The Great Alone. Kristin
Hannah. St. Martin’s Press. February 2018. 448 pp. ISBN #: 9780312577230.
Leni
Allbright’s father, Ernt, is a Vietnam War veteran who returns from the war
with PTSD that gradually threatens Leni and her mother. He sees everyone as a threat, can’t keep a
job, drinks too much and repeats the cycle of paranoia and violence toward his
wife, Cora.
A
dream arises for Ernt, to get away from the influence of government and rich
people that smothers the lives of those who yearn to live a free, unencumbered
life. Ernt sees Alaska as the land that
can enable the family to start a new life.
From this point onward, we see an amazing juxtaposition of what life
could be and what life is. The reader also
yearns for the dream to become reality. It
will do so but not until events escalate to a crescendo of beauty and
horror.
For
Lena falls in love with Alaska, its gorgeous scenery depicted in descriptions
that make the reader want to live there and its feisty, strong residents who
support each other in good and hard times. Ernt seems happy for a brief period
of time but then succumbs to his fears.
No
spoilers here but suffice to say that after more brutality than one person can
bear, Cora commits a startling act that will change their future forever. Leni will complete, yet change, the cycle of
love, forgiveness and honesty, returning to call Alaska “home.”
Kristin
Hannah is a very talented writer who deserves more public acknowledgment and
praise. The pace of this complicated
plot is exquisitely crafted, mixing love for one’s environment with the need to
deal with veteran post-war issues that shake and threaten the solidarity of a
united community. Stunning historical
fiction that is highly recommended.
