The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

"You think I should go back for her?" she asked.

"I think you stand by the people you love."

Synopsis:

Ernt Allbright isn't the same man he was before the Vietnam War. He is angry and volatile. After losing his job, again, he decides that he is moving his family to Alaska to live off the land in the last frontier.

Leni is thirteen years old when they move and is caught between her parents complicated love for each other. She hopes that Alaska gives her family what it needs-a place to belong and somewhere to call home.

As the long summer days turn to long dark nights, tensions arise and violence ensues. In the middle of nowhere Alaska, the Allbright's have nobody to save them but themselves.

Review:

This book is one of few that have made me cry and choke back tears for over half of it. Because I want you to feel the same amount of emotion, I tried to leave out as many spoilers as I could while writing the synopsis.

Kristin Hannah was able to create characters that are complex and deep in a very short amount of time. This lent itself to characters that were easy to connect with, feel for, and live alongside. Without such rich characters, I really doubt that this book would have had the effect that it did on me as a reader.

The supporting characters were some of my favorites as well! The book focuses on Leni (mostly) but her interactions with all the other characters in the book helped to shape the new life that she was living. They exemplified the idea that Alaska was a place for people to go where their reasons remained their own. They were such a supportive community.

When you pair her amazing characters with her ability to create such imagery about Kaneq, Alaska, you are met with a story that both challenges you and supports you. Hannah did a great job of making me feel like I also lived in Alaska with the Allbrights. I was able to feel the severity and beauty of the mountainous and unforgiving landscape.

The Great Alone is a tragic, yet enduring, tale about loss, grief, family, anger, and most importantly love.

I will definitely be keeping this book on my shelf forever and hope to spread the impact of this book to many others!

Happy reading.