The Great Alone

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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. In 1974, the Allbright family— made up of Ernt, Cora, and Leni—move from Seattle to Kaneq, Alaska. Ernt, the family patriarch, is a Vietnam veteran who is mentally disturbed after returning from the war. He is gifted land in Alaska by Bo Harlan, a former friend whom he watched die after they were captured and tortured together. The Allbrights hope Alaska will be good for Ernt, who is disgruntled by the current state of the country. However, when the Allbrights arrive in Alaska, they discover they are woefully unprepared for survival there. They make friends with the Harlans—Bo’s relatives—and Marge Birdsall, their neighbor who also runs the local trading post and helps them get settled. Once they settle in, Leni begins attending school, where she meets Matthew Walker, the only person her age in Kaneq. The two become fast friends and Matthew invites Leni to a community party his father is throwing. That night, the Allbrights attend the party, and Ernt immediately clashes with Tom Walker, Matthew’s father. Tom is rich and Ernt finds him to be condescending. Although Ernt doesn’t make a scene, Leni and Matthew hear him talking about his dislike of Tom. Despite her father’s harsh words, Leni and Matthew remain close friends. However, they are forced apart after Matthew’s mother, Geneva, falls through ice and dies. After Geneva’s funeral, Matthew goes to live in Fairbanks, Alaska where he can live a normal life and see a therapist. Leni is sad to see her friend go, but the two continue to write letters to one another. I could probably go on and on forever, but I'll just say I loved almost all of it. I loved how, like in The Nightingale, Hannah shows the importance and the strength of the relationships between female characters. I loved the Alaskan setting and the multiple tales of survival against the odds. And I loved how everything had something of a fairy tale quality to it, dark places and broken dreams included.

In The Great Alone, the Allbrights are a family who move to a small town in Alaska for a new start. Ernst, the father, is a Vietnam veteran and former POW who has struggled emotionally since the war. Cora, his wife, loves him and tries to help him. Leni is their young daughter. Henley, Tara (February 16, 2018). "Kristin Hannah's book The Great Alone explores living off-grid in Alaska". Toronto Star . Retrieved March 21, 2021. What did you think about Leni and how she adapted to the Alaskan wilderness? Do you think you have to be a certain person to thrive there? Leni suddenly saw how hope could break you, how it was a shiny lure for the unwary. What happened to you if you hoped too hard for the best and got the worst? Was it better not to hope at all, to prepare?’ (p.121) The BEFORE “Nam screwed him up” excuse Ernt’s wife invariably gave, wasn’t cutting it. Numerous times the wife would say to their daughter ”I wish you remembered him from before.”

1978

Did you hold Leni responsible in your mind for any of Matthew’s misfortune? Why or why not? How does Leni show her devotion in the end? Did you anticipate the kind of future that is set in motion for them at the close of the book?

Leni was tested to the brink of her endurance, yet she prevailed and found true love and despite everything she gets her happily ever after!! It’s romance 101!!!!!!!!!!!!! This book completely stole my heart. Maybe it's just more fresh in my mind, but I'm pretty sure I enjoyed The Great Alone even more than Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale. In fact, it was verging on a five-star read for me until the final few chapters-- which I felt were too rushed and more sentimental than I personally like. But I still highly recommend it. I think people who like plot-heavy books about heavy topics will like The Great Alone. It’s an accessible and well-written, though not particularly literary. There’s also a touch of melodrama in there and especially towards the end, which may be a plus or minus for you, depending on your reading preferences. Leni, an only child, had gone to four new schools in five years during her early pre- and teen years. She didn’t make friends easy - or at all - at these new schools- and she worried about her parents constantly. Kristin Hannah's novel The Great Alone is a story about a young girl named Leni and her family, especially her father, Ernt, who is a Vietnam War veteran. Leni is a thirteen year old girl in 1974 when the story begins.Leni was truly an amazing main character. I couldn't look away. I was constantly cheering and gasping at what Leni lived through. THERE IS also more than one story of love here, volatile family relationships, and invaluable friendships amidst the environmental dangers. THE GREAT ALONE is written with heart and heartbreak with an emphasis on survival....in more ways than one! Let’s start with Leni’s life before they move to Alaska. It’s already turbulent, with her family moving around often to find some peace. When Leni is told she is moving to Alaska, she accepts it. Leni has a fairly nihilistic view of life: why do you think this is? Do you think she really believes that hope is pointless? One thing is for sure, Kristin Hannah, hands down, is a talented author who can weave a tale. I have read many of her previous novels and always found them to be beautiful and thought provoking. This one, however, rubbed me the wrong way.

And yet...and yet... Leni is slowly finding her home. In the friendly neighbors, the kind townspeople and the animals surrounding their little homestead. I would have preferred a little less melodrama and a little more introspection in this type of story, but it does make for an eventful plot. Read it or Skip it? Charles, Ron (February 6, 2018). "Kristin Hannah's next hit: A brave girl confronts her disturbed dad in the Alaskan wild". The Washington Post . Retrieved March 13, 2021. I loved this book. An entertaining and emotional read with an engrossing plot and well-developed characters. I could almost feel the bitter cold from the long isolating winters. But I could also see the beauty of Alaska with its gorgeous mountains and blue skies. However, they could not have possibly prepared themselves for living ‘off grid’, in this raw, startlingly beautiful landscape, which is sharply juxtaposed against the harsh, brutal winters, the intensity of mother nature, and the terrifying odds of surviving in such extreme isolation. Yet for Cora and Leni, the danger that lurks around every corner, is within the confines of their own four walls.Leni is now 17. She is a good hunter now. Her father has abided by the rules, and each winter after Thanksgiving he leaves to work on the pipeline. Times has changed and Kaneq is now a larger city where tourists occasionally come by. The Great Alone is a beautifully descriptive story of a dysfunctional family attempting to survive in the Alaskan wilderness. Written by Kristin Hannah and published in 2017, it’s a gorgeous story with some dark moments.