The Great Alone

By: Kristin Hannah

Narrated by: Julia Whelan

Length: 15 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

The number one New York Times best seller

The newest audiobook sensation from Kristin Hannah, best-selling author of The Nightingale.

This program is read by acclaimed narrator Julia Whelan, whose enchanting voice brought Gone Girl and Fates and Furies to life. Kristin Hannah reads the acknowledgements.

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 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 18 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 audiobook about love and loss, the fight for survival, and the wildness that lives in both man and nature.

Praise for The Great Alone:

"Listeners, beware: You won't want to stop listening to narrator Julia Whelan's performance of this complex story of survival and family.... With pitch-perfect timing and a touch of drama, Whelan exquisitely builds the tension, creating an enveloping atmosphere of foreboding that's difficult to turn away from...a don't miss audiobook experience." (AudioFile Magazine)

"Reliably alluring...The Great Alone is packed with rapturous descriptions of Alaskan scenery.... Hannah remembers and summons an undeveloped wilderness, describing a gloriously pristine region in the days before cruise ships discovered it." (The New York Times Daily Review)

"Kristin Hannah's new novel makes Alaska sound equally gorgeous and treacherous - a glistening realm that lures folks into the wild and then kills them there." (The Washington Post)

©2017 Kristin Hannah (P)2017 Macmillan Audio

TH GREAT ALONE

It took awhile for me to get really interested in this book. It was not until approximately chapter ten when it started to peak my interest. I don't know if it was the subject of domestic violence, which usually isn't a problem for me, but the author writes about this subject to the point where at times I needed to put this down. The father comes home with PTSD after being a POW who has witnessed such atrocities from the war and his family ends up being the victims of his anger. Unfortunately, at the time PTSD wasn't recognized, besides the fact of being treated for it. However, don't let this get you down, the author still grabs you with
her descriptions of the area, and the subplots are good, yet
predictable.As always the ending was pleasant and
rewarding.

Epic and Unforgettable

Alaska isn't about who you were when you headed this way. It's about who you become.”

I can't recover from this story! This is my first Kristin Hannah novel and it absolutely spoke to me, heart and soul. I highly recommend the audiobook, narrated by the incomparable Julia Whelan. She brought to life the entire Allbright family and the supporting cast of very unique characters.

Ernt Allbright moves his family to Alaska after inheriting a remote cabin from a Vietnam war buddy. The family - Ernt, his long-suffering wife Cora and their teen daughter Lenora (Leni) - are ill-equipped to deal with the harsh realities of Alaska life. Ernt suffers from PTSD (before it was recognized) and his family fears what the long, dark, cold Alaskan winters will do to his already tortured psyche.

“All this time, Dad had taught Leni how dangerous the outside world was. The truth was that the biggest danger of all was in her own home.”

I was fascinated by the description of Alaskan life and of the adventurous folks who have made Alaska their home. The Allbright's neighbors are all fiercely independent people who welcome the new family with open arms. Leni, the new girl at school once again, finally makes friends for the first time in her life.

“We've lived weird lives," she said.
"Maybe everyone does," he said, sitting down beside her, and then lying down, pulling her into his arms.

This is an epic tale which gripped me from the very beginning. The character development is stunning and the descriptions of the vast and treacherous Alaskan wilderness are absolutely fascinating. This is a mesmerizing and emotional story which I won't ever forget.

“Some years June is spring, July is summer, August is autumn, and everything else is winter.”

The author herself recorded the Acknowledgments section, and I was fascinated to learn that her family settled in Alaska. She clearly did meticulous research on the vast state and its colorful history and it shows in every word. At times horrifying in its savagery, 'The Great Alone' is ultimately a gorgeously written book filled with unforgettable characters and unimaginable tragedies.

This book is a fantastic travelogue for the state of Alaska and I am longing to return there. Haunting, emotional and fiercely beautiful, I fell in love with this book and highly recommend it to all.

"You are my heart, baby girl. You are everything I did right. And I want you to know I would do it all again, every wonderful terrible second of it. I would do years and years of it again for one minute with you.”

It's more like a 3 1/2 stars.

I liked this book. It is totally different than the Nightingale. Parts of this book just dragged on and on. It could have been much shorter actually. It's also deep down a love story. The narrator didn't have much of a range in her voices. I would say it overall was ok.

One of the best

I have listened to audible books for several years. I have a few books that I would call great. This is certainly one of them. This book grabs you from the beginning and hold on till the end. Only a few times did I think “too many downers”. However, I was totally hooked till the end.

Brought Alaska Alive

The author paints vivid word pictures and Alaska in all its terrible, wonderful beauty and danger came alive in this book. It was hard to quit listening. The story was gripping and woven with joy and sadness, loss and courage. Highly recommended.

wonderful story

This book was a fun read. It had all the emotions wrapped in it. I understood Cora's emotional defeat and how she clung to love as if it was a real object. I wanted so much for Lennie, I felt her frustration. This book was right on point about PTSD for all of its characters. Highly recommend this book.

A good listen

I’m sure the other reviewers told the background story, so let me just add that not only was this a really good book, but was well read. I enjoyed it to the end.

epic must read

I give lots of Audible reads five stars, usually because I love them and giving a book a three or four doesn't seem fair if I really liked it. This book would get six stars! It is an epic tale and I never could predict what would come next. The performance by Julia Whelan is spot on! It will be added to the list of unforgettable favorites!!!

Beautifully expressed, yet tragic life story

Kristin Hannah writes in such an eloquent, descriptive way that readers feel they're a part of the story. But the subject matter of domestic violence was so tragic and painful I had to stop listening several times. I found I could start again because I was so invested in her characters - they became like close friends. Alaska itself was so well described and such a part of the story, it became one of the main characters instead of just the setting. I will be selective to who I recommend this story to because of the many triggers it could cause.

The language used is beautiful, smart. Loved it.

Quite impressed, somstimes poetic and prolific. The Udio performance was great also. Couldn't be happier with the audio book.