Full of emotion, and with picturesque descriptions of the beautiful and dangerous Alaskan landscape, The Great Alone is an epic story of love, of family and home. Powerful and heartbreaking, author Kristin Hannah tells the story of struggling husband and wife Ernt and Cora, and their teenage daughter Lenora, or Leni, in 1974, showing the capacity for endurance, tolerance, strength, and dedication to family.
When Ernt returns home after being a POW in Vietnam, he is not the same happy husband and father he once was. Angry and on edge, privately suffering, he is continually searching for freedom, a new and peaceful place to call home with his supportive wife and young daughter. The perfect opportunity arises, and he impulsively moves them to a remote village in Alaska. With no running water or electricity, wild animals and harsh weather, this new way of life is focused on survival. Though they have some reservations, Leni and Cora are dedicated and devoted, and go all in. With support from the small, neighborly Alaskan community, they learn to hunt and live off the land, adapting to the challenging lifestyle in hopes of having a happy family life.
Related: 10 Authors Like Kristin Hannah
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When the endless Alaskan summer days turn dark and frigid, Ernt’s PTSD is triggered, and his anger and violent behavior put Leni and Cora in grave danger. Living in isolation, with secrets and fear, mother and daughter must be physically and mentally strong to make some life changing decisions before it’s too late.
The hopes for fresh beginnings and endless love turn into misguided obsessions and uncontrollable domestic violence, causing a whirlwind of emotions. Reminiscent of Kristin Hannah’s previous novel The Nightingale—where she showed us the strength of brave women risking their lives for others in the French Resistance in World War II—The Great Alone is a story where fiercely independent women must fight to survive, risking their lives for the love of family, community, and each other. Combining elements of resilience, human nature, and the love we have for our family, The Great Alone is an exceptional book.
Related: 20 Historical Fiction Books About Life During World War II
About Kristin Hannah
Kristin Hannah is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels including the international blockbuster The Nightingale, Winter Garden, Night Road, and Firefly Lane.
Her novel, The Nightingale, has been published in 43 languages and is currently in movie production at TriStar Pictures, which also optioned her novel, The Great Alone. Her novel, Home Front has been optioned for film by 1492 Films (produced the Oscar-nominated The Help) with Chris Columbus attached to direct.
Kristin is a former-lawyer-turned writer who lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband. Her novel, Firefly Lane, became a runaway bestseller in 2009, a touchstone novel that brought women together, and The Nightingale, in 2015 was voted a best book of the year by Amazon, Buzzfeed, iTunes, Library Journal, Paste, The Wall Street Journal and The Week. Additionally, the novel won the coveted Goodreads and People’s Choice Awards. The audiobook of The Nightingale won the Audiobook of the Year Award in the fiction category.
Read Kristin Hannah's The Great Alone, and then check out her other novels!
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This article originally appeared on BookTrib.
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