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    The Great Alone: A Novel
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    The Great Alone: A Novel
    Unavailable
    The Great Alone: A Novel
    Audiobook15 hours

    The Great Alone: A Novel

    Written by Kristin Hannah

    Narrated by Julia Whelan

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    *The #1 New York Times bestseller*

    The next audiobook sensation from Kristin Hannah, bestselling author of The Nightingale.

    This program is read by acclaimed narrator Julia Whelan, whose enchanting voice brought Gone Girl and Fates and Furies to life. Kristin Hannah reads the acknowledgements.

    Alaska, 1974.
    Unpredictable. Unforgiving. Untamed.
    For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival.

    Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.

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

    At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the Allbrights’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources.

    But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves.

    In this unforgettable portrait of human frailty and resilience, Kristin Hannah reveals the indomitable character of the modern American pioneer and the spirit of a vanishing Alaska—a place of incomparable beauty and danger. The Great Alone is a daring, beautiful, stay-up-all-night audiobook about love and loss, the fight for survival, and the wildness that lives in both man and nature.

    Praise for The Great Alone:

    "Listeners, beware: You won't want to stop listening to narrator Julia Whelan's performance of this complex story of survival and family...With pitch-perfect timing and a touch of drama, Whelan exquisitely builds the tension, creating an enveloping atmosphere of foreboding that's difficult to turn away from...a don't miss audiobook experience." — AudioFile Magazine

    "Reliably alluring...The Great Alone is packed with rapturous descriptions of Alaskan scenery… Hannah remembers and summons an undeveloped wilderness, describing a gloriously pristine region in the days before cruise ships discovered it." — The New York Times Daily Review

    "Kristin Hannah's new novel makes Alaska sound equally gorgeous and treacherous — a glistening realm that lures folks into the wild and then kills them there." — The Washington Post

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateFeb 6, 2018
    ISBN9781427287540
    Unavailable
    The Great Alone: A Novel
    Author

    Kristin Hannah

    Kristin Hannah is an award-winning international number one bestselling author with over 25 million copies of her books sold worldwide. Her most recent titles, The Four Winds, The Nightingale and The Great Alone won numerous best fiction awards and her earlier novel, Firefly Lane, is currently a bestselling series on Netflix. Kristin is a lawyer-turned-writer and is the mother of one son. She and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest near Seattle.

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    Reviews for The Great Alone

    4/5

    1,600 ratings134 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This was the best book I’ve read in 2020 by a long shot.
    • 4/5
      “The Great Alone” is a novel that joins several other books, fiction and nonfiction, that have become popular in the past few years featuring dysfunctional families. Two nonfiction titles, “Hillbilly Elegy” and “Educated,” became cottage industries on their own. “The Great Alone,” unlike those two, is fiction, but it reads so much like nonfiction, it’s hard to separate it from the others. The story is about Leni Allbright and her ill-prepared family who migrate to the backwoods of Alaska when her abusive Vietnam POW father attempts to escape his past. He carries his problems with him, and his wife and daughter suffer for it. He creates a living hell for both of them. With help for incredibly loving neighbors, the two women manage to survive. I enjoyed this book, but I must say, as a former high school English teacher, some of the imagery—similies and metaphors—were a bit much for me. The temptation when writing about Alaska (and I understand because I’ve been there) is to turn every sentence and each view into a metaphor. That said, there are limits to which images work and which don’t. Hannah uses many that are beautiful but a few that are awkward....at least in my humble opinion. I would also classify this book as primarily a book for female readers. I know that sounds sexist, and I don’t mean it to be, but I would guess that the vast majority of readers of “The Great Alone” are women. One review service named “The Great Alone” as the year’s best historical novel, and it is richly deserving of that recognition.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book think it is one of her best books.
    • 5/5
      This is a winner. A real winner. I immediately sent it to my best friend right after I closed the book; her heart lies in Alaska and I know on an inherent level she will adore this book as much, if not more, than I did. She belongs, just like Leni and Cora and Matthew. This was a real ride. Ups and downs (a whole bunch of downs) but just so good. Such a page turner. I have gripes (of course I have gripes, I always have gripes) (sometimes I don't) but Kristin Hannah won me over with The Great Alone. Everyone says they loved The Nightingale. I, mesdames et messieurs, did not love it. I liked it. I thought it was overly dramatic and unrealistic. As someone whose been reading novels set in and around and about the Holocaust and World War II since I was in elementary school (by choice), I like to think I have a good grasp on the horrific reality of that time period. The Nightingale felt like a fluffy, lite version of events, very little of which I found to plausible.I was afraid that The Great Alone would disappoint me in the same way that The Nightingale did and I'm happy to report that it did not. It changed my mind about the writer that Kristin Hannah is. The drama is plenty and comes at you fast and yes, some of it seems a slight bit far-fetched, like when Large Marge bursts into the court room RIGHT ON TIME and Matthew and Leni just HAVE TO DO DANGEROUS THINGS THAT WILL CHANGE THEM FOREVER but I could reason that, okay, maybe it ~~could~~ have happened. The characters were real enough for me that what happened to them I also allowed to be real.That's the thing. I loved these characters. I love Leni and Matthew and Cora and Mr. Walker and Large Marge (more on her in a bit.) I was sad and am still sad that I had to part with their lives and their stories. I'm sad I had to part with Alaska (in print only, I've never been and don't think I'd be fit to go!) I didn't want to leave the community of Kaneq and its people and its customs. Three dimensional, real, believable and so life-like. I feel like I'd recognize Leni on the street if she were to pass by me. The *other* *last* *I promise* thing that prevents me from giving this a full five stars is Large Marge. Of course I love her. Of course she was hilarious and strong and comforting. But she was a token black character. She was a diverse figure in that her skin color was different from the majority of people in Alaska, but she was your stereotypical, token person of color character that I felt was super obvious was used to "spice up" the narrative. Do I think an insulated, tight-knit white community in Alaska would welcome a loud, large black woman in the 1970s with open arms? No, sorry. Do I think white, male society would have allowed not only a black woman but a WOMAN to be a powerhouse lawyer in a big city in the 1970s? Again, sorry, no. Sure, it's possible. But it's not plausible. I feel that her race and the stereotypical "boisterous, always positive" black woman narrative was used as a bit of a crutch for the story. To give it some flavor outside of the white, white, white community/story/state/snow/everything. Think Queen Latifah in Hairspray. Big, loud, comforting, fun. Someone you can count on to make everything better. It isn't to say this type of woman doesn't and didn't exist, it's just that it's overused and feels tired. It doesn't feel fair in 2018 for this token character to still be used as just that: a token.Also, Large Marge's size. Spoiler alert: her name is Marge and she is large. She is big boned. She is fleshy. She is BIG. Her body size was described and/or mentioned in just about every scene that she played a part in. Even just the smallest moments where she might have said one word, we heard about her large body. I think it just played into that same stereotype. My point: Self-assured, confident black women are so much more than a comfort figure for white people and they should be portrayed as such in novels.This flaw and the somewhat overly-dramatic flair of certain parts of the storytelling did not take away from the overall heart and soul of this novel. I loved and I grew and I survived with the Allbrights and the Walkers and I enjoyed it to the very end.
    • 5/5
      I felt like I was actually there! Emotional. Very emotional. Happiness, sadness, hope, no hope, rage, and peacefulness.

    • 5/5
      Another great read by Kristen Hannah. The narrator was fabulous!!
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed reading about life in Alaska. The winters are long and hard to endure. The summer seems like the best time to visit. The mountains and waterways sound beautiful. The character of Leni was very interesting. She had a very hard life growing up and her father Ernt was very abusive to her mother, Cora. Ernt was easy to dislike but also to feel sorry for as he had post traumatic stress from his tour in Vietnam. He was nasty to everyone he came in contact with. Cora should have left her husband from the beginning and that is basis for the story. The consequences of Ernt not getting the help he needs and Cora and Leni getting the brunt of his anger. The book is a bit depressing and you have to be in the right frame of mind to read it. I look forward to reading another Hannah book but I hope it's not another tearjerker.
    • 3/5
      Skimmed through the last third. Couldn’t take the over and over abuse knowing at some point there would be a solution to end it.
    • 3/5
      As other reviewers have said, I had high expectations for this book. And it was a good read, but not worthy of the "wow" that others have rated it. I give it 3 1/2 stars. The story is somewhat predictable. You know from the beginning that abuse will be part of the story because of PTSD. The survivalist twist was unexpected and I was intrigued by that but sadly, it was a thin thread in this story. Then an accident happens and it is a gallop to the end of the story. So much storyline was condensed into a few pages. Having said that, I did like the characters because they were wholly fleshed out. A very readable writing style.
    • 5/5
      Loved the ending of this book. Kristin Hannah really made Alaska, a place I've always wanted to visit, come alive.
    • 3/5
      The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah is the story of the Allbright family: father Ernt, mother Cora, and daughter Leni. Ernt has come back from Vietnam a changed man: alcoholic, abusive, unable to settle to any job or any place. Now he's decided that the Alaskan wilderness is the place for the family, so they head north to eke out a living near Homer, Alaska. It's rough, and without the help of the local community, the family would not have survived the first winter there. It gets rougher: Ernt uses his fists on Cora non-stop, yet she won't leave, take herself and Leni to safety.The book is well-written and made me long for long northern summer nights and the aurora, for that clean fresh air and sea-scented breeze that is the smell of the sub-Arctic. I love the Canadian north and this book reminded me of all that is good there. However, the book became too predictable too soon. The originality and the vitality of the text ends at the conclusion of the 1974 section of the novel, and from then on it's pretty commonplace, with an ending you can see a mile away. Still, it was good reading, and absorbing, but ultimately not as good as the only other book I've read by Hannah: The Nightingale. (less)
    • 5/5
      So good!! I felt as though I was in Alaska.
    • 3/5
      I am a huge Kristin Hannah fan, but this one wasn’t my favorite. So depressing!! Her writing is absolutely beautiful, but I trudged to get through this one.
    • 5/5
      What a great book and story! Love the storyteller too!
    • 5/5
      I love the strong women in this story and tales of Alaska a land that is very beautiful and yet can be very dangerous .
    • 4/5
      This book conjured up every emotion. It was an emotional roller coaster with each chapter bringing you to a beautiful ending. I learned so much about the state of Alaska and know I’d never have the courage to live there but admire those who do.
    • 5/5
      Devourable

      Adventure, coming of age, life threatening problems to wrestle with and solve in an epic Alaskan setting full of rich characters that drive you to support the harsh decisions you never thought you could.
    • 2/5
      The Allbright family moves to Alaska in 1974 to start a new life together, away from the troubles of their past. The father, Ernt, a Vietnam Vet suffering from what is now called as PTSD, is an abusive alcoholic. The mother, Cora, loves Ernt obsessively and, though the target of his abuse, is afraid to leave him. Protagonist and daughter, Leni, tries her best to deal with her dysfunctional family while growing up in a small community in the harsh Alaskan wilderness.

      I enjoyed the parts about surviving in Alaska and adapting to a new environment. I liked the feel of the small community of colorful characters. I appreciated the author’s descriptions of the majestic beauty of the landscape. The audio book is beautifully read by Julia Whelan.

      It is difficult for me to read about domestic violence, and as the story progresses, the plot becomes more focused Ernt’s mental instability and violent temper. The second half is filled with melodrama and the concluding sections contain those “twists and turns” that I generally dislike.
    • 5/5
      An amazing book about a family who moves to Alaska to be safe. Little do they know there is as much danger inside their little cabin as there is outside...maybe more. It is also a coming of age and first love story that are wonderfully told. The sudden drama towards the end of the book was an unexpected twist but it brought the characters full circle. This is my 2nd book by Kristin Hannah and I have yet to be disappointed.
    • 4/5
      The Great Alone: A Novel is a book about the hardships of homesteading in Alaska in the 1970s. Additionally, the story is about the effects of the Vets who served in Viet Nam and how one particular honored veteran took his anxiety out on his wife and daughter. The book is difficult to read because of the tremendous hardships that people endured. The story was well researched and written and thus received four stars in this review.
    • 5/5
      Leni moves to Alaska with her Vietnam vet dad and her hippie mother in the 1970's. They are not prepared for the long, dark winter but with the help of their colorful neighbors they eek their way through their first winter. Unfortunately, her father's memories of his time as a POW in Vietnam are triggered during the winters when they are all shut in together and Leni and her mom are constantly walking on egg shells trying to keep him from attacking his wife. He eventually goes to the North Slope to get a job and earn money during the winter, but after a few years he is fired from his position. The abuse becomes more extreme and he tries to "protect" his family. Leni and her mom take drastic measures and move away from Alaska, spending some years in Seattle, but eventually Leni returns to Alaska and the boy she fell in love with.
    • 5/5
      4.5 starsLeni is only 13-years old in the 1970s when her parents decide to leave everything behind and move to Alaska (quite unprepared). Although they all love it there, Leni’s father Ernt does not do well in the dark and cold months. He was in Vietnam and has not been well since coming home. This creates very dangerous situations for Leni and her mother Cora, although Cora has this odd relationship with Ernt and they love each other ferociously, anyway. The family has moved around a lot and Leni is happy to meet and make a friend her own age in this small town in Alaska, but life at home is always tumultuous. I listened to the audio and it was so good. The descriptions were amazing, and I was pulled right in, and I stayed interested all the way through (except one short section toward the end that wasn’t quite as engrossing). I loved some of the secondary characters, especially Large Marge. This is likely to make my favourites this year.
    • 4/5
      Another excellent book by Kristan Hannah. This story gives a lot of insight into living in Alaska. There is also a lot of information about living with an abusive husband and father. This is a well written story. I highly recommend this book.
    • 5/5
      A desperate family seeks a new beginning in the unforgiving wilderness of Alaska only to find that the greatest risk for survival lies within their doors.
    • 4/5
      Alaska, 1974.Unpredictable. Unforgiving. Untamed.For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival.Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for 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.At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the Allbrights’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources.But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves.
    • 3/5
      The Great Alone is the story of a broken family trying to find peace in the Alaskan wilderness in the 1970s. Ernt, the father/husband, came back from Vietnam broken and mentally unstable from his experience as a POW. His wife, Cora, can't forget the man she knew before the war and stays with him through an abusive relationship. Their daughter, Leni, is growing up with only this as her example of a loving relationship. Leni, who arrives in Alaska as an 9 year old, becomes the focus of the story as she grows into a young woman who can survive the Alaskan wilderness. They live in a cabin with no electricity or plumbing and have to learn quickly how to survive the brutal Alaskan winters. The eclectic community around them accepts them and helps and teaches them. Leni falls in love with a local boy, Matthew. Of course, Matthew's father is hated by her own father. Nothing is ever easy in this book, to say the least. Kristin Hannah seems to be a wildly popular author these days, and I can see why. This was the first book of hers that I've read and it's a page turner. It is plot driven, with characters you root for, and is somehow both comfortingly predictable and suspenseful at the same time. That being said, I think one of her novels was probably enough for me. Hannah's writing was too "movie-ish" for me. Lots of sweeping scenes and characters that you could visualize easily, but never quite seemed real or complex enough for me. It was a nice diversion and I would keep her other books in mind if a topic really intrigues me, but most likely I'm done.
    • 2/5
      Started strong, finished weak (and took too long to get there)
    • 5/5
      A great book about love, forgiveness and surviving.
    • 3/5
      I found this book incredibly frustrating after how good The Nightingale was and reading Bastard Out of Carolina. Hannah tries to do far too many things in this book and ends up doing none of them well. Her portrayals of abuse are undercut by the fairy tale ending, there is no shortage of throwaway characters and details, and given the agency of the female leads in Nightingale it was unfortunate that in this book the female lead never really does anything.I wish I had skipped the first 100 pages, read every third page from 100-400, read 400-500 which I legitimately liked, and finally stopped instead of reading 500+.
    • 4/5
      Hmm ... How to be delicate about this book which WAS a bestseller, from a proven best-selling author. My wife LOVED it, and insisted I read it. It's title, THE GREAT ALONE, is a line from the poet, Robert Service, a favorite of my maternal grandfather. And there's plenty in here about Alaska and its frontier roughness, even in the 1970s, which is when most of the story is set. It's a coming of age story, of young Leni Allbright, only child in a highly dysfunctional family. Her dad, Ernt, is a Vietnam veteran and former POW, suffering from PTSD. But I think most readers will agree that his wartime trauma does NOT excuse his beating and abusing his wife and daughter. Nope, he is just an abusive, jealous prick, who cant hold a job or get along with anybody - the obvious villain here. His wife, Cora, clings to the idea that he really loves her, and he didn't MEAN to beat the living crap out of her. It was the war, and she believes him when he says how sorry he is and he'll never do it again. So okay, she's trapped, and an enabler. But for nearly TWENTY YEARS? And so is Leni trapped. So that's basically the story here, set against a small Alaskan bush town that's trying to catch up with the 20th century. Ernt, a stubborn survivalist, is pitted against Tom Walker, a wealthy businessman, who is a much better man. Leni, of course, falls in love with Walker's son, etc., etc., etc. It's extremely easy to tell the good guys from the bad guys here. But it's actually a pretty compelling story for at least two-thirds of the book. After that it collapses into unbelievable - and violent - improbability, and, finally, romantic, ridiculous, happily-ever-after nonsense. But I finished it, wincing all the way. I am happy that my wife loved it, and can see why most women love Hannah's books, but I think this one will suffice for me. - Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER