The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah is the perfect winter historical fiction novel. Granted, it spans many years of Leni’s life, so it’s not only set in winter, but a character of the story is the long, dark, Alaskan winter. The author writes vividly about what life is like in Alaska, and how the rest of the year is spent preparing for winter. You can tell Kristin Hannah has spent plenty of time there herself (make sure to read the author’s note). Set in the 1970’s, the book follows the story of Leni and her mom’s survival (from Alaska and Leni’s dad). The constant darkness makes Leni’s dad’s PTSD from Vietnam worse.

The book is emotional and heart-breaking, but poignant. I do not normally enjoy books described as emotional, but Kristin Hannah’s books are the exception. Her book, The Four Winds, is one of my all-time favorites.

Publisher’s Blurb:

“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 story about love and loss, the fight for survival, and the wildness that lives in both man and nature.”

Age Recommendation:

Adult

Trigger Warning: domestic abuse, PTSD, childhood trauma

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