Helpful Score: 3
I had seen so many people writing raving reviews about this book that I finally said, "I have to read this book!" And now that I have read it, I have to chime in that this is one of the best books that I have read this year. It is so incredibly well written and intense, pulling you forward in the story and making it impossible to put it down. It takes place in Alaska and revolves around a family who moves there when they inherit a house from the dad's war buddy. Ernt Allbright, the dad, is a former Vietnam POW who has terrible dark episodes caused by his war days. Cora, the mom, remembers him before he left for the war and keeps staying with him despite his physical abuse towards her. Their teenage daughter, Leni, is caught between the two and brought to live in this remote location with its unforgiving nature. This is a complex story covering many facets of life: growing up, rural towns, surviving difficult situations, the endurance of love, and mental and physical problems. This is one of those stories that will stay with you for a long time. If you only read one book this year, this is the one to read.
Helpful Score: 2
I absolutely loved this story. I've never had much interest in Alaska but after reading this book I was watching YouTube videos and looking at images trying to capture the essence of what was portrayed and it was spot on. I loved that the main character was a 14 year girl and we saw life in Alaska in her young eyes. The young love between her and Matthew was sweet. The dark side of the book is real life and not everyone has princess lives. I can see how that life can easily happen. I think Kristen Hannah did a fabulous job on this book!
Helpful Score: 2
Love, love, love! I love Kristin Hannah! I love "The Great Alone"! I love Leni, the main character. I love the engrossing tale of a young girl who feels like an outcast (because of moving so often)that falls in love with Alaska and a boy, while dealing with the horrors of an abusive father with PTSD. I love the supporting characters as well and how they befriended her. Highly recommend!
Helpful Score: 1
While a riveting story, carefully told, and full of considerate neighbors and magnificent scenery, this is probably not the book to read if you are considering moving to Alaska for good. The grim reality of the Alaskan wilderness is that if you're not prepared, really prepared, you could die out there. As the story unfolds, you realize that everyone is not getting out of there alive The ending was somewhat a tad too charming, but I feel like it gives you an prudent idea of Alaskan wilderness and of the scourge of those unfortunate to have a mental illness, not to mention the shamefulness of the laws that hindered women from being beaten by their husbands.
This isn't an easy read, but it's worth sticking out til the end. Dated around 1974. An ex-POW from Vietnam returns to his wife and young daughter. Suffering from what we know now as PTSD. Unable to hold a job, the family is notified that a former friend from Nam has died and left them property in Alaska. The family moves and finds an abandoned cabin in the frontier of Alaska. There they find a hard life barely surviving at times but with rewards. However, with it comes the long dark winter months which sparks nightmares and violent outbursts. Themes of domestic violence. Loss, remorse, survival, loss of innocence, and redemptive love.
This is the second Kristin Hannah book that I've read. The first was "The Nightingale," which I gave three stars. About 1/4-1/3 of the way through "The Great Alone," I was ready to quit. The main character, Leni, is a 13-year old girl. Her mother, Cora, was 16 when she had Leni. Ernt, Leni's father, is nine years older than Cora (my first thought when I read that was "statutory rape"). Cora's father was a lawyer. Her parents, who lived in Seattle, definitely didn't approve of Ernt. Cora, being rebellious, didn't care. Ernt ended up in Viet Nam and came back with what is now called PTSD. He couldn't hold a job very long and was prone to rages which he took out on Cora. One of his pals in Viet Nam had died and left Ernt some land in Alaska. Cora, Ernt and Leni headed to Alaska. The property had a small cabin on it which the family cleaned up. Life was hard because Ernt had decided they were going to live off the land--not have other jobs to earn $$. Ernt couldn't escape his demons, however, and would fly into rages where he beat Cora.
I was so disgusted not only by Ernt's violence (and his excuses that he was "sick") but also by Cora's lack of spine in being unable to leave Ernt (Cora's weak excuse was she loved him). In spite of that, I kept reading. Ernt continued to unravel. There were a few surprises in about the last 1/3 of the book.
The author is a decent writer. However I don't know if I will continue reading her books given that I've now read two of them and don't consider either of them worth more than three stars.
I was so disgusted not only by Ernt's violence (and his excuses that he was "sick") but also by Cora's lack of spine in being unable to leave Ernt (Cora's weak excuse was she loved him). In spite of that, I kept reading. Ernt continued to unravel. There were a few surprises in about the last 1/3 of the book.
The author is a decent writer. However I don't know if I will continue reading her books given that I've now read two of them and don't consider either of them worth more than three stars.
Another amazing story by Kristin Hannah,who I got to meet last week! This book was very hard emotionally to get through. The story of a former Viet Nam POW, and his wife and daughter who live their lives by trying to cope with his violent mood swings and hatred of the government by escaping to a remote area of Alaska. Wonderful descriptions of the living conditions with no power,water and the fear of attacks by wild animals and being where nobody can hear or rescue you. The love of a mother and daughter finally overcomes the love for a husband and wife when there is no other choice left.
I will probably give this book my "Best Book I've Read This Year" award (if not the best book I've read in 5 years). The theme is not so original these days: an abusive husband, a battered wife and a terrified daughter.
However, the author weaves their stories together: what binds them together and what drives them apart. What the meaning of family is. How family, while binding us together and making us whole, still leaves a part of us untouched and fundamentally alone. The terrible choices that must sometimes be made at inconceivable cost.
I had tears in my eyes at the end of the book, and I cannot remember the last time that happened to me. And the book keeps coming back to me during odd moments of my day, which is also very uncommon for me. I read all 438 pages in one night even tho I knew I would felt like dirt the next day!
However, the author weaves their stories together: what binds them together and what drives them apart. What the meaning of family is. How family, while binding us together and making us whole, still leaves a part of us untouched and fundamentally alone. The terrible choices that must sometimes be made at inconceivable cost.
I had tears in my eyes at the end of the book, and I cannot remember the last time that happened to me. And the book keeps coming back to me during odd moments of my day, which is also very uncommon for me. I read all 438 pages in one night even tho I knew I would felt like dirt the next day!
The story of a family that moved to Alaska. The father began having rages after he came home from Vietnam. The story is told from the viewpoint of Leni who is 13 at the start of the book and 18 later. She has a friend in Matthew. Her father hates Matthew's father so forbids her to be with him. A lot of violence. Darkness in Alaska and darkness in the family. But there is light, too.
I was not sure what the book was about when I started reading. The story drew me in. It was a great read, frustrating at times to read. It was well written with no loose ends or unanswered questions.
Wonderful coming of age story of a young girl being brought up in the Alaskan wilderness. You will laugh and cry and experience every emotion in between.
Kristin Hannah never fails to satisfy. This is an emotional story of heartache, love and survival. Ernt Allbright is never the same after returning from Vietnam. Hoping to make a new start he moves his wife, Cora, and daughter, Leni, to Alaska. But, there are some demons you can never run from. As Ernt's mental state deteriorates into anger and paranoia, Leni and Cora are struggling to survive. While the climate is harsh and living conditions are primitive, Alaska comes to be the home Leni had longed for all her life.
Full of adventure, tragedy, heartbreak, coming of age situations, community together-ness, domestic abuse, lessons in life and of course The Great Alone.
This is a 5 star book. Kristin Hannah is a fantastic writer. I will remember this book for a long time to come. It gave me some things to think about in real life situations. My fav read so far of 2018
This is a 5 star book. Kristin Hannah is a fantastic writer. I will remember this book for a long time to come. It gave me some things to think about in real life situations. My fav read so far of 2018
This goes on my list as one of the best books I've read!
Leni is a wonderful, strong character I adored, Cora, her weak mother and Ernt, her violent father suffering from PTSD after returning from Vietnam. He decides to move his family to Alaska in 1972 and pioneer in a shack his best friend left him after he was killed.
This is not an easy book to read but I was so engrossed, I couldn't put it down even when my eyes strained to focus in the wee hours of the night. It was a monumental story with a powerful ending and I haven't stopped thinking about it since.
Highly recommended!
Leni is a wonderful, strong character I adored, Cora, her weak mother and Ernt, her violent father suffering from PTSD after returning from Vietnam. He decides to move his family to Alaska in 1972 and pioneer in a shack his best friend left him after he was killed.
This is not an easy book to read but I was so engrossed, I couldn't put it down even when my eyes strained to focus in the wee hours of the night. It was a monumental story with a powerful ending and I haven't stopped thinking about it since.
Highly recommended!
Even though I was not sure I would like this setting and story, it was better than her earlier book and read it so quickly.
The setup and the beginning of The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah is intense in the characters, the setting, the situation, and the emotion. It has a sympathetic main character to care about. The events seem frighteningly real. However, as the book proceeds, it seems like a race to incorporate every bad thing that can happen into this one story. Let's just say that it goes too far and undermines the "reality" of the powerful setup of the book.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2018/05/the-great-alone.html
Reviewed for NetGalley
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2018/05/the-great-alone.html
Reviewed for NetGalley
A bit of a combination of the reality tv shows 'Alaska the Last Frontier' and 'Edge of Alaska'--hate to say that, but that's how it felt to me. A lot of melodrama, situations, but I didn't feel any substance. I did like the character Large Marge. The ending was beyond schmaltzy, and absolutely predictable.
