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.

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.

The Great Alone is a deeply emotional book that hit a lot of points for me. It made me laugh, cry, and I listened to almost all of the audiobook in a single day because I had to know what would happen next. Leni was a character that I immediately connected and empathized with. I didn’t realize we would be following her point of view for the whole book but I was glad it was so focused.

Kristin Hannah’s writing is concise and pulls you in and elevates the book. I loved her descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness, complicated love, and the small town side characters. The story really picked up around a third of the way in and after that it’s quite fast paced. While I can’t say I ever knew exactly what would happen next, a lot of the beats of the story felt expected and maybe almost soap opera-esque? So I’m not sure this is a story I’ll remember throughout my entire life, but I really enjoyed it and will probably think about it whenever I think about Alaska for a long time.

The audiobook was narrated by audiobook queen Julia Whelan who of course did an incredible job bringing the story to life. I’d definitely recommend reading it that way!