Kristin Hannah’s The Great Alone happens to be the book my book club and I decided we would read together, and now that I am just about finished it, I wanted to share my honest thoughts.
Prior to reading this novel, the only other text by Hannah I have read is The Nightingale. I like referring to The Nightingale with the saying “if you know, you know,” and because I don’t wish to spoil the masterpiece that is The Nightingale for anyone who has it on their list, allow me to say that The Nightingale was one of the most profound texts I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It absolutely ruined me to my core, and I cried for a solid 40 minutes after finishing it, as it changed my life.
Knowing how talented a writer Hannah is, I was more than happy to begin reading The Great Alone, which tells the story of a family that relocates to Alaska to start over in life. Lenny, the main character, is the daughter of Ernt and Cora; Ernt served in the Vietnam War and returned home as a shell of the person he once was. Lenny and Cora struggle to adapt to the changes seen in Ernt, and also in moving to a location so remote that the only way to enter and exit is by plane or boat.
I will say I think The Nightingale is better than The Great Alone, but I almost feel as though I shot myself in the foot reading The Nightingale before any other of Hannah’s works because it did set such a standard. However, The Great Alone is brilliant in its portrayal of life lessons and hardships, and how strongly trauma can influence the outcome of one’s life.
The Great Alone is without a doubt a read, not a rid.
Photo by Kathrine Coonjohn on Unsplash
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