The Great Alone |
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
The Great Alone, Kristin Hannah's new novel takes us into the lives of the Allbrights. Ernt, husband, father, and veteran recently returned from Viet Nam; Cora, loyal wife and mother; and their daughter, 13 year old Lenora (Leni) are a fragile family.
It is 1974 and Ernt has lost yet another job, and is
angry at being tossed aside once more. Fed up with the way America is headed, he
decides to move his family to Alaska to live off the grid, on some land left to
him by an old army buddy. Both Cora and Leni are unsure about the move, but
Cora will go anywhere and do anything for Ernt, and Leni dares to hope the move
will make things better for all of them.
They arrive in Alaska ill-prepared for the harsh life
they are taking on. Fortunately, the harsh Alaskan wilderness builds strong
communities and their new neighbours help the Allbrights to settle in and to hunt,
fish, and gather the needed resources for the coming
winter. Ernt, Cora and
Leni make friends and join in the community, but Ernt’s paranoia
and unpredictability
begin to overshadow Cora and Leni’s lives and he begins to isolate
them from
the very people who can help them survive in the north.
As the days grow shorter and darkness descends, Ernt’s
demons grow stronger and Cora and Leni realize the dangers they face are just
as great inside their little cabin as outside in the wilderness. They are alone
and will have to protect themselves from everything.
This is a story of love, loss, and survival that pulls
you into the wilderness with each chapter, one that you won’t want to leave
once you start reading.