The Great Alone in Closter Public Library

Apr 20, 2018 Sue Seligman rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This latest by Kristin Hannah is amazing! Completely different from The Nightingale (still my all time favorite), this book will have the reader crying in frustration, angry, scared, smiling in nostalgia if you are of a certain age; in other words you will run through the gamut of emotions. This story is told through the voice (although it is not first person narrative) of Leni, thirteen year old daughter of Ernt and Cora, during the mid 1970s. I was immediately drawn to Leni’s character because This latest by Kristin Hannah is amazing! Completely different from The Nightingale (still my all time favorite), this book will have the reader crying in frustration, angry, scared, smiling in nostalgia if you are of a certain age; in other words you will run through the gamut of emotions. This story is told through the voice (although it is not first person narrative) of Leni, thirteen year old daughter of Ernt and Cora, during the mid 1970s. I was immediately drawn to Leni’s character because, like me, she is a bookworm and many of the books that are mentioned are favorites of mine. Also she is a passionate photographer. As we get to know Leni, it is evident that these two hobbies are what help her get through a very difficult and turbulent adolescence. Her father has taken his family from home to home, and she has never been I. One place long enough to feel like she has roots or friends. There is an undercurrent of something not right in her parents’ marriage, and we gradually learn that Ernt is suffering from what we know know as PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder, as a result of his experiences in Vietnam Nam. Cora had married him when he was a completely different man, despite the objections of her parents, and even though he has become erratic and violent, she cannot bring herself to leave him. When the novel opens, Ernt learns he has inherited a home in rural Alaska from a fellow soldier who has died, and he decides to uproot his family once again for a new start away from the pressures of life in regular society. Thus, we and the family are transported to the rugged and brutal life of frontier life in primitive Alaska, and we meet a large cast of unforgettable characters....Large Marge, Genevieve, Matthew, Crazy Earl among others. Despite the rugged and difficult conditions Leni finds herself slowly feeling attached to the country and sett.ing down with the roots which had evades her up until this point. However, the problems that Ernt was trying to escape seem to follow him up to Alaska and the demons take hold once again.
Kristin Hannah just gets it. In every book her characters and descriptions come alive and transport the reader away from her own life and into the world of the novel. Although I read this several months ago, I had a severe book hangover which prevented me from writing my goodreads review for awhile. Whether it’s World War II France, 1970s Alaska, or small town America, Kristin Hannah’s ability to tell a story lures the readers inside the setting, thinking like the characters, and living the events. Although not every story appeals equally to every reader, I can honestly say that her books never disappoint me, and that I kind of envy my friends who are discovering her for the first time. I am sad to have finished the novel but I hope that it will not be another 3 years before her next one. A riveting and emotional read! ...more

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Apr 03, 2018 Janet rated it really liked it

I loved the first half of this book, but the 2nd half, and especially the ending left me disappointed. It starts in the 1970's with the Allbright family setting out for Alaska. The father is a Vietnam War vet and POW suffering PTSD with severe mood swings and violence towards his wife Cora. Ernt (the father) inherits a cabin in Alaska from another solider who died in Vietnam. The story is fascinating as the unprepared family struggles to make in "The Great Alone" (Alaska). Leni, the bookworm tee ...more

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Jan 16, 2019 Mary rated it liked it

Wow, that was bleak. So many times I said aloud "come on, this is just ridiculous", how much heartbreak and misery can one family go through. There was a good 200 page run in the middle that I enjoyed and the depiction of Alaska is fantastic (and accurate!) but otherwise I found it very depressing. I could definitely go for a Large Marge centered sequel though! ...more

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Sep 14, 2018 Deirdre rated it really liked it

Somewhat predictable but wonderfully written. It paints a beautiful photo of Alaska in the 70s. It is also a hard read, bittersweet and definitely sad in places. The struggle to survive whatever comes your way is real.

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