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A review by _askthebookbug
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
5.0
• r e v i e w •
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"Wild. That’s how I describe it all. My love. My life. Alaska. Truthfully, it’s all the same to me. Alaska doesn’t attract many; most are too tame to handle life up here. But when she gets her hooks in you, she digs deep and holds on, and you become hers. Wild. A lover of cruel beauty and splendid isolation. And God help you, you can’t live anywhere else." - Kristin Hannah.
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The Great Alone is considered as Kristin's best work followed by The Nightingale. I read The Nightingale few months ago and savoured the relationship between two sisters that was beautifully written by Kristin. But The Great Alone felt more intimate, perhaps because of how she highlights mother-daughter relationship. Any book that revolves around this aspect instantly attracts my eye and as often observed, becomes my favourite. This novel has no in between; you either love it or you don't and it goes without saying that I fall into the former category.
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The Allbright family moves to Alaska in 1974 after leading a nomadic life. Ernt insists on building a home in Alaska, on the land which is left behind by his friend and fellow soldier but his wife Cora and daughter, Leni aren't too happy about his decision. Kaneq seems harsh and when they see the dirty cabin they'll be living in, their hearts sink. But Ernt's rare happiness is what matters to them the most and they pack up their belongings and move in just before the onset of winter. Alaskan winters are brutal where people go missing, food is scarce and animals come to hunt. With the help of friendly neighbours, they redo their cabin, build a greenhouse and a protective fence for livestock but Cora and Leni know that it isn't the dangers from the outside that they find terrifying but it's Ernt's moods in the cold that makes their teeth chatter. Ernt who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam is haunted by nightmares and even slightest displeasure leads to him battering his wife and daughter. When winter finally arrives, their worst fears comes true.
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As Leni and Cora bear the brunt of Ernt's anger, the village of Kaneq comes together to support the women. Ernt's volatile moods teamed up with paranoia, sets the entire village on edge. Kristin writes about Ernt so vividly that I flinched more than once when he raised his fists against Cora. Leni who was just thirteen, spent her entire growing up years with the fear of upsetting her father but there's a visible switch in her understanding about his erratic behaviour as she grows up. Trapped in Alaska with a violent man, one woman and one girl are bound by love and duty but all it takes is one instant to snap under abuse. The Great Alone is a detailed novel about how it feels like to live with a husband who's unreliable and with a father who uses his wife as a punching bag. The abuse was hard to read, making me clench my teeth in anger. Leni's disturbing teenage years stole her innocence and replaced it with caution. Cora and Ernt's toxic relationship gave me a sense of helplessness and seeing Leni witnessing this strange relationship was absolutely heartbreaking to see.
.
The Great Alone is definitely not an easy read, often greeting the readers with varying emotions, few painful and few heartwarming. There's no doubt that Kristin is a master storyteller and after reading two novels by her, it only reaffirms that fact. If I had to choose between The Nightingale and The Great Alone, I'll instantly reach out for this. I definitely recommend this.
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Rating : 4.8/5.
.
"Wild. That’s how I describe it all. My love. My life. Alaska. Truthfully, it’s all the same to me. Alaska doesn’t attract many; most are too tame to handle life up here. But when she gets her hooks in you, she digs deep and holds on, and you become hers. Wild. A lover of cruel beauty and splendid isolation. And God help you, you can’t live anywhere else." - Kristin Hannah.
.
The Great Alone is considered as Kristin's best work followed by The Nightingale. I read The Nightingale few months ago and savoured the relationship between two sisters that was beautifully written by Kristin. But The Great Alone felt more intimate, perhaps because of how she highlights mother-daughter relationship. Any book that revolves around this aspect instantly attracts my eye and as often observed, becomes my favourite. This novel has no in between; you either love it or you don't and it goes without saying that I fall into the former category.
.
The Allbright family moves to Alaska in 1974 after leading a nomadic life. Ernt insists on building a home in Alaska, on the land which is left behind by his friend and fellow soldier but his wife Cora and daughter, Leni aren't too happy about his decision. Kaneq seems harsh and when they see the dirty cabin they'll be living in, their hearts sink. But Ernt's rare happiness is what matters to them the most and they pack up their belongings and move in just before the onset of winter. Alaskan winters are brutal where people go missing, food is scarce and animals come to hunt. With the help of friendly neighbours, they redo their cabin, build a greenhouse and a protective fence for livestock but Cora and Leni know that it isn't the dangers from the outside that they find terrifying but it's Ernt's moods in the cold that makes their teeth chatter. Ernt who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam is haunted by nightmares and even slightest displeasure leads to him battering his wife and daughter. When winter finally arrives, their worst fears comes true.
.
As Leni and Cora bear the brunt of Ernt's anger, the village of Kaneq comes together to support the women. Ernt's volatile moods teamed up with paranoia, sets the entire village on edge. Kristin writes about Ernt so vividly that I flinched more than once when he raised his fists against Cora. Leni who was just thirteen, spent her entire growing up years with the fear of upsetting her father but there's a visible switch in her understanding about his erratic behaviour as she grows up. Trapped in Alaska with a violent man, one woman and one girl are bound by love and duty but all it takes is one instant to snap under abuse. The Great Alone is a detailed novel about how it feels like to live with a husband who's unreliable and with a father who uses his wife as a punching bag. The abuse was hard to read, making me clench my teeth in anger. Leni's disturbing teenage years stole her innocence and replaced it with caution. Cora and Ernt's toxic relationship gave me a sense of helplessness and seeing Leni witnessing this strange relationship was absolutely heartbreaking to see.
.
The Great Alone is definitely not an easy read, often greeting the readers with varying emotions, few painful and few heartwarming. There's no doubt that Kristin is a master storyteller and after reading two novels by her, it only reaffirms that fact. If I had to choose between The Nightingale and The Great Alone, I'll instantly reach out for this. I definitely recommend this.
.
Rating : 4.8/5.