I picked up The Great Alone purely because of all the love showered on it from so many book bloggers. On its own, the blurb didn’t sound particularly compelling, but if so many people are raving about it, then it should be good, right?
The Great Alone: Synopsis
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.
~ Synopsis from goodreads
The Great Alone: My Review
I liked this book, but didn’t really love it. The first half of the book is beautiful. I was drawn in by the characters, Alaska’s mysterious beauty, and the characters experiences trying to survive in the wild. I also loved how she subtly drew parallels between Alaska in the 1970s and America in the 2000s.
However, midway through the plot starts turning into a cliché. There are pacing issues; the first half was slow and deliberative (which I enjoyed), but the plot is rushed towards the end. Normally, I would like a book that moves fast, but this isn’t that sort of a book. It really felt like Hannah was racing towards a deadline trying to get this book completed.
I also felt that after establishing such fantastic characters in the beginning, Hannah just threw it all away by making them do crazy out-of-character stuff.
Here is an example. Throughout the book, the characters talk about how Alaska is a tough and dangerous place to live, and how you have to be extra-careful.
Alaska isn’t about who you were when you headed this way. It’s about who you become. You are out here in the wild, girls. That isn’t some fable or fairy tale. It’s real. Hard. Winter will be here soon, and believe me, it’s not like any winter you’ve ever experienced. It will cull the herd, and fast. You need to know how to survive.
This is told to us multiple times in the book by almost all the main characters.
Alaska herself can be Sleeping Beauty one minute and a bitch with a sawed-off shotgun the next.
And then what do these characters do? Stupid, impulsive shit – such as camping overnight in an isolated place, or trying to help someone after a fall instead of getting help from others, or drive a truck in a blizzard and get into an accident.
This absolutely drove me nuts. I’d much rather have a book with a weak plot, than a book with such inconsistent characters.
This is my first Kristin Hannah book, and while I generally liked it (the strong first half), this is not a book I”ll remember very fondly. What started off as a strong literary novel disintegrated into a very insipid Romeo and Juliet-esque romance.
Now I want to know, have you read this book? Is this Kristin Hannah’s general writing style? Will I like The Nightingale better? Do let me know in the comments.
