The Great Alone

By Kristen Hannah, 2017 St. Martin’s Press, 440 pages
Reviewed by Kathleen Gobos, Aug. 9, 2020

In Kristin Hannah’s historical novel “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.

This is the story of the Allbright family, Ernt, Cora and Leni. We meet the family soon after Ernt has come home from the Vietnam War and Leni is 13. Struggling living in society, Ernt inherits a home in Alaska and decides that is where they will live. They head off to the wilderness completely unprepared and full of emotional baggage.

The book is well-written and very descriptive. I have never been to Alaska, but the author paints such a vivid picture, you can almost smell the fresh air. Hannah’s description made me long for the beauty of Alaska but also confirmed that I could never live in the wilderness!

At times the book is predictable, especially toward the end, and at one point, I think about midway, was a little campy with a particular line that made me think of the movie “Dirty Dancing’s” line, “Nobody puts Baby in the corner.” I am sure the author wanted the line to be significant, just as “Dirty Dancing’s” line is, but it comes at such a pivotal moment that it just comes off campy.

The book also deals with tough subjects like the effects of war, PTSD, coming of age, loneliness, alcoholism, domestic violence, and abuse as well as deep love, relationships, family and the value of friends and community. It is all done in a way that will tug at your heartstrings and make you feel all sorts of emotions from laughter, crying and outright anger.

Even with some of the predictability I recommend reading this one. It is a page turner, gives us insight on human behavior on topics that are difficult, and the characters have depth and will stay with you after you have finished the book.