The Great Alone

Product Information

In Kristin Hannah’s The Great Alone , a desperate family seeks a new beginning in the near-isolated wilderness of Alaska only to find that their unpredictable environment is less threatening than the erratic behavior found in human nature. Ernt was a prisoner of war for several years. We know now about PTSD and the ways in which Ernt would have been suffering and the ways in which he could now be helped, but that help didn’t exist in the seventies. Additionally, the Vietnam vets were often treated badly by people upon their return. How do you think Ernt’s war experiences changed him? Do you believe, as Cora tells Leni, that he was “changed” when he came home? Did the war and PTSD “make” Ernt violent, or do you believe he was violent before?

Dad nodded. To Leni, he said, “Bo Harlan was the crew chief and I was the door gunner. We looked out for each other. We were together when our bird went down and we got captured. We went through hell together.” Never haa the setting of a book been so intoxicating to me than the Vietnam-era Alaska that Kristin Hannah described. On numerous occasions, I found myself googling “Alaska 1970s” to get an even clearer picture of the beautiful state which was itself the main character in this book. (That’s what I call a real book hangover!) If you experienced the seventies, what was it like to read about those years? Did it match up with your memories of it, or color the story for you? Did the popular culture references remind you of your own life? And if you didn’t experience the seventies, what did you learn about the era from the novel? A huge thank you to the Mimi from Goodreads for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Reader Reviews

Leni’s father, Ernt, suffers from PTSD after being imprisoned in Vietnam. He’s damaged and volatile, difficult to live with, but suffering deeply. McNary, Dave (February 5, 2018). "Sony Buys 'Nightingale' Author's Alaska Novel 'The Great Alone' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved March 13, 2021. The Great Alone” does not disappoint. This was another fascinating, thought-provoking, and captivating read. Heartbreaking at times... but there were also moments of great love and unbelievable kindness. A gripping story where I was desperate to know what was going to happen next. A bittersweet but satisfying ending topped off this amazing read.

In preparation, Cora goes to the bank, but finds out the Ernt has cleared out her bank account. Instead, she goes to visit her parents (who she has a strained relationship with) to ask them for money. In 1974, a troubled Vietnam vet inherits a house from a fallen comrade and moves his family to Alaska. There are some deep themes to discuss in The Great Alone, from domestic violence to the impact of war on men. It’s an absorbing read and a great choice for a book club! There it was: the sad truth. Mama loved him too much to leave him. Still, even now, with her face bruised and swollen. Maybe what she'd always said was true, maybe she couldn't breathe without him, maybe she'd wilt like a flower without the sunshine of his adoration." She would give anything for a real friend right now. It was all she really wanted: Someone to talk to.They have a funeral for Geneva. Leni meets Aly, Matthew's sister. Cora gives Tom Walker her condolences and Ernst gets jealous. They argue after the funeral, and Ernst hits Cora. Leni realizes that it has happened before but this is the first time she's seen it.

but what i am grateful for, most of all, is how i was able to read about a place i have never been and fall in love with it, how i could find an undeniable softness for the harsh landscape of the alaskan wilderness, how i could come to understand the pure beauty of a place i have never seen.

Media Reviews

ON A COLD, BLEAK MORNING in mid-April, Leni got up early and staked out her place on the ratty floral sofa in the living room and turned on the Today show. She adjusted the rabbit ears to get a decent picture. When it popped into focus, Barbara Walters was saying “… Patricia Hearst, now calling herself Tania, seen here in this photograph holding an M1 carbine at the recent bank robbery in San Francisco. Eyewitnesses report that the nineteen-year-old heiress, who was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army in February…” Ten years after her teenage daughter went missing, a mother begins a new relationship only to discover she can't truly move on until she answers lingering questions about the past. Did you read The Great Alone? What did you think? If not, is it something you’d consider reading? The Great Alone Movie Adaptation I thought Hannah did a good job with the topic, though ultimately it is largely about abuse, which I think is inherently a dark and (to put it lightly) “unpleasant” topic. It’s just something to be aware of going into the book that the story spends a substantial amount of time on that issue.

a b Lewis, Andy (April 10, 2018). " 'The Great Alone' Writer Kristin Hannah on What Turned a Failed Draft into a Hit". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved March 13, 2021. While daunting at first, Alaska provides a good, new step once the family settles. However, when winter arrives, Ernt’s moods darken. What do you think it was about the winter that seemed to set him off? Was it simply inevitable wherever he lived? Absolutely riveting!...Read this book." —Dr. Miriam Klein Kassenoff, Director of the University of Miami Holocaust Teacher Institute Hannah skillfully situates the emotional family saga in the events and culture of the late ’70s... But it’s her tautly drawn characters—Large Marge, Genny, Mad Earl, Tica, Tom—who contribute not only to Leni’s improbable survival but to her salvation amid her family’s tragedy." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) Firefly Lane, her beloved novel about two best friends, was the #1 Netflix series around the world, in the week it came out. The popular tv show stars Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke and Season Two is currently set to conclude the series on April 27, 2023.He shook his head, exhaled a stream of blue-gray smoke. “I just want . . . more, I guess. Not a job. A life. I want to walk down the street and not have to worry about being called a baby killer. I want . . .” He sighed. Smiled. “Don’t worry. It’ll all be okay. We’ll be okay.”