This is an emotional, heart wrenching read I couldn’t put down. Beauty, pain and sorrow mixed with so much love. I wondered if I would read anything as powerful as The Nightingale was to me......I just did.

Lena Allbright’s father, Ernt, is a Viet Nam vet who survived four years of hell as a POW. He returned a totally different person. Couldn’t keep a job, terrible mood swings, could never sleep. Her mom Cora, tried everything she could to keep life normal for Leni, despite constantly moving, changing schools and witnessing her father’s bursts of anger. The year is 1974. Finding out he has been left a plot of land in Lands End, Alaska has given Ernt new life and a lot of fear for Cora and Leni. But, they go.

It was a cabin, more like a shack, literally at lands end. Her father was ecstatic. The closest town was Kaneq, there were shops, a one room school and wonderful people who welcomed them, and began to help immediately. They were warned repeatedly that this was the time to prepare for winter, it would be worse than they could even imagine. They did their best. Lena made her first friend at school, his name was Matthew and he was 13 years old also. They survived their first winter, and learned a lot more to survive the next. The years went by, Ernt became a follower of a local Doomsday group, preparing for war, or the end of the world, extremely militant. It made Cora and Leni that much more nervous, but life entered a pattern that seemed to work. When Leni turned 18, she and Matthew had grown up and into a relationship that was much more serious than friends. They were planning a life together and Leni was going off to the University of Anchorage on scholarship. But more frequently now Ernt was taking out his anger on Cora, viciously. She always accepted his tearful begging for forgiveness, but Leni had lost patience. Her love for Matthew was the only thing that kept her going. Then, tragedy struck, her life plans were shattered, and she and her Mom had to find a way to survive.

Mixed with this emotional rollercoaster, the beauty of Alaska is painted for us by Ms. Hannah. The bitter cold of winter and darkness, contrasting with the never ending sun of summer. This is one of those books I will reread and get even more entertainment from. I have recommended it to many friends, and can only give it the highest praise.

I thank the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book for review.

Pat Fordyce

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Kristin Hannah for the opportunity to read and review her latest work - it is fabulous! I'm a huge fan of Kristin Hannah's work and this will not disappoint.

Set in the early 1970s, this was a time when women couldn't get their own credit card without their husband's permission and domestic abuse was swept under the rug. The Allbright family is always just scraping by - Ernt is a former POW in the Vietnam War and came back with what would now be diagnosed as PTSD - nightmares, violent attacks, unable to hold a job. His wife Cora is still in love with the Ernt of Before and says that he is sick and you don't abandon someone if they are sick. Daughter Leni is used to switching schools and constantly moving. Ernt eventually moves them to Alaska - the Alaska that is so remote and beautiful but very inhospitable, especially to those unprepared for its own cruelties. With the help of the close-knit community, the Allbrights start figuring out how to survive. However, the long winters of almost all day darkness make Ernt worse. Cora and Leni have to learn to navigate him and their new world.

This is the story of powerful strong women who roll up their shirtsleeves and do what needs to be done. It's the story of love - and all the different forms that takes. Hannah's beautiful writing literally transports you into the Alaskan wilderness where danger can come at any time but also speaks of a lifestyle that changes your soul.

Such an amazing book - highly recommended!

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Leni’s father was different before the war. At least, that’s what her mom Cora was always telling her. When Ernt came back from Vietnam he was a changed man. He had nightmares and was drinking all the time. The family moved from place to place. Then he got a letter from Alaska. One of the men he served with who was killed in Nam, had left him a plot of land and a home. This was the new beginning that Ernt had been looking for. But they weren’t in anyway prepared for the work Alaska would require. They would all have to learn how to hunt, how to protect themselves. What they couldn’t prepare for was how the winter would affect Ernt. How the worst of him would begin to show when the nights became longer and winter began to fall.

This book started off so good. It’s 1974 and the Allbright family are making their way to Alaska. The foreshadowing for disaster was strong and the tension was high. Everyone’s fears and the family secrets were put on display. What this story really began to focus on was the love between mother and daughter and the bond they shared. Leni and Cora found strength in each other while Ernt was at his most dangerous. Along the way they found a community. But for a while, this story wasn’t sure what it wanted to be. At moments I felt like I was reading a different reincarnation of Stephen King’s The Shining with Ernt’s character mirroring that of Jack Torrance. Instead of being stuck in a hotel they were stuck in the Alaskan Wilderness. At other points of the story I felt like I was reading a new version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet with two star-crossed lovers, defying the disagreements between their parents to be with each other. This story in its attempts to be unpredictable became disjointed in placed.

Another thing I have to mention is the obvious Native erasure. The area that Leni happened to be living in was somehow conspicuously missing any natives. All of the people that lived in this homestead where people escaping from the Outside, who came here to start a new. There was a Native school teacher who came to teach and that was about it. I also found it off that after living in Alaska for a few years, and learning survival skills, one can consider themselves an Alaskan. Is that all it takes? It also needs to be clear that this novel includes a lot of domestic violence both descriptive and disturbing. These were issues that I noticed that tugged at me continuously while reading.

I’ve read a few novels by Hannah and this was my least favorite. The writing was really well done with well developed characters and great world building. But this plot was a bit of a mess. This novel started off strong and just lost intensity over time. I kept reading because I became so invested in these characters that I had to know how their story would end. This was interesting because not as compelling and enjoyable as other novels by Hannah.

Among the beauty and dangers of Alaska, Lenore "Leni" and her parents move into a small cabin to start a new life off the grid. They are unprepared for the wild Alaskan environment will have on their family for not all danger comes from outside. Reading a book outside my usual genres can be a hit or miss situation, however this book captivated me from the start. It was not only about the toxic effects love can have but also an incredible portrayal of the untamed and unforgiving land of Alaska. I felt a kinship with Leni who turned to books to escape the everyday fragile atmosphere caused by her father's mental state. Although parts of this book infuriated me, the detailed descriptions of Alaska and its people reinforced my lifelong desire to visit the Last Frontier.

Love doesn’t fade or die,..

Kristin Hannah's novel The Great Alone is a compelling story of hope and love that doesn’t fade or die. Throughout this beautifully illustrated landscape a tragic story grows from the ashes and rebirths a new journey for Leni, the main character. The depth of the characters which built this small village to a strong family and community held my heart and tearfully cheered for their happiness and success. When you read this, have a box of tissues close at hand.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this novel,

Another engaging story by Hannah this one set in Alaska. Hannah is a great storyteller and a wonderful character writer but the setting here makes this story pop off the page. I am booking my Alaska cruise tomorrow (but I promise not to move there!).

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

It’s 1974 and the world is imploding. Watergate. Vietnam. Black panthers. Gas shortages. Protests. Revolutionaries. Kidnappings. Serial Killers. After receiving an unexpected inheritance, thirteen year old Leni and her parents, Cora and Ernt, move to rural Alaska. With no running water or electricity, the family work hard to make their house a home before winter sets in. As their friendly neighbor Large Marge says, winter “will cull the herd, and fast.”

Ernt has dark moods and nightmares since returning from Vietnam. The moods get darker in the long and frigid Alaskan winters. Cora takes the brunt of it. Leni dreams of a life for herself and her mom away from Ernt.

Seeing a family spiraling downwards into death and madness, The Great Alone puts the reader into an untenable situation along with Leni. Run away alone leaving her mother to her fate or fight the monster who used to be her loving father. This gripping thriller grabs the reader by the throat and causes their real life to be put on hold as they rush to read the conclusion. The Great Alone is highly recommended. Be warned! Starting this compelling novel at bedtime may reduce sleep time significantly.

Thanks to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

13-year-old Leni and her POW father and her hippie mama move to Alaska in 1973 to escape "the man", and hopefully help her dad heal. But Alaska is dark and brutal and beautiful. this book brings it to life in a way that I've never seen. fair warning: I spent at least the last 15% intermittently battling tears. This is not The Nightingale, but it is AMAZING. Highly recommended. I'd put this novel between the YA and coming of age genre. it has some tough domestic violence situations, for those that are triggered by such scenes.

I absolutely loved Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale as well as Winter Garden, so I was happy that her writing also fits quite well in a more modern time period. This book was absolutely incredible. At first, I just picked away it here and there, but then around the halfway mark I was all-in and I could not put it down. This is the case with her other books I've read too if you feel like the start is a bit slow. This story was wonderful: the setting was amazing, I fell in love with (some of) the characters, and the issues and tension in the book were SOOO intense. I can guarantee that this book will be buzzed about all year long and it is so well deserved. I need to go back and read her other books now.

Kristin Hannah has yet to disappoint me with a title and this one is definitely no exception. The story of Leni trying so desperately to live with what her POW father has become in the aftermath of the Vietnam War is a narrative that is, sadly, still relevant in today's world. Setting such a traumatic story against the beautiful yet isolated Alaska backdrop really drives home how helpless people can feel when faced with issues such as PTSD and domestic violence. The characters were well written and memorable and the scenery so incredibly described that I have found myself wanting to take a trip up there now. Heartbreaking yet hopeful book in the end.

The first Kristin Hannah book I ever read was at the recommendation of someone whose opinion I trust. She didn't steer me wrong. Since then, I have tried to make my way through more of her books. When I saw she had a new book out, a book set in Alaska, I had to add it to my list. I am so glad I did. Hannah writes in a way that makes you feel as if you are reading about some old friends. Whenever I finished, I was sad to leave them.

There are so many things I loved about Hannah's latest novel, The Great Alone. She once again proves what a talented writer she is.

Leni's father has PTSD since he returned home after being a POW during the Vietnam War. It is 1974. He can't hold a job; he has terrible nightmares and a terrible temper that he takes out on Leni's mother, Cora. When the opportunity arises for them to move to a very remote part of Alaska, they pack up their VW van and move, hoping for a better life. They are totally unprepared for the harshness of this place. And the long, brutal, dark winters only serve to make Leni's father worse.

With the help of the generous and knowledgeable townspeople, they learn to grow and hunt for food and how to preserve it for the long winter. They also learn to protect themselves from predators, like bears.

I loved the historical aspect. Leni was born the same year that I was. I could relate to all the references, political and cultural, to the 1970s. Although, I wasn't as tough as Leni!

I loved the Alaskan survival aspect. These people spent every waking moment during the long days of a very short summer working to stock up enough food for the winter. They had to tend animals and learn how to keep them alive during the winter. They had no running water or electricity. No indoor plumbing. Then they spent the long nights of winter trying to stay warm and safe. Hannah doesn't make this sound like a romantic Alaskan adventure. She's brutally honest.

I loved the family dynamic, and how the PTSD aspect played out. Leni's father, Ernt, is scary. And her mother loves him and can't live without him. It makes for a lot of tension. It is scary when they realize he's about to go off, and there is nothing they can do to protect themselves. Cora is stupid and blind. But she has memories of her husband before the war and can't let him go. He gets crazier and crazier, and Cora is more and more blinded. As a reader, you know that eventually, something has got to give.

I loved the romance. Leni falls in love with Matthew Walker whose dad is the rich guy in town, and of course, Ernt hates him. I won't say too much more, but it's heartbreaking.

I loved the ending. It's tragic. It's happy. It made me tear up (and, you may recall, I'm not a cryer.) So yeah, Hannah got me.

The pacing is perfect. I just can't think of anything even remotely negative about The Great Alone. It's a great book for teens. There is nothing at all objectionable, and the main character is a teen. So those who enjoy "romantic survival drama" stories will go for The Great Alone. This is sure to be a favorite of 2018.

I would first like to admit that this is only my second time reading Kristin Hannah. My first was, of course, the amazing hit of a couple of years ago, The Nightingale. I was completely surprised and thrilled to get the opportunity to read her latest in advance.
I had no idea what the book was about going in but I still would have bee excited to read had I known they synopsis. That being said, this book is so beautiful! There is struggle, love, friendships and redemption. Ms. Hannah seems to be able to write about anything and make it meaningful to you no matter the subject.
The characters were people you could really care about and feel sympathy for even when you really don't like them. And the setting of Alaska was a whole character in and of itself. There are some scenes of domestic violence that may bother some but this is really a story of strength and love. Have tissues near by!

P.S. Be sure the read the author's acknowledgments at the end to see the personal connection to Alaska-makes the story even better.

This wasn’t the book I thought I was reading from the publishers blurb, which would have been about naive back-to-the-land survivalism without adequate preparations in the harshness of Alaskan winters. That would have been wholesome compared to the darkness that unfolded page by page and chapter by chapter to the point I wondered if I wanted to know how it all would end.

But is a story of the triumph of the human spirit and of friendships that matter, and it is indictment of our justice system that turns a blind eye to spousal abuse. It’s a rough read and it’s worth it.

The Great Alone – Kristin Hannah

Lenora Allbright is a pre-pubescent ‘tween’ in 1976 when her war veteran father makes an impromptu decision to move the family to Alaska. After losing yet another job, the PTSD ridden Ernt receives a letter from the father of a deceased military buddy offering him his sons’ home and land in the last frontier state. They pack their meager belongings and head to rural Kaneq, AK, where they quickly learn that Alaska is another world all together.

A small town with no electricity and none of the modern conveniences, Kaneq is full of colorful characters who quickly welcome the Allbrights into their midst. There’s Large Marge, who left behind a life as an attorney, and runs the towns market. There’s Mad Earl, the town eccentric, and Thomas Walker, who’s family once founded Kaneq, and whom Ernt rapidly comes to resent, and the lovable Thelma.

As summer gradually gives way to fall and into the long, dark Alaskan winter, Ernt becomes more and more irrational, planning for events that don’t come, and pitting himself against the whole town. He takes out his fears and frustration on wife Cora, while Leni does her best to protect her. However, Leni becomes close to Matthew Walker, Tom’s son, and Ernt refuses to allow the relationship to continue. But continue it does, and Leni finds herself in an impossible position – run away with the man she loves, or remain at home and attempt to protect her mother from an increasingly abusive and volatile situation?

When an attempt to run results in a serious accident that threatens Matthews life, Leni must remain home to safeguard her mother. Then, on a dark winters night, violence flares, leaving Leni and Cora having to flee the land they’ve come to call home, and the man that Leni loves...

I LOVED this book, and like most of Kristin Hannah’s novels, it really resonated with me. I don’t believe I’ve ever made it through one of her books without tears – and this one is no different!! A must-read for Hannah fans, and for anyone looking for heartwarming characters, descriptive and colorful writing, and a story you’ll remember long after you put the book down!
Also, Alaska has just moved way up on my ‘bucket list’ of places I need to see!

Five stars is not enough for this incredible tug at the heart strings novel. Kristin Hannah has done it again! I was sucked into the book immediately and there was no question that I wouldn’t do anything else until I finished the book. I was in Alaska. The descriptions of its beauty and treachery gave me a glimpse of what life could have been like there in the 70s and the strength of those who lived there.

The raw emotions and the depth of these characters kept me on the brink of tears until the last page. The tragedy of war and undiagnosed PTSD, how it affects family members and the coping mechanisms they utilize are a focal point of Hannah’s novel. It was both heart-wrenching and yet hopeful.

Ernt and his wife Cora make the move to Alaska with their thirteen-year old daughter Leni to have yet another fresh start. They have little money, no wilderness skills, and winter is approaching. Leni deals with her parents completely dysfunctional relationship, living in almost complete isolation and the angst of the growing up before her time.

I received an advance review copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Kristin Hannah's latest book is a story about a family in turmoil set against the ruthless yet stunning beauty of Alaska in 1974.

This family saga felt like two different books. The first three-quarters was a gritty look at the Allbright family as they struggled to settle into the wilds of Alaska and deal with the trouble within their own family. Life in 'off the grid Alaska' was harsh, dangerous and lonely but Hannah's descriptions of the unforgiving wilds of Alaska were my favourite part of the book (with Alaska herself easily becoming my favourite character).

But after awhile the story started to feel redundant as the same issues kept popping up with the characters reacting in the same way each time. There's also a fair amount of 'telling, not showing' and I found the dialogue weak which didn't bode well for building a connection with Leni and the other characters who were a one-dimensional bunch.

Then, at three-quarters of the way through the book, it had a different feel. I ended up skimming the last hundred pages which was filled with hard to believe scenes and an ending that felt rushed and tied up so easily that it was eye-roll worthy. Hannah was going for tragedy and there are bucket loads of it but there were so many issues (PTSD, abuse, poverty, death ...) that it felt soap opera-ish. It was tragedy after tragedy without enough room in between for readers to take a breath.

Overall, I appreciated the beautiful descriptions of Alaska (and the delightful Large Marge - who should have had her own chapters) and I liked the premise but overall this book fell short for me.

Disclaimer: This ARC was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited to read the book after reading the description. After visiting Alaska once I've been fascinated by what lures people to live in such remote locations where bare survival is a priority. I have never read Kristen Hannah's work before but I will be sure to do so now. I hated finishing this book, the writing was excellent and I earmarked many passages. This book touches on so many subjects and keeps your interest throughout, I highly recommend it!

I loved the bravery and the striving for survival shown by Leni in THE GREAT ALONE.. I wish she had been able to stand up for herself to her father before the father is killed. I liked the descriptive passages about Alaska and the harsh but compelling nature. I think the doomed romance was a bit over the top. I think it would have been better to have Matthew be injured but survive and end up with amnesia like a soap opera. I think the abusive husband/father character got a little too repetitive before the ending.

Compelling story of perseverance in a 1970’s Alaskan wilderness about a mother & daughter who are determined to survive both the harsh environment and the abusive husband/father. This women’s tale of grit and determination kept me reading even when the prose became cliche and the dialogue was cringe-worthy. Hannah wrote a wonderful ode to Alaska and she has the personal experience to give insight into a climate many of us can only imagine. Her characters are a bit flat, I wish Matthew’s story had more depth and more of his perspective. The whole have a baby and keep a part of the man trope was weak. I think NIGHTENGALE is a better written book but I enjoyed the descriptions of the Alaskan world and wish Large Marge had been the narrator ( who seems so caricatured here).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this fantastic book. It's another amazing book by this author, right up there with The Nightingale, but a completely different plot line.

I stepped back in time to the early seventies, reliving some of what the main character, Leni, talks about going on in the world at that time. However, it was a whole new experience "living" in rural Alaska with her. Wow, what an experience! The characters and settings were so vivid I felt I was right there!

The author does a great job of exploring why people act the way they do (a good depth of Leni's father's POW frail mind after Vietnam), and the repercussions of each decision we make in life. I stayed up way too late several nights because I just had to know what happened next in Leni's world!