The Great Alone
For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival.
Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: He will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America's last true frontier.
Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents' passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if means following him into the unknown.
At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they 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 Allbrights' lack of preparation and dwindling resources.
But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt's fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in 18 hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: They are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves.
In this unforgettable portrait of human frailty and resilience, Kristin Hannah reveals the indomitable character of the modern American pioneer and the spirit of a vanishing Alaska - a place of incomparable beauty and danger. The Great Alone is a daring, beautiful, stay-up-all-night audiobook about love and loss, the fight for survival, and the wildness that lives in both man and nature.
Review: Leni is only 13 years old when her parents, Cora and Ernt Allbright, move the family to the remote wilderness of Alaska to live off the grid. Leni and her mother are hopeful that this change will help her father's volatile moods that have gripped him since his return from the Vietnam war. In Alaska they find a small but close knit community and a rugged lifestyle that suits them all. But dark winter deteriorates Leni's father's mental state.
This was a beautiful and fierce coming of age story that touches on the themes of post traumatic stress disorder, domestic abuse, motherhood, the ties of love and family, the value of community, the beauty and danger of nature, and the power of language and books to sustain us. Leni and her mother are both strong female characters and the backdrop of the beauty and harshness of Alaska also strengthen the book.
While I loved the set-up of this novel and Leni as a character, the last third of this book felt nearly soap opera-ish to me. Traumatic injuries, secret pregnancies, hidden crimes, and miraculous recoveries all take place. Leni seems very miserable, both emotionally and physically, in Alaska so I was also surprised to see Alaska given such a revered place as her beloved home in the conclusion of her story. An enjoyable read but one with a few elements that failed to quite click into place for me.
Stars: 3
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