveloped stereotypes and the storyline is trite. A waste of time and talent.Alaska
4By tandybI loved this book and the story of Alaska.....Kristin Hannah is a very descriptive writer in that you can visualize her words so much, you get lost in them. Her best is The Nightingale, probably my favorite book ever. This is a great read.Cliche.
1By clichehorrorI really wanted to like this book. I love anything to do with rural Alaska living. But all of the characters are basically one dimensional caricatures out of a poorly written soap opera. No one is believable or likable, or has any depth. Every problem is solved by deus ex machina. The father, who is the villain, is monstrous because he is a war veteran suffering from PTSD. It is an extremely poor, misguided, and even offensive representation of PTSD. There is no depth beyond that. He has PTSD, and thus he is Bad. We are TOLD that he was once a kind, loving man, but that is never brought forth in the writing and we are just expected to believe it because that is what we are told, and War made him evil. His actions just more and more ridiculous and unbelievable as the story goes on. Overall, this wasn’t a good read. I started skipping through by the end just to see what happens because I was no longer invested in the story or the writing.Doesn’t live up to the hype.
3By summer reader 79I really wanted to like this book, but it was disappointing. While some of the descriptions of scenery and people are engaging and evocative, the writing feels really flat overall — characters are one dimensional, plot developments are predictable, and complex problems and situations are resolved simplistically and unrealistically. I continued reading because I wanted to hear the ending, but the writing often distracted me from enjoying the book.Life’s too short for this ridiculous book
1By EK reviewsMediocre writing, little to no character development, relentlessly brutal and depressing. Such a disappointment. I stuck with it at first because of the allure that it might get better - and it was neat to get a glimpse of life in rural Alaska - but overall it was absolutely not worth the time. Find another book!Had to break up with this book
1By AnnaLeeHardingI wanted to love this book. I’ve read a few other books by this author and enjoyed them. She clearly has a gift for describing life in Alaska, as she had lived there and the story echoes some of her upbringing. However...it drones on and on...and on...I couldn’t bear to read more about the alcoholic father whose tantrums progressed into destroying everything around him. I found myself dreading the read...which isn’t the point of reading for me. I quit the book a few times. I eventually made it to the midway point and finally got tired of the story. All the wilderness details couldn’t save it for me. I just assumed the father would self-destruct, karma would have its way with him-blah blah...I won’t spoil it for you but you can see the ending coming from about chapter 3. Out of curiosity...I read the final chapter...and sure enough, my predictions were correct. I’m glad I didn’t waste more of my life muddling through the muckity -muck of it.Deep and moving
5By CarriokiWell written and a great story and a great read! I recommend it!Hoping for adventure
2By Rosaki1113Gah! I usually love books about people adventuring into far flung places. Sadly, this book read like the author imagining Alaska, not actually having ever been there. And then the loooong drawn out drama of the abusive Father. You just wanted it to be over! I dragged myself through the last half of the book, which just killed any enjoyment I got out of the first half.
