Summary: The Great Alone Kristin Hannah

by FastDigest

The novel is Leni’s hero-journey as well as a coming-of-age tale. The story is told from her point of view. It is her mind the reader inhabits; it is through her eyes that the reader experiences the narrative. The beauty and danger of the wilderness we experience through her.
The Hero’s Journey.
Leni travels from Seattle, Washington to Kaneq, Alaska on a beat-up Volkswagen bus. She escapes from Kaneq on a ferry, escapes from Homer on a small airplane and comes back to Kaneq. All these physical journeys mirror her emotional journey.
When the novel begins, she leaves her home to go to school. School is her escape from her parents’ emotional upheavals. She escapes the bleakness of her home and poverty by reading books. Her body is present with her parents, but her mind is in the warren of Watership Down or the Shire of the Lord of Rings. She devoured books for entertainment to escape.
Her journey was a study in contrasts. In Alaska, she feels both confined and free. Although the expanse of the Alaskan wilderness was hers to explore, the dangers posed by the climate and the wild animals keep her close to home. At home, where she is supposed to be safe, she feels caged with her father who becomes increasingly rabid.
To be continued…







Get a copy, and learn everything about The Great Alone .

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook

51 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 3, 2018

Reviews

[Andi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sad/Depressing...

Not a book that I would recommend...as a light read. I enjoyed other of Kristin Hannah's books...this one a bit too dark...not my taste. Sad and depressing...

[K. MAHONEY · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me moving through every possible emotion! It was so powerfully written and so suspenseful I don't want to say much more. It is such an amazing story about community, caring, compassion and resilience. Descriptions of Alaska and northern life were profoundly beautiful and inspiring.

I don't give many books such a recommendation. Do yourself a favour and read or listen to this when you can! KeriAnn

[Glenda Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful description of Alaska

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coming of age

Lenny is a child of a damaged Vietnam vet who married a daughter of a socialite family. Unable to cope with life in the lower 48, after receiving a piece of land from a deceased Vietnam buddy, he decides to move his family to Alaska. There and they learn the struggle and hardships of living off the grid. Leni discovers love in her one room Schoolhouse. The Story Goes On Through the Years the ups and downs of living with a torn family in the beauty of Alaska.

[Bj Nelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed. I love the way Kristen Hannah writes - the descriptions of Alaska make me feel as if I am there, but it was such a dark book/story and then to have the ending arrive so abruptly and seem so unreal, it greatly disappointed me. I would say this is not her best effort.

[Dianeparente62gmail.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

This interesting, compelling novel explores many themes: the wildness and magnetism of Alaska, the traumatic effects of the Vietnam war on one man, domestic abuse and the power of love.


The characters are well developed, especially the teenager Leni Allbright who travels to Alaska with her mother (Cora) and Vietnam vet Ernt. Ernt has been given a cabin in a remote part of Alaska by a deceased war buddyand, given his job failures and the family's constant moving, decides to move to Alaska for a fresh start. The family has a rude awakening when the realities of the arctic winter close them into their cabin and bring Ernt's demons to the forefront. Cora takes the brunt of his unpredictable, violent anger, but loves and believes in the man he was before Vietnam.


Leni is a lonely young teenager when the family packs up an old Volkswagen bus and leaves Seattle for the wilderness of Alaska. She is the main character and the story is told from her point of view as she struggles with loneliness and the ever-increasing turmoil of her family as the Alaskan summer comes to an end. When fall comes, she enrolls in the village's one room schoolhouse where she encounters Matthew who becomes  her soulmate. The story cascades from one catastrophe after another--bears attacking the family's food-supplying animals, lack of money, the father's alcoholism, and the darkness of a long, dark, bitter cold, snow encompassing winter in the Great Alone.


The family, at least the women, make friends, all of which are interesting people, who pay a key role in the story. Eventually Leni and Cora have to leave Alaska and seek refuge with Cora's long-estranged parents in Seattle. Prior to their departure, Matthew and Leni head to the mountains to  escape the father's anger. Matthew receives near fatal injuries in a fall, thus changing the trajectory of his life. Leni discovers she is pregnant with Matthew's baby (MT)  who is born into a loving three-generation family in Seattle. When Cora develops lung cancer and dies, Leni and little MT head back to their Alaskan village and reconnect with Matthew and his family. The story ends with Leni and Matthew working together to restore the abandoned Allbright cabin.


The author who has lived in Alaska brings its natural wonders to life. forming a wonderful background to an essentially good story. Though I was pleased with the "happy ever after" ending, I was struck by a similar conclusion in the author's novel Night Road. In both books, the characters live through major traumas and emerge changed but intact, revealing the author's perhaps too strong optimism. The strong mother-daughter bond, the coming  together of a remote community in times of trouble, and the Matthew-Leni love story all add depth to a well-told tale that was a delight to read.

[Franchesca Tedaldi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is over five hundred pages long. Initially I thought this will take forever to read, however once I started I couldn’t put it down. It’s an easy read, more for teenagers I figured. The visuals of Alaska were stunning and the descriptions were vivid. A family of three move from the city to The Alaskan bush. The husband was a former POW from Vietnam with major anger issues. He suffered from PTSD and drank way too much. His wife Cora had to put up with his physical abuse and controlling ways. Alaska in the winter is very dark with only 6 hours of daylight which aggravated his condition. He was always irritated and talking to himself and having nightmares. His daughter had to watch the abuse on a regular basis of her mother. This book was predictable as far as an abusive husband and former POW. I felt bad for Leni the teenaged daughter who had no clue as to what to do each time her father went off on the mother. The isolation of Alaska was making him crazier and crazier until he decided to build a wall to keep “EVERYONE” out. Which also meant keeping his family IN. This is where I figured the titled applied. Leni was totally alone emotionally living in a place which was so isolated from the rest of the world. The bulk of the book was about abuse and misery, however there were some good times with a few neighbors and one boy in particular (Matthew). And this is where the predictability came in. Yes the twist after Matthew’s accident I didn’t expect, but the rest was easy to figure out.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well Done

It felt slow, the read itself; but I decided that was necessary to really pull the flavor of the relationships together. Very intricate feelings portrayed in a very pure & basic environment. Rural Alaska was as interesting to learn about as well as the character development. Again, Well Done!

[Linda C McCann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kristan says the Great Alone is a love letter to Alaska but it's also a scary place to live that allows no mistakes. The book put me on an emotional roller coaster from the highest to the lowest. Some parts were hard for me to read and others were so beautiful I could hardly wait to pick it up again. Still love, hate and friendship endures and continues to grow.

[Jeanmansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A page turner! It demonstrates a mother’s love, opens the window onto the brutality of life off-the-grid in the harshest parts of Alaska, and inspires readers to follow their guts and hearts. I read it during a prolonged blackout in No Cal when we also had no running water, so I felt very pleased with the comforts we had :).

[Tanya · Rating 1 out of 5]

A soap opera with one-dimensional characters. The 13-year old's narrative voice is far from believable and the plot is pretty obvious, which is not surprising when the characters can be simplified to two adjectives each.
The only refreshing thing was the scenery descriptions and the survival premise in Alaska, but even that didn't sound too realistic.
I dropped it after a third.

[Geri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story ! Adventure, love, loss, heartache , survival and perseverance.

I loved this story ! Adventure, love, loss, heartache , survival and perseverance. Finding one's self among a community of lifelong friends.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read! It made me really grateful for all the everyday luxuries, like heat, light, indoor plumbing, that we take for granted. She is a wonderful author, I loved The Nightengale and I look forward to reading more of her work.

[Susan Fleming · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am officially addicted to Kristin Hannah's writing. I absolutely fell in love with this book as much as the last three.
This woman never fails to disappoint!
A heartfelt love story between a young mother and daughter who just speaks to your soul.
Loved it!

[Denise Vander Wall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing, Kristin Hannah did it again!! It gives you all the feels…happy, sad, scared, anger. I laughed & cried many times during this book. Loved how it all comes back around at the end, coming together to make the story complete. SO GOOD!!

[Linda Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book of challenges


The characters are faced with challenges and decisions that pulled you into the story. The GreatvAlone is the perfect title.

[Marion Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read about Leni a girl growing up in Seattle USA in the 1970’s then moved to Alaska after her father returns from Vietnam war. The family has a tumultuous time as Leni comes of age.

[Jane Shipley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book!

[Amber Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Start to finish such a great read

[Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I had purchased the book until about half away through. I stopped and put chased the book and read it. The summary is accurate!

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is good and I liked it most of the way but it got really dark and then more and more depressing. Not my cup of tea

[Kylie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a great book. But a page turner.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story. An Alaskan adventure. War PTSD turned into domestic abuse.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of my favorites from this author. I gad much higher hopes based on the setting and subject. Seemed like she was trying to meet a page number quota.

[Connie Wharton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. Loved Leni and pretty much everything by this author.

[Vicki Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second time I have read this book in the past five years. Kristin Hanna is a great writer who can really make you feel what the characters are living. Highly recommend this book.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

ONE MILLION STARS OMG THIS WAS SO GOOD I MAY NEVER RECOVER

[Kelli Doss · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Surviving to overcoming! Great book

[Karen Kemp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book gave me a whole different view of Alaska, and also a whole lot to think about. Good read -- epic story.