Book Review: The Great Alone

I often pass over longer works when I'm looking for an audio book to accompany my exercise time. It just seems like such a time investment to begin a book that takes 15 hours to complete. This is especially true now that my knees can no longer endure my fast-paced 40-minute routines. Some days I only manage 20 minutes. Thankfully, I managed some longer time spells and also secured time while waiting in the car for Sean to finish football practice (never a sure bet, even though they have a designated end time). I'm so glad I didn't pass over this book due to the length or the cautionary content (language, violence, and sexual).

You can trust Kristin Hannah to craft a riveting story with a rich setting and believable characters. It is 1974, and thirteen-year-old Leni and her mother, Cora, never know quite what to expect from the man of the family, Vietnam POW Ernt Allbright. Like most battered women, Cora always believes the apologies, promises, and hopes. When Ernt inherits property in Alaska, it seems like the answer to their prayers. But Alaska demands a lot out of its inhabitants and the darkness can be enough to drive anyone crazy, let alone someone as unpredictable as Ernt.

As the back cover explains, "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." The author's portrayal of Alaska is both fascinating and frightening. It brought to mind the movie, Into the Wild. Not everyone is cut out for the artic tundra.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The cursing was to be expected from a character who is reeling from the aftereffects of war. It didn't persist in a lengthy way, though scattered throughout. The story sucked me in. My heart raced at the horrifying treatment Leni and Cora endured. The book made me think long and hard about the resilience of love and the magic of the mother-daughter bond. I put myself in their shoes and walked many a mile across their troublesome terrain. It was an experience worth taking and I wouldn't want someone to avoid this book because it isn't entirely clean. It may be easier to read in print, so you could skim past the questionable bits. Still, I loved the listen. Julia Whelan did a fantastic job with the narration. I wavered back and forth on whether to bill this as a highly recommended read. It would make an excellent book club read.

Content Caution: 📒