Both Man and Nature | The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah



Title: The Great Alone
By: Kristin Hannah
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 440
Release Date: February 6th, 2018
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Summary from Goodreads: Alaska, 1974.
Unpredictable. Unforgiving. Untamed.
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 it 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 eighteen 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 story about love and loss, the fight for survival, and the wildness that lives in both man and nature.



Review: It rare that I find a book like this that I love. A historical fiction that dives into the darkness that surrounds the aftermath of war. How our soldiers came home from Vietnam with darkness inside of them that no one knew how to deal with. How, it wasn't only the soldier that suffered, but the families as well. No wonder this book was one of the best books of 2018 on Goodreads.

I loved this story. We follow a family that moves to Alaska to escape the cities and paranoia after the father came home from the war. He is an abusive asshole, and the mother and daughter have to learn to survive in the harsh land of the great alone. It was a strong story of survival and love. A story of what we would do for those we care about. 

You must read this book! My book club has embraced this book and all I hear from those who are reading it is how much they love it. You will love it too.





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