I am a fan of Kristin Hannah's books. After reading The Nightingale (5 star) I wasn't sure if she could follow up with another blockbuster like that. Well she did!! I received an ARC of The Great Alone which is a story about a former POW of the Vietnam War moving his family to outskirts of civilization to try and escape his demons. It's a story about survival...not only of the Alaskan wilderness but of the dysfunction that plagues this family. It's a love story, but not the usual love story of boy meets girl, they fall in love and get married. This is a love story that touches you so deeply that it will take your breath away. You will get to know the perilous side of Alaska and how a community takes care of their own. The characters will draw you in and you will learn about the resilience of the human spirit. Carve out some time and settle down for an adventure you won't forget!

Damn, this book made me cry no less than three times. That rarely happens. It’s interesting, too, as there was a point I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue reading it. It’s possible the topic was a bit difficult for me in that it was realistic and not part of a thriller or murder mystery, where I might expect it. Ernt did frustrate me to no end, and I couldn’t figure out why his family put up with him for so long, but I realized they didn’t have much of a choice, and really, neither did he.

The writing is honest and straightforward, and the author truly makes you fall in love with the Alaska wilds. I loved Leni’s character and how strong and realistic she was. There was a scene at the end that almost changed my opinion as it was rather trite, but the moments prior to it were enough for me to let it go. Overall, this book surprised me, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed “All the Light We Cannot See” or “The Alice Network.”

I really enjoyed this book, although it was so bleak and heavy. It was a time and place I did really know much about, though I almost feel that communities like that still exist.

Three and a half stars. Kristin Hannah doesn't disappoint. The story of 13-year-old Leni and her family after they move to Alaska to begin a new life can't be put down. Leni's father has been left land in Alaska by a friend who died in the war. He persuades his wife to bring their daughter and join him in this opportunity to leave his past behind. The reader quickly comes to the realization that this man suffers from what we now know to be PTSD. Leni comes to see that the wilderness brings out the best in some people and the worst in others. My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

I stopped reading this about half way through. I received this as an ARC and had high hopes after reading The Nightingale. However, I was sorely disappointed. It started out promising, but I got so tired of reading one more book where an abusive man controlled the lives of others around him, specifically his wife and child. I cringed at several scenes, including (spoiler alert) him forcing his daughter to eat a still beating rabbit heart after a hunt, but finally stopped reading altogether after repeated scenes of domestic violence. This could have been a promising story, but the characters were just too cliched and unlikable for me.

I can't get through this book. It started great, but by the time they hit Alaska it started to drag. I eventually gave up on it, and I seldom do that.

Regrettably, I waited too long between reading and reviewing to write a detailed review, but I did absolutely love this book. The journey Leni takes from confused teenager following her father, stricken with extreme PTSD, to grown woman living with impossible life decisions, was amazing to read. I had a little trouble getting into the story at first, but by about 15%, I was hooked. It really took off until the end. The ending, although it featured just a little bit of "everything working out too perfectly" still managed to feel real in the complexity of human emotion and pain it portrayed. Not a happy read by any stretch, but very very good!!

WOW- we are blown away (once again) by this author and her ability to write an amazing story. The Great Alone was so different and just absolutely fantastic! The story is so different from what we have been reading and I think that's what we needed to "cleanse our pallet" from the same story being told over and over again.
Kristin Hannah is such an impressive writing and we can't wait to read more from her!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read The Great Alone by Kristen Hannah. After losing his job, POW survivor, Ernt Allbright, inherits a home in Alaska from fellow soldier, Bo Harlan. Feeling like this is his only chance to succeed in life and put the past behind him, he moves his wife, Cora, and thirteen year old daughter, Leni, to what turns out to be a rundown shack in Kaneq, referred to as “the last outpost of civilization.” Life is pretty good until the long dark days of Winter set in and Ernst becomes disturbed and physically violent. Cora loves him and strives to make a good life. Leni survives with the friendship of fellow classmate, Matthew. This book is full of unforgettable characters, like store owner, Large Marge, and wealthy landowner, Tom Walker, who will change the lives of the Allbrights forever. This book is a wonderful insight into human character, forces of nature, and the will to survive in “The Great Alone”.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah really hit home for me. As the daughter of a Vietnam vet who did 2 tours of duty as an Airborne soldier I was really able to relate to Leni. Leni is a teen girl in the late 70's whose father has recently returned from being a POW in Vietnam. Sadly, Leni doesn't really remember what her father was like before the war but her mother frequently tells her that he was not so violent. Leni has to endure watching her mom be abused by her father multiple times. Her father decides that they are going to move to Alaska to live on some land left to him by a buddy who fought with him in Vietnam. The family is not prepared for the harshness of life in Alaska and things escalate as tension arises between Leni's father and their neighbor. This book will make you feel so many emotions. The ending had me in tears but in a good way. Read and enjoy!

I am a huge fan of Kristin Hannah and look forward to each new release. The Great Alone is, in my opinion, her best yet. It is a one-sitting kind of read. The characters are so real and the action so intriguing that I had trouble putting it down to go to work, and then I found myself thinking about it, wondering what would happen next and predicting how it would turn out. I was not disappointed! I will buy a copy for my daughter and recommend it to many friends.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

As a fan of The Nightingale, I was really excited about reading this pre-pub from NetGalley. It did not disappoint!

The quotes from the poetry of Robert W. Service help to set the scene of the wild Alaskan wilderness in 1974. A Viet Nam vet who is suffering from PTSD brings his family into this inhospitable environment. The cold, harsh winters affect all who live there.

Kristin Hannah weaves a thrilling tale of adventure, love, and coping with internal and external obstacles.

Not only does physical abuse effect the victim, but the family and those that love them. It appears that a cover up of a crime will be the undoing of the main character. A second chance at love. The world might have been what was imagined, but still holds a lot of hope and love.

Will leave review on Amazon under name of Connie

This is a breathtakingly well-written novel.

At only thirteen years old, Leni has already been bounced from school to school, city to city. Her father returned from Vietnam after being a POW a damaged man who is unable to control his nightmares—or his temper, causing him to get fired from job after job.

When he learns that a war buddy of his left him a house in Alaska, Ernt is sure this time happiness will be theirs, so he packs up his daughter and wife and they head for The Great Alone.

I fell in love with the characters of this town, specifically Large Marge, who’d once been a prosecutor in D.C. and now works at a convenience store and always has some weapon strapped to her—everyone does because who knows when a bear might get hungry? I also loved the Walker family.

As Leni and her mother Cora get a crash course in surviving inhospitable conditions, they find the biggest danger isn’t the weather or the wildlife, but the man they share a house with. Hannah does an exquisite job expressing the fear Leni lives with every day.

It’s also a beautiful story of star-crossed lovers. The Montagues and the Capulets in Alaska. I teared up several times during this story. I can’t recommend this novel highly enough.

n 1974, the Vietnam War had caused a perilous situation in the United States. Many of the men and women who had served had been drafted into this very unpopular war and spent time in an "unwinnable" situation. They also returned home to find that they were not appreciated and even viewed with disdain by some. Ernt Allbright returned from the Vietnam War with the added burden of being a prisoner of war. When he came back to his wife, Cora and thirteen year old daughter, Leni, he is a different man. Ernt finds out that he inherited a homestead in an off-the-grid location of Alaska and he immediately packs up his family and hits the road in search of a new beginning. I don't want to reveal any more of this excellent story because I believe that each reader should experience it through their own eyes. Kristin Hannah is a fabulous author of many bestsellers but I love this book the best of all that I have read. I appreciated the story of surviving in the bush and Ms. Hannah's careful development of complex and emotional characters and situations. This novel has it all! You will be thrilled by the beauty of Alaska, haunted by the specter of cruelty and abuse, then uplifted by the sweet, heartbreaking love from beginning to end. I highly recommend this book to all!

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah will be available February 6, 2018 by St. Martin's Press. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

While I did not find this Kristen Hannah book quite as enjoyable as others, I would still highly recommend it. Leni and her parents move to Alaska hoping a new start will cure her dad of his mental issues. Mental issues he developed while being a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. The long, dark winters do nothing to help Leni's father, and his mental state combined with drinking make life inside their cabin volatile. Outside of the cabin Leni has discovered life and love until both sides of her life come crashing together. My issue with the book was that the ending seemed a little too happy ever after, but others will probably enjoy how everything wraps up in the end.

1970's Alaska wilderness is rough. It's especially rough for 13 year old Leni and her parents who have no experience in the wilderness. Her father is haunted by his time in Vietnam and thinks the move will heal him. They move into a cabin with no electricity, no running water and no idea how hard an Alaskan winter will be for them. They build new friendships and learn tough lessons. The darkness doesn't help Leni's father and they must come to realize they have to be stronger than they ever imagined. I had a hard time putting this book down. I loved the characters and fell in love with the idea of Alaska, which is a character itself. Highly recommended.

Leni's father and mother uproot her to move to the Alaskan wilderness. Ill prepared for the weather and hardships, their scattered neighbors help them survive. Leni's father, a war veteran, faces his own demons during the long, dark, winter nights. He quickly becomes violent, lashing out at anyone who crosses his path.

This was a well written and interesting book. Leni was a dynamic and realistic character. At times I felt like I was growing with her, as she came of age in Alaska. Overall, well worth picking up.

A very intense story about an abusive husband and father. The characters are real and the situations are frightening but unfortunately also very real. The story shines a bright light on a side of family life we want to believe does not exist. thi story should be a must read for social workers and law enforcement

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. What can I say? I loved loved this book. I couldn't put it down; I had to force myself to stop reading and go to bed. Kristin Hannah has always been one of my favorite authors and again she didn't disappoint. The novel is set in 1974 in Alaska. We meet the Allbright family who has moved there because Dad (Ernt), a Vietnam POW, was notified that he was given a plot of land and a cabin, from his best friend who had died in Vietnam. The family moves there in their VW bus, totally unprepared for the harsh Alaskan wilderness and for Dad's dark moods/emotional and physical abuse which we know today is related to PTSD. I don't want to give anything else away... just read this book. You won't be disappointed.