The Great Alone: A Novel

#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: 8.38

2,589 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Anonymous
Apr 19, 2025
8/10 stars
I really liked the book, but ;) I felt like parts of it were too unbelievable and corny. We were told that the dad was bad because he had a bad go of it during the war. He was a POW. I feel like he was just bad from the get go. I think he was 25 and the mom was 13 when they first got together. The author never cleared it up and mentioned he was bad from the beginning. It was just the war that made him a bad person. I feel like the ending was just tied up too neatly like a made for TV (Hallmark) movie. However if you suspended disbelief for a moment and just went with it, the story was really good. You really got a feel for what it was like to live in Alaska. Also for what it must be like to live in chaos and fear from your own family whom you love.
Anonymous
Apr 01, 2025
8/10 stars
Read this just after reading Where the Crawdads Sing. Similar themes, but I liked this one so much better. I think it was because I found Leni a much more sympathetic heroine. Both girls made the most of their situations, but Leni took much more control and made more of what she was given, in my opinion.
SdeH
Mar 31, 2025
9/10 stars
Such a great book!
aviationmet
Mar 31, 2025
10/10 stars
Another Kristin Hannah masterpiece. As someone who has toyed with the possibilities of moving to Alaska and who also enjoys the homestead life in the lower 48, this was a great read. At times, I was frustrated with the characters asking "why would you do that?" and saying "you should just xyz!" Yet the story seems to work itself out and left me overall content with the outcome. I'm impressed with the wide variety of this author's stories and how well she brings them all to life.
sophiabordon22
Mar 26, 2025
Great book, eye opening to untreated PTSD.

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