The Great Alone

By Kristin Hannah

Kristin Hannah is a superb novelist.  Widely read.  This is her novel set in Alaska.  Alaska is commonly called “The Great Alone.”  But the great alone in this book probably refers, not just to Alaska, but to the aloneness of Leni Allbright.

The book begins with Leni a preteen.  She has a loving mother and an abusive father, who was traumatized in Vietnam.  During the 1970s, there was no significant help for veterans with PTSD.  The small family decides to leave civilization and move to a remote area of Alaska.  This is their story.  A story of adventure and love, but also a story of fear and violence. 

Kristin Hannah uses her storytelling ability to convey the pain and pathos of abuse in the home.  She sets her tale in the wild and the ruggedness of Alaska.

The book is hard to put down.  The tale is riveting.  The lessons are poignant.

Quite a good read!