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The Great Alone: A Novel

Description

#1 New York Times Instant Bestseller

In Kristin Hannah's The Great Alone, a desperate family seeks a new beginning in the near-isolated wilderness of Alaska only to find that their unpredictable environment is less threatening than the erratic behavior found in human nature.

Alaska, 1974. Ernt Allbright came home from the Vietnam War a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes the impulsive decision to move his wife and daughter north where they will live off the grid in America's last true frontier.

Cora will do anything for the man she loves, even if means following him into the unknown. Thirteen-year-old Leni, caught in the riptide of her parents' passionate, stormy relationship, has little choice but to go along, daring to hope this new land promises her family a better future.

In a wild, remote corner of Alaska, the Allbrights 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 newcomers' lack of preparation and dwindling resources.

But as winter approaches and darkness descends, Ernt's fragile mental state deteriorates. 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.
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576 pages

Average rating: 8.33

1,873 RATINGS

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61 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

Leza
Jul 19, 2024
6/10 stars
I must’ve read a different book. In found it overwrought and repetitive and almost a bit boring. For such a difficult topic and such a beautiful landscape as Alaska is, the author didn’t really bring it home. I almost stopped reading it and only finished since it was a book club pick. I actually ended up scanning whole sections to get through it. I gave it 6 stars only because the topic is important and I loved Large Marge so much.
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Anonymous
Jul 10, 2024
10/10 stars
I loved this. I couldn’t put it down. When I was at work, I was distressed because I wasn’t reading it. I devoured it. The story was not what I expected and better than I could have hoped. It was wonderful.
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mallaboo6234
Jun 30, 2024
DNF

This book started out somewhat promising but the delivery was just boring throughout the first half (which is as far as I got)

The mom and daughter are forced to move to Alaska with the dad because he’s unable to face his trauma and believe that moving into the wild will fix himself. Surprise surprise it doesn’t. He’s abusive towards his wife and she accepts it because…. love. Jesus. And that’s really all that happens.

The dad keeps complaining about his mistakes and insecurities, and takes it out on his wife through physical abuse. If she actually tried to get away (more than when she and Leny tried to get away) I would’ve enjoyed the story more. Or if the dad actually tried to be better. But it felt that the cycle kept repeating in the story to the point where I lost interest.
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Big mama utley
Jun 22, 2024
9/10 stars
This book keeps you on your toes wanting to know what happens next constantly. Excellent writing!
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CarrieReadsBooks
Jun 12, 2024
10/10 stars
Alaska may seem like a great destination to some but this book will open your eyes to the struggle people face living off the land there. A mixture of heart ache and love created this wonderful book.
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