The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah

Put this on your summer reading list! I just finished The Great Alone, an epic tale of survival set in the rugged and unforgiving wilderness of 1970’s Alaska. This is only the second book I’ve read by this author, the first being The Nightingale, a captivating story of two sisters who help save lives during World War II. This book was likewise fascinating, and I’m looking forward now to adding all of Hannah’s books (she has many) to my list of must-reads.

Leni Allbright comes to Alaska the same way many people do: in search of a better life. Leni’s father is a Vietnam veteran, returning home with PTSD and a dream of finding a fresh start. One of his dead Army buddies wills him a piece of land in Kaneq, Alaska, and so the family heads north in a dilapidated van with very little money and even less idea of what they’re getting into. Ernt, Leni’s dad, is volatile and tempermental. His stormy relationship with Cora, the mother, is a source of anguish for Leni, who just wants somewhere she can belong.

Immediately the kind, colorful people of Kaneq embrace the Allbrights. Not only do they assist in the cleanup of their critter-filled cabin, they help them prepare for winter. It’s a serious business, since winter lasts eight months and only the toughest survive. Planting vegetables, raising goats, and learning to hunt are only a few of the tasks the Allbrights must learn before they’re ready to face their first winter in the tough Alaskan wilderness.

The story focuses on Leni and her blossoming relationship with Matthew Walker, one of the few boys in the small settlement. Their friendship is sweet—a nice contrast to the ugliness we see going on between some of the adults. The worst of these is Leni’s dad, who aligns himself with the hard-headed conspiracy theorists in the town. He becomes an outspoken advocate against tourism and change in Kaneq.

Over the years, as Ernt grows more and more abusive and irrational, he succeeds in alienating everyone who once helped his family. Leni finds herself at odds between the boy she loves and the father who wants to tear them apart. As another winter descends on Alaska and the Allbright’s tiny home is once more blanketed in snow, their fragile family begins to fracture. When things finally come to a head, Leni and her mother must finally learn what it truly means to survive.

This is a beautifully written tale of love and loss in the wilds of Alaska. Not only does it lay bare a once-forgotten corner of our planet, but it also explores the dark and hidden recesses of the human mind. Man’s struggle against nature, as clearly depicted in the book’s pages, is provoking. But it pales in comparison to the real crux of the novel: man’s struggle against himself.