The year is 1974 and thirteen-year-old Leni Allbright and her mother walk on eggshells around her father Ernt. As a POW Vietnam Vet Ernt lives with nightmares that neither of them can imagine. So when he decides to move the family to Alaska to claim the land his fallen comrade left him Cora and Leni decide to embrace the decision as an adventure. They were woefully unprepared for the harshness of life in Alaska. Thankfully their new neighbors in the in fishing village welcomed them and taught them how to live life in a small cabin with no electricity and no running water. They learn the importance of stocking up and preparing for the fast-approaching winter, things like hunting, canning, and chopping wood. They learn the importance of neighbors. But even their new neighbors couldn't prepare them for what the harsh Alaskan winter would be like, the brutal snow, and the endless nights. The already abusive Ernt cannot keep his demons at bay during the endless nights. Everybody in the community knows or suspects that Ernt abuses Cora, but she stays because she loves him. Until the night three years later when he turns his anger towards Leni. That one night changes their lives in irrevocable ways. Will Leni's life ever be the same?
I think there is a little part of all of us that dreams of chucking it all and moving to Alaska. I know my husband and I have talked about more than once. In her new book, The Great Alone, Kristin Hannah gets honest about the fact that no matter how much we may romanticize Alaska, the truth is that it is brutally dangerous. As much as I love Leni and Cora I despised Ernt. I thought it was interesting the "prepper" mentality that he had because you all know how much I love apocalyptic books. Of course, he took it to extremes. I am not sure if the paranoia was because of his time as a POW or if it was just an inherent personality defect. I really enjoyed everything about The Great Alone. I thought that Leni was a strong young woman who learned a lot about life from her mother and not always because her mother always behaved the right way. My heart broke for Leni more than once, but her resiliency is a strong theme throughout this book and I was very pleased with the way the book ended. I don't think their story was over, though.
Bottom Line - Kristin Hannah has such a gift for telling stories that are just more. Her books are more than just words on paper. They have a way of making you feel like you are part of a different world. The Great Alone is just another place that I have visited thanks to the gift of Kristin Hannah. The Great Alone is on sale Tuesday, February 6th.
Details:
- The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
- On Facebook
- Pages: 448
- Publisher: St. Martin's Press
- Publication Date: 2/6/2018
- Buy it Here!
Post a Comment