Saturday, April 7, 2018

#BookReview - The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Title:  The Great Alone
Author:  Kristin Hannah
Genre:  Women's Fiction
Release Date:  February 6, 2018


About the Book:


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.

Buy Links: Amazon 

My Review:

THE GREAT ALONE will enter your heart and tear out through your gut.  Beginning in 1974, it is the story of a thirteen year old girl dealing with a life of domestic violence from a father dealing with PTSD after coming home from Vietnam, and a mother who refused to leave him. When Ernt takes Leni and Cora to Alaska, to a cabin in Kaneq that was left to him by a vet he served with, they have new hope that Ernt will be okay. They are welcomed into the fold by warm and helpful neighbors including Large Marge who owns the general store. Things go well until the first winter of darkness comes and Ernt's behavior gets more bizarre as he becomes engrossed in living off the grid and "protecting" his family, imprisoning them.

Time passes and Leni's friendship with Matthew grows into something much more. This is a story of love. True love and demented love. A story of compassion and friendship, hope and defeat. A story of difficult decisions.

Kristin Hannah gave us characters that are realistic and will be long remembered, long after you turn that last page. Well-written and memorable.

My Rating: 
T

About the Author:
Kristin Hannah is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels including the international blockbuster, The Nightingale, which was named Goodreads Best Historical fiction novel for 2015 and won the coveted People's Choice award for best fiction in the same year. Additionally, it was named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon, iTunes, Buzzfeed, the Wall Street Journal, Paste, and The Week. 

Kristin's highly anticipated new release, The Great Alone, will be published on February 6, 2018 (St. Martin's Press). The novel, an epic love story and intimate family drama set in Alaska in the turbulent 1970's is a daring, stay-up-all-night story about love and loss, the fight for survival and the wildness that lives in both nature and man. It has been listed as one of the most anticipated novels of the year by The Seattle Times, Bustle.com, PopSugar, Working Mother, Southern Living, and Goodreads.

The Nightingale is currently in production at Tri Star, with award-winning director Michelle MacLaren set to direct. Home Front was optioned for film by 1492 Films (produced the Oscar-nominated The Help) with Chris Columbus attached to write, produce, and direct. Movie news on The Great Alone is coming soon.

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