Title: The Great Alone
Author: Kristin Hannah
Published: February 2018, St. Martin’s Press
Format: Hardcover, 448 pages
Summary:
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 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.
What readers are saying:
“This epic atmospheric novel examines humans’ will to endure the unthinkable.” ―Real Simple magazine
“There are many great things about this book…It
will thrill her fans with its combination of Greek tragedy, Romeo and
Juliet-like coming of age story and domestic potboiler. She recreates in magical detail
the lives of Alaska’s homesteaders…and is just as specific and
authentic in her depiction of the spiritual wounds of post-Vietnam
America. A tour de force.” ―Kirkus
“Hannah vividly evokes the natural beauty and danger of Alaska and paints a compelling portrait of a family in crisis and a community on the brink of change.” ―Booklist
“In this latest from Hannah, the landscape is hard and bleak but our young heroine learns to accept it and discover her true self…fans will appreciate the astuteness of the story and the unbreakable connection between mother and child.” ―Library Journal
“Hannah skillfully situates the emotional family saga in the events and culture of the late ’70s… But it’s her tautly drawn characters―Large
Marge, Genny, Mad Earl, Tica, Tom―who contribute not only to Leni’s
improbable survival but to her salvation amid her family’s tragedy.” ―Publishers Weekly
“Hannah turns the written word into wonderful prose…Times are difficult for so many in this novel and Hannah captures their suffering with sensitivity. The author expertly shows how love, death and birth run the full circle of life.” ―RT Book Reviews
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The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah is one of BookSparks “Winter Reads” reading selection picks.
Follow the #WRC2018 hashtag on twitter to read reviews on this book as well
as reviews on the other winter books! Also, be sure to check out the BookSparks Facebook page for the #WRC2018 and other fun links.
