4.5 Stars

The Great Alone was a compelling read that I could hardly put down. The story of Leni Allbright's coming of age under rugged, almost unimaginably challenging conditions in a remote area of Alaska was often painful to read. Her father Ernt, a Vietnam War veteran who had been held as a prisoner of war, is a deeply broken and violent man. Everything Ernt touches seems to wither and that includes his family relationships. Leni is raised to tread lightly around Ernt and to avoid triggering his episodes of paranoia and violence. Her mother Cora is deeply enmeshed in the violent marital relationship. The book was often excruciating to read given my years of experience in the child welfare sector and looking at how hard it is to get women to leave situations of domestic violence. At one point it looks like Ernt's violence will have stolen everything there is to take from Leni and Cora. The last quarter of the novel was truly harrowing.

This book is a powerful story about overcoming abuse and stunning losses and gives us a heroine that is both brave and loyal. The secondary characters are richly drawn, in particular, the ebullient Large Marge. My only quibble with the story was toward the end, with the criminal justice angle of things playing out as it did. I'm not sure I found it believable.

Kristin Hannah has given us another powerful story in which there are few easy answers but powerful women forging their path despite the challenges of their circumstances.

As my family was leaving Alaska, the Allbright family was arriving: Leni, 13 years old, Cora, who got pregnant and married at 16, and Ernt, the former POW who suffered from PTSD before it was acknowledged. As things are falling apart for the Allbrights, Ernt's behaviour problems causing him to be fired from another job and he begins to take it out on Cora, they find out he has been left a homestead by a former military buddy. So off they go to the great alone. But they found a much different Alaska than the one I lived in. I had a multi-room schoolhouse, indoor plumbing, a supermarket, and even an indoor pool at the local YMCA. Leni had an outhouse, one room schoolhouse, an abusive father, and Matt. (I'd like to mention that we both had Chilkoot Charlies! Because kids were always welcome in bars.) I would say reading this book was like watching a train wreck: you know it is going to be bad, really bad, but you can't look away. Thankfully, unlike a train wreck, Ms. Hannah is able to infuse optimism and joy into a story that could have remained as dark as an Alaskan winter. Though at times I found the book to have the feel of a YA book due to Leni being the central character, I found myself wanting to read just one more chapter, just one more page. I needed to know what was going to happen! You can't get better than that!

The Great Alone is another magnificent, compelling read by Kristin Hannah. This is truly a masterpiece follow-up to The Nightingale, which is her book that made me an immediate fan of her fabulous storytelling skills.

Hannah’s evocative and striking portrayal of a struggling family begins in 1974. Ernt Allbright has returned after years of being a POW in Vietnam a much different man-he’s restless, agitated, difficult, violent, and often suffers flashbacks and nightmares. PTSD was not diagnosed back then, but Ernt suffered from it and it began to destroy his life. Because of his PTSD, he’s had trouble keeping a job and has moved his family around a lot the past few years, so much so that Leni, his 13-year-old daughter has attended five different schools in four years. Leni longs for stability and wishes she could remember more of the laughing, smiling dad that he was before Vietnam. When Ernst finds out he’s inherited a cabin and property in the untamed frontier of Kaneq, Alaska from a fallen Army buddy in Vietnam, he swears that this is the answer to all their problems and begs his wife Cora to make the move. Ernt says living off the land, being free of pressures, having their own place, and living in a place where he can breathe again will change him and make things go back to the way they were before the war. Cora is a woman who will do anything for the man that she loves even if it means moving to the ends of the earth or the Great Alone no matter what the sacrifice or consequence.

When the family arrives in Alaska, things are not at all how they imagined since it’s a tiny, rundown cabin, no running water, no electricity, and they are completely unprepared for winter that will be coming sooner than they expect. Winter they immediately realize is a TREMENDOUS deal in Alaska and if you aren’t prepared for the days in almost total darkness, then you won’t survive. Thankfully, the community in Kaneq is welcoming, helpful, and do all they can to get them prepared for the upcoming long days and darkness of winter. Yet, Cora and Leni soon realize during their first winter that it isn’t the Alaskan winter that they need to fear but Ernt as the long winter nights worsen his already fragile mental state. Their home becomes a place of worsening domestic abuse, and the two women realize they have only each other if they want to survive.

This novel will grip you from the beginning to the end! I stayed up two nights in a row reading it until after 1 am, which is something I’ve not done in a long time since I’ve been forcing myself to sleep. No, this book put sleep way down on the list of priorities! It not only has fantastic major characters but minor ones too, and I adore the in-depth characterizations by Hannah; she always has such phenomenal characters! Large Marge is one of my favorite characters in the book, and I think she had one of the best lines when she warns “Alaska herself can be Sleeping Beauty one minute and a bitch with a sawed-off shotgun the next. There’s a saying: Up here you can make one mistake. The second one will kill you.” The description of Alaska as both Sleeping Beauty and a bitch with a sawed-off shotgun could not be more suitable based on Hannah’s description of the gorgeous landscape that is at the same time raw, untamed, bitter;y cold, and deadly, and that describes the Alaskan people in this community perfectly as well.

While this book is about the Allbright family, it is more a story about Leni, her coming of age, her bond with her mother, how she is shaped by all the tragedies she endures, and how she finds her true self in the end. It’s also a love story and a story about faith and possibilities. It is an exceptionally poignant novel that is beautifully written, engrossing, and captivating. Heartbreaking and stunning. It is a superb read by a magnificent author that I HIGHLY recommend.

**Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Kristin Hannah for an ARC copy in exchange for my fair and honest review. **

Although it took me a little while to get into this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it in the end. Reading a book set in the Alaskan wilderness in the 1970s was a pleasant and interesting change for me., as I have not read many (or any?) books with this kind of backdrop. I definitely will recommend this to patrons at my library. That being said, I won't have to work too hard as our patrons will jump when I tell them this is from the author of The Nightingale.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah is a gripping, raw, moving story. Hannah expertly weaves a tale that depicts the plight of Vietnam vets, the plight of domestic violence, and the basic instinct of survival. The backdrop of this story is the breathtaking beauty of Alaska, and the pioneer spirit in those who live there.

Leni is the focus of Hannah's story. As the novel opens, she is a young teenager who has trouble making new friends and fitting in at school. She craves her father's acceptance and love, and her closest relationship is with her mother, Cora. Hannah follows Leni from early adolescent, through her mid-twenties. This family, and in particular, Leni, faces overwhelming obstacles at every turn, and must fight to survive, and dare to dream.

You can't help but hope with this family. There was one scene that was building in intensity, and I actually had to set the book aside for a while to prepare myself to read it. I had a suspicion of what was about to happen, and it was too much to handle after other intense scenes. This echoed Lena's feelings and concerns.

The writing style in this book grabs you from the first page. Instead of enduring page after page of heavy description of Alaska's landscape, readers will watch the scenes unveiled and experience the beauty along with the character. Along with the rich description, the writing voice is compelling, and emotional. I couldn't read it fast enough!

If you are already a fan of Kristin Hannah's writing (as I am), you will not be disappointed. And if you have never read one of her books, you will find a new favorite author. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. These thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a story that combines the elements of love, family, friendship, endurance, resilience and survival.

Ernt was drafted to go to the Vietnam War. When he returned he was a different person. He had trouble keeping a job, he drank too much and angered easily. He had troubles making ends meet for him and his family. One of his former military friends left Ernt his home and property in Alaska. Ernt felt this was the fresh start he needed. Ernt moved his family from a Seattle suburb to Kaneq, Alaska.

When they moved to Alaska they learned quickly the many hidden dangers of Alaska. With help from local townspeople and neighbors they learned what it would take to survive in this wondrous wild. Cora, Ernt's petite wife learned a toughness she didn't know she had. Leni, their 12 year-old daughter, learned survival skills most adults don't know. They were taught to always be prepared as any mistake could kill you. Leni also learned the true meaning of friendship, something she had never had before.

Over the span of decades you learn how the lives of Ernt, Cora and Leni are shaped by the Alaskan way of life during a tumultuous time. A remarkable story about determination and how resilient a person can be even in the most difficult of situations. A remarkable book!

Kristin Hannah does it again! She has written another stupendous book. I LOVED Leni and Large Marge. Her descriptions of Alaska Bush life are vivid and I felt like I was there. Hurry and read this one!

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin Publisher, and Kristin Hannah for a free advanced copy (e-book) in exchange for an honest review.

In 1974, Lenora “Leni” Allbright is thirteen years old and lives in Seattle. Leni’s parents fell in love at a young age. Her mother came from wealthy parents but moved out of the house after becoming pregnant with her. Her dad, Ernt, has come back from the Vietnam War after being a POW and cannot keep a job because of his temper. He is not the same person as he was before the war. Ernt now has anger problems, paranoia, and nightmares (what we now call PTSD). When he gets angry, he will often hit his wife, Cora. She blames the beatings on herself and says it is her fault. She often says she wishes Leni knew him before the war when Ernt was different.

Leni comes home from school and learns they are moving once again. This time to Kenaq, Alaska. One of Ernt’s friends from the war has left him some property and small home in Alaska. When they get there they find a cabin with no electricity and no indoor plumbing (they have an outhouse). They meet a few interesting people in Alaska including Large Marge (a former lawyer from DC), Mad Earl, and Crazy Pete. They all help the family to prepare for the harsh upcoming winter by teaching them to hunt, fish, build a greenhouse to grow food, etc. They also warn them of the upcoming cold, dark winter called “The Great Alone” which can make people bat S@#* crazy.

At first, everything seems to be going great. Leni has enrolled in the one room school and made a friend with Matthew who is her age. Ernt seems happy and does not have any of his “spells”. The winter months start becoming darker. This seems to make his moods bad again. Cora and Leni try to do everything possible to make him happy. It does not help that he is drinking heavily with his friends. Ernt then has a falling out with Matt’s father, Tom. Tom’s grandfather colonized the area years before and is the rich man in town. Ernt takes an instant dislike to Tom and tries to divide the town apart after Tom wants to start modernizing the area. Of course, this make Ernt make angrier and makes his problems worse. Can they survive the harsh Alaskan winter?

The Great Alone is the latest book by Kristin Hannah. It is told by Leni at ages 13, 18, and 28. You hope the best of Leni and want to see her have a happy ending. It is a coming of age book. It deals with topics such as PTSD, domestic abuse, first love, etc. It is a fast paced book, but a little predictable in parts. Hannah does a great job of not sugar coating the domestic abuse. It is a little hard to read, but it does happen. I am looking forward to discussing the book with my book club in March. It is being released on February 6th. 4.5 stars.

COMPELLING!

Alaska, 1974. This is not a place for those who aren’t prepared for the unpredictable. There is a family on the run from civilization because the father is suffering from PTSD after being a POW in Vietnam Nam. The mother is so blinded by love she will suffer through years of abuse. Their thirteen year old daughter has been forced to witness far too much in her young life. The Great Alone is story of this fragile family inserting itself in one of the harshest environments on earth. Can they possibly learn everything they need to know from the locals and be prepared for the unbelievable severity of the seemingly non-ending winter? Will they be able to protect themselves from the terrors on the outside? What about the terror in the inside? This novel is an unforgettable story that deals with characters in - codependent relationships that are deadly destructive, real love, true friendships that stand the tests of time and circumstances and familial love that overcomes all manner of obstacles. Compelling from start to finish! I was provided an ARC of this book by the Publisher and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

THE GREAT ALONE was my introduction to Kristin Hannah's writing and I was honestly not a very big fan. This book really seemed to drag and had one character in particular that I wanted to disappear. The setting – mid to late 1970's Alaska (also known as the Great Alone) - was presented in detail and I did like reading about the difficulties of surviving as I imagined the especially long winters. Hannah deftly showed that the Allbright family at the center of this story, teenage daughter Leni, her Mother Cora and father Ernt, a former POW, did have to adjust to the environment. Unfortunately, Ernt had so many anger issues, plus self-centeredness and long-seated insecurity, that he caused problems and friction that could easily have been avoided. I would have preferred to read more about Leni and her journey of self-discovery, but I gave up before finishing this 440 page book. Maybe I will return to it at some point, especially since both Kirkus and Publishers Weekly gave THE GREAT ALONE starred reviews.

This book offered a unique look in life in the Alaskan wild in the 1970 and weaves fascinating story through many years. It is really a look at a family and the dynamics of a family and the effects of war.

Every aspect of this book is masterful.

I did not read “The Nightingale”. Call it a rebellious streak but I tend to favor books without popular names and massive marketing behind them. Seeing over a thousand reviews usually turns me off. However, I am a big fan of St. Martin’s Press and agreed to review this book anyway.

And boy, wasn’t I just a judgmental stick in the mud! “The Great Alone” is a challenging and beautiful book. I fell in love with Leni, with Alaska through her eyes, with her desperation to become strong in a world that wanted her to be meek and submissive. Just a few pages into the book, Cora turns to her daughter Leni after attempting to get a credit card (and being rejected for not having her husband or father as a cosigner in 1974) and says “It’s a man’s world, baby girl.” That line is one of the major themes of the book.

Leni, and her battered mother Cora, are pushed along by Ernst is every way as he physically relocates them to Alaska on a whim and emotionally isolates and terrorizes them at every turn. Like Cora, I tried to make concessions for Ernst with his experience as a POW and obviously advanced mental illness. But, in the end, I hated him passionately. I hated the life that he subjected his wife and daughter to with more force than I have felt for a fictional character in a long time. But on the flip side, I was rooting so hard for Leni the whole time. I desperately wanted her to find that good place she deserved and I worried often if she would.

The characters grow in this book. It’s wonderful to watch how they change organically with the situations around them. I thought the romance bits (the toxic and the healthy) were good additions to the story. I appreciate that they are different people after the passage of time in the book because it makes them more realistic and understandable.

The pacing is fantastic. There is this brooding, gnawing feeling that something bad is coming. You know what it will be but that doesn’t lessen the tension because the reader is always questioning, “Is this it? Are these the circumstances?” I loved that. The writing is so beautiful though that it breaks through that tension at time and leaves you in awe of the other main character in the book: Alaska herself.

This book has so much to say, particularly concerning mental illness and domestic violence. Hannah handles both with care and honesty so I hope this book add to those conversations. Wonderful read that deserves a perfect rating.

Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher St. Martin’s Press, and the author Kristin Hannah for the opportunity to do so.

The novel was a compelling but difficult read. Brutal domestic violence and Leni's mother's willingness to tolerate it because of the great love/lust between the couple was believable. However, t was hard to feel empathy for Cora when she put her needs above her daughter's on such a frequent basis.

First 5 Star review of 2018 for me, and I honestly don't think anything will top this for a long time. I adored The Nightingale, and this follow up was just as good if not better. Kristin Hannah is so skilled at weaving an epic tale full of love, loss, redemption, friendship, and retribution. This book sucked me in from the very beginning and never let me go--Leni's story was engaging from the start, and her growth from a young girl into a woman was an incredible saga to read. Definitely have a book hangover from this one--Kristin, write another one quick!!!

I loved this book by Kristen Hannah! From the well rounded characters that you can't help but root for to a taste of life in Alaska. I stayed up too late many nights reading this.

*ARC provided by NetGalley

Again - thank you to NetGalley for this Advanced copy of Kristin Hannah's next book. And knock it out of the park she did, again.
Really could not put this one down - such a great story of a very poor family trying to make it in far-away Alaska, after so many failures.
You will LOVE this book, no doubt about it! Thank you Kristin, again - and what is next?

The Great Alone could be the best book of 2018. Kristin Hannah's new novel is a masterpiece. It's hard to believe she could follow up The Nightingale with something equally amazing, but she did. Thanks to St Martin's Press for the ARC. The story begins in 1974 when we meet Leni, a friendless junior high girl that has attended five schools in four years. Her father, Ernt, fought in Vietnam and has anger issues. Her mother, Cora, is deeply in love with Ernt but also afraid of him. When Ernt unexpectedly inherits land in Alaska the family moves again. Leni and Cora hope that a new life in Alaska will be the salve Ernt desperately needs. Unfortunately the challenges of living in Alaska are many and they seem to fuel Ernt's anger. In Alaska Leni makes friends that offer their support in dealing with her dysfunctional family and dangerous father. Hannah has created a story that is suspenseful and full of fascinating characters. She makes the reader understand that living in Alaska is full of beauty-and danger.

I received this from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

Only 13, Leni has been bounced around from school to school. Her dad's war buddy left him property in Alaska so they move there and start their lives over - again. We follow Leni through her teen-age years with an abusive out of control dad, and a mother who wants what he wants.

This is a fantastic saga and a must read in 2018.

4 enthusiast stars