Kristin Hannah is back with The Great Alone, her first book since 2015’s hit, The Nightingale. Set in 1970s Alaska, The Great Alone is my second Hannah book. I read The Nightingale, and while I enjoyed it, I couldn’t help but wonder what all the fuss was about. I gave it 4 stars – to me, it was slightly better than average, but it wasn’t thebestbookI’deverread. Regardless, the synopsis for The Great Alone intrigued me enough to pick it up, and since I’d liked The Nightingale, I figured I was in for a pretty good read.

And as it turned out, I did enjoy The Great Alone, but it took a REALLY long time to get there. Like….half the book long time. I’ll be honest and admit to nearly abandoning it after I’d read roughly 100 pages. But, I kept going, and eventually fell into the rhythm of the story.

Unlike The Nightingale, The Great Alone is a rather….slow?...story. It’s much more about the characters than it is about any kind of story. In general, The Great Alone is like watching through the window as the Allbright family moves to Alaska and then learns how to survive there. The tension comes, surprisingly, not from Alaska, but from the abuse Leni and her mother suffer at the hands of her father. For me, that was kind of a turn off…I would much rather have read about them fighting off bears than fighting off an abusive father with PTSD.

And that was another thing that bugged me – the characters, Ernt in particular, lacked the depth necessary to care about them. Everything felt like it was on the surface, and that I was supposed to take Leni’s love for her mother at face value just because Kristin Hannah told me it was there. I also loathed the all-consuming descriptions of love both Leni and her mother had for their men. I think Hannah was trying to show the conflicting emotions abuse survivors go through, but to me, it just felt overdramatic.

What I did like, though, were the glimpses we got of life in Alaska, and the pioneer spirit exhibited by the townspeople of Kaneq. The interactions Leni has with Large Marge, Tom, and the rest of the crew really drives home the idea that family isn’t always blood. That, I think, is The Great Alone’s biggest strength – it shows that even when you think you’re alone and helpless, there are people around you who want to help.

Well, unless you’re an abusive husband, that is.

The book is narrated by the family's very insightful daughter beginning when she was 13 years old and continuing into her 20s.. It is primarily set in an off the grid outpost in Alaska. I really enjoy novels where I can learn about someplace new (or old) and how people live in different cultures and environments. Great complex characters in this story. As soon as you think you understand them, you learn more and see they are all very multi-dimensional. There are many difficult topics woven throughout the novel and I thought they were handled extremely well. Great read on a cold day in front of a warm fireplace.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an early release of this book in trade for an honest review.

I knew it would be difficult to follow up the success of Nightingale but Kristin Hannah did it. The Great Alone tells the story of the Allbright family who move to Alaska in 1974. Ernt Allbright is a Vietnam vet with a darkside who decides to move his family to Alaska in the hopes that it will save them. Leni and her mother Cora agree and hope for the best. Their life there is not easy but it turns them into survivors. It becomes their home. In a way, Alaska does save them.

Like Nightingale, I couldn't put this down. The descriptions of Alaska and the wildness of it make it feels as if you are there. It made me want to go to Alaska. Hannah is able to tell a complicated story of love, loss, and resiliency so beautifully that you get lost in it. The love between a mother and child, and the lasting bond between two people who are truly, madly in love can never be broken or fade. While Leni's parents had a dysfunctional love affair, they were in the end, in love. Leni comes to learn that you don't forget your first love and that love will never leave you, but sometimes you must leave it.

It also shines a light on an important problem that many returning soldiers face. How do you come home after living through war, reconcile with your family and return to life? Is there ever hope for someone who is so broken? Can you love someone enough to save them?

I have now read 3 of Hannah's novels. The one common thread seems to be strong women, who survive at all costs. This story certainly has that and more. I highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC for Review.

Those of you not familiar with Kristin Hannah should become acquainted with one of the great authors of our time. She cranks out best sellers constantly and I haven’t come across a clinker yet. “The Great Alone” is one of her best, full of relationships that resonate and locations that are beautifully recreated.

The story is a strong one about life that seems so promising, then evolves into distressing confrontation, and finally gets reestablished as a time of hope and discovery. Sure, that’s not a new concept, but Hannah juggles it into one that has fresh eyes.

Set in Alaska in the early 1970s, a father, mother, and teen-age daughter arrives in a decrepit town of has-beens, wanna-bes, and never-weres. Escalating bad times drives them there and the father, who suffers from PTSD, seems to descend deeper into the visions of his violent past. The rough community near Homer, with struggles of its own, is not a good fit for this family and the father starts to exhibit an increasing violent temper that flares into periodic vicious physical abuse on his wife that eventually extends to his daughter.

The tiny town generates friendships on its own terms and feuds can build quickly. The father gets crossways with the town icon and his hatred grows as he senses some hidden feelings between his wife and the patron. Along the way the daughter develops a love for the rich guy’s son resulting in an unfortunate pregnancy. Both the wife and daughter receive horrific beatings.

Hannah does a great job of building this conflict with credible circumstances and realistic characters. The crackling dialogue keeps the reader involved with the emerging story, sparking almost fanatical attention. It takes something like a family emergency to get the reader to put the book away. My only less-than-favorable comment involves the way the two women handle a crucial situation. In my opinion it is not realistically contrived and unnecessary steps are taken to resolve it. But it is Hannah’s story and done the way she envisioned it.

This is a great reading club selection with countless opportunities for serious discussions. Don’t miss it.

Another amazing read by Kristin Hannah. Her books always just soothe the soul. They give you a little something you didn’t even know you needed! Pick a comfy spot, grab a warm tea and get lost in this story. After reading this I definitely want to make my way to Alaska one day!

Loved this story! I was sucked in from the start and tried reading slowly so it wouldn't end. I didn’t want to let go of these characters. It is a novel filled with deep, complex characters, adventure, heartbreak, gritty, hard truths of life and love. I was already a fan of Kristin Hannah, but I feel this is one of her best.

“In Alaska, you can make one mistake. One. The second will kill you.”

A solid 4.5 stars. For many readers, they first fell in love with Kristin Hannah by reading The Nightingale. I encourage you to avoid the temptation to compare the two. They are distinctly different novels. What remains consistent is a strong, well-paced story with engaging characters.

The story is told in three parts, 1984, 1978 and 1986, on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. The brutal landscape of Alaska is certainly a character all its own. Hannah does a remarkable job of not only conveying the scenery of the wilds of Alaska, but also the dangers of living on the land, off the grid.

This is a story about survival – mental and physical survival. Themes of abuse, community, and love and the impact of choices are woven throughout. I was engrossed by this book and while I had a hard time putting it down, I also wanted to savor the experience.

This was one of my favorite books of the past few months. I truly felt the loneliness and helplessness of the characters situations. My heart broke at certain scenes, but I always kept hope for the best. It was truly a well-written novel that I will remember and recommend for quite some time.

I almost quit reading, even though I loved the characters (except a few!) and the beautiful descriptions of Alaska. I just couldn't take much more for poor Cora. But I'm so happy I did, it's a great heartwarming and heartbreaking story!

Wow. Not since ... oh wait... not since the last Kristin Hannah book I read... have I been so tempted to cheat and peek at the last page of the book. Really, I'm a real adult now, I don't do that to myself any more, but oh.... the temptation. Another outstanding book that tackles some tough subjects. There were times I held my breath, times I couldn't read fast enough, sections I read repeatedly, just to savor the visuals.

The Great Alone was full of drama, pulling on the heartstrings in nearly every way. The storyline was full of ups and downs for sure, and hit close to home for me in more ways than one. I found the novel very well-written and obviously well researched. Hannah's ability to put the reader IN Alaska, feeling the environment, hearing the sounds, appreciating the wildness, was amazing. Parts of the plot felt rushed and undeveloped, and parts felt overly drawn out, leaving me wondering why so much effort was spent in places.

It was difficult to put this book down, especially in the last few chapters. But these same chapters felt rushed and incomplete by the time I finished the novel. For this reason, I would rate it 3 1/2 stars.

When I reached the Afterword, I wasn't the least bit surprised to read about the author's personal connection to Alaska, and I also wondered how much the parents in the novel were similar to the author's. This is a fairly easy read. I'm not sure if this book will be marketed as YA or adult, but I'm certain teens and adults will enjoy this book. If I were reviewing this as YA, I could see recommending this book for YA lit classes because it will interest both genders. For adults, I'm thinking fans of Lifetime will be most involved with this family drama.

Kristin Hannah follows her brilliant The Nightingale with The Great Alone and it is a worthy but very different successor.

The Allbright family is struggling due to Ernt's volatile anger resulting from his Vietnam experiences. In an effort to leave the past behind, they pack up and move to a remote village near Homer, AK. They are truly an example of "you don't know what you don't know", as they occupy their cabin and used their rapidly dwindling meager funds to get set up for the approaching winter. The grass is never greener on the other side and their problems follow them into their new life.

This quote describes 17-year-old daughter, Leni, as she tries to make a safe place for herself:
"If you knew me , you wouldn’t be surprised at all that I start my college essay off with a quote from Tolkien. Books are the mile markers of my life. Some people have family photos or home movies to record their past. I’ve got books. Characters. For as long I can remember, books have been my safe place . I read about places I can barely imagine and lose myself in journeys to foreign lands to save girls who didn’t know they were really princesses."

Full of harrowing experiences (trigger warning) and lots of warm and endearing characters. You have to jump in and take the journey to learn what happens in this family drama.

Loved everything about it - great characters, story line and location. Looking forward to recommend it to our customers.

The Great Alone, a remarkable family drama, is the latest novel from Kristin Hannah, author of The Nightingale. In 1974, thirteen-year old Leni Allbright’s father has just returned to the U.S. after six torturous years as a Vietnam POW. Ernt inherits a small cabin in off-the-grid Alaska, and moves his wife Cora and daughter there for a fresh start. But the Allbright family is woefully unprepared for the upcoming Alaskan winter, and the months of darkness reveal a darkness within Ernt. Leni, for her part, embraces life in tiny Kaneq, attending a one-room schoolhouse and finding a friend in Matthew Walker, a third-generation Alaskan. Hannah lovingly unspools the years, interweaving Leni’s coming-of-age with her parents’ passionate but violent marriage. Several fraught survival scenes remind readers of the many ways to perish in Alaska, but finding out what happens to the inimitable Leni (and her beloved mother Cora) is what truly keeps those pages turning. Readers will hate to see this crossover novel come to an end!

What do you do for an encore after writing the critically acclaimed and incredibly popular novel The Nightingale? Considered by many to be her career defining work, The Nightingale is destined to become a literary classic sitting beside Gone With The Wind and The Thorn Birds. Surely anything that follows cannot possibly live up to such a high bar-but don't tell that to Kristin Hannah. Nearly three years after the publication of The Nightingale, Ms. Hannah returns with The Great Alone-another dynamic, magnificently written and poignant novel that will quickly earn a spot next to its beloved predecessor. Set in the mid 1970's, The Great Alone tells the story of the Allbright's-a family lead by a tormented man desperately trying to outrun the nightmare of his years spent as a Vietnam POW. In an attempt to leave his demons behind, Ernt moves his wife and daughter from Seattle to a virtually uninhabited part of Alaska after inheriting the land from a buddy who did not return from the war. In Alaska Ernt, his wife Cora and daughter Leni live in a ramshackled cabin with no electricity or running water. But buoyed by the towering mountains and crystal clear waters they can see from their front door, the Allbright's are determined to make this their home. Living among a handful of "homesteaders"-people who left civilization behind for the untamed beauty that is Alaska-Ernt believes he has finally found the peace that has eluded him for years. But while there's danger lurking in every corner-from the bone chilling cold that can break even the strongest of men, to the bears and coyotes vying with the Allbright's for the food they've stored for the winter-Cora and Leni sadly learn their greatest threat comes from the man beside them. If you've been to Alaska The Great Alone brings you back in spectacularly vivid fashion-if you haven't this is the best introduction you can ever imagine. Kristin Hannah's words flow with the same fierceness as the creeks and rivers rolling through the landscape, and her characters are as fragile as the sunlight that stutters from the sky. The Great Alone is beautiful, brilliant and beguiling-just like the land that inspired it.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the free review copy of this novel. All opinions are my own. 

This book gripped me from the very first page until the very last. It was beautiful, heartbreaking, and wonderful. This book gave me all the feels - I laughed, cried, loved, and lost with these characters. While reading this book, I wasn't sitting in my living room, I was in Alaska with Leni and her family. This book is challenging to get through at times. It will make you look at how far the care for veterans has come. 

Hannah is able to take things that seem like they wouldn't work - Vietnam veteran moving his family to Alaska in a VW bus - and makes the plot so believable and realistic. Her vivid language helped to put the reader in Alaska between the mountains and lakes. She showed how people survived during the cold winters. Not only does she show the Alaskan experience, she also shows how the family unit can function in this 'great alone.'  

I don't want to give too much away about this novel, but you should know this: reading this book will make you think deeply. It will frustrate you, but it is worth it in the best ways. This book releases on February 6, 2018. Go pre-order it now; you won't regret it.

I'm apparently in the minority, but I just couldn't finish this book. It is so dark and disturbing. The author does have a sense of place and also an understanding about PTSD and domestic abuse.

I loved this book. Ernt, Cora, and Leni Allbright leave the lower 48 to embark on an Alaskan adventure in 1974. It follows their family as they strive for a fresh start after the Vietnam War and try to adapt to a life in the brush. Kristin Hannah creates a world and an experience through her storytelling that is so vivid and clear, you feel as if you are there with the characters. Leni grew throughout the story and you could feel the turmoil and angst she experienced daily. I was so frustrated with Cora and her inability to act or take help, but understood why she didn't. I even felt horribly for Ernt and how he was left adrift after his world was shattered in the war. As a reader, I understood his mental anguish but hated his actions. It was his actions that initially divided a community and then ultimately, brought them all back together. It was such a sad and great story.

I really liked how this book showcased the strength of women and the strength of their bonds together. I also liked how it showed the good in a community when there was so much that was dark and ugly. Hannah described the beauty and the harsh reality of living in Alaska in a gripping and captivating story that I just couldn't put down.

**ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah is the story of Lenora “Leni” Allbright and her life in the Alaska wilderness. The story opens in 1974, Leni is 13 years old and her parents, Ernt and Coraline “Cora” Allbright are fighting. Her dad is a Vietnam vet and POW who has had a hard time adjusting to life after the war and has lost another job. Things look bleak until a letter arrives which offers the family a new start in Alaska. While life is hard as they learn to live in the wilderness, they are helped by their neighbors, Large Marge, who runs the local grocery story, and The Walker family, whose son, Matthew, is the same age as Leni. Through trial and error, the family learns to live in their new home. However, her father’s demons has seemed to follow them to Alaska and with the darkness and isolation of Alaska wilderness, Leni must learn to fight back and trust her instincts.
The Great Alone is another amazing story by Ms. Hannah. It has heartbreaking drama, love and hopes for survival. The story immediately pulls you in by Leni’s narration. The reader will laugh with her, cry with her and feel her fear as it grips the heart. It is a page turner as you cannot wait to see if she survives. Ms. Hannah’s descriptions of the Alaska wilderness and its cold winters are so vivid, you can almost feel the icy wind. Behind the stunning beauty of Alaska, there is a harshness that very few learn to survive. I highly, highly recommend The Great Alone.

The Great Alone
will be available February 6, 2018
in hardcover and eBook