The Great Alone: A Story of Love, Heartbreak and Survival, From the Bestselling Author of The Nightingale

by Kristin Hannah

Set against the beauty of the Alaskan wilderness, The Great Alone is a daring, beautiful, stay-up-all-night story about love and loss, from the bestselling author of The Four Winds, Kristin Hannah.

The New York Times number one bestseller.

A woman has to be tough as steel up here. You can’t count on anyone to save you and your children. You have to be willing to save yourselves.

Thirteen-year-old Leni is coming of age in a tumultuous time. Caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, she dares to hope that Alaska will lead to a better future for her family, and a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if it means following him into the unknown.

As Leni grows up in the shadow of her parents’ increasingly volatile marriage, she meets Matthew. And Matthew – thoughtful, kind, brave – makes her believe in the possibility of a better life . . .

With her trademark combination of elegant prose and deeply drawn characters, Kristin Hannah celebrates the remarkable and enduring strength of women.

'A rich, compelling novel of love, sacrifice and survival, as epic as the Alaskan landscape it so vividly describes' - Kate Morton, author of The House at Riverton

‘A masterclass’ - Karen Swan, author of The Spanish Promise.

• ISBN10: 1447286030
• ISBN13: 9781447286035
• Publish Date: 10 January 2019 (first published 1 February 2018)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 23 November 2023
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Imprint: Pan Books
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 448
• Language: English

Reviews

[tylerrosereads]

4.5 stars
Wow. Just wow.

So I'll be honest I switched to the audiobook after chapter 4. I didn't do it because I thought reading the physical book was boring, I did it because I needed to get the story faster. I felt like reading the book dragged and was a little slow, but I was so invested in the characters and the setting that I NEEDED to know what was going to happen next.

I enjoyed the all the descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness and I really enjoyed the characters. I thought everyone was really flushed out and strong and I connected with them all very well. The overall arc of Leni's story was really satisfying, I cried and I smiled, and most importantly, the ending was really satisfying.

Link to blog post with full spoliery review coming soon!

[adamfortuna]

I’ve always had a fascination with Alaska. It’s always seemed like the most expansive wilderness that’s still mostly untamed. That would be even more true back in 1974 where this book takes place. I’m that wild setting, The Great Alone ties together enough different storylines, all from the same household, that you feel connected to their lives, their fears and their dreams. This had similarities to Educated, but with more tears, less fundamentalism and equal amounts of fear that the government is out to get you.

[jamiereadthis]

“It’s not you, it’s me,” I say to this book, since Alaska survival should be my thing.

This was such a great book, so well written. I stayed up late last night to finish it. I love books that move me and following the life of Leni and her parents. This story tugged at my heart. One of the things I loved is how Alaska was like another character in the book. It was both beautiful and threatening. This is the second book from this author I’ve read and I can’t wait to read some more of her books.