The Great Alone: A Female Heroine Finds Love in the Alaskan Wilderness

There are few books that really move you, capture you and pull you in, that you're sad to finish. The Nightingale was one of those books for me. I didn't think it was possible, but Kristin Hannah followed up The Nightingale with a story just as captivating - The Great Alone. I fell in love with Leni, the young heroine that grows up in a world of violence but still maintains her spirit and hope. I felt for her mother, Cora, who is blinded by a dangerous mixture of love, loyalty and fear for her husband. I hated and feared Leni's father Ernt, a Vietnam War POW survivor that never recovered from the rage and violence he experienced at war. Every character pulled me in, and I know their stories will linger in my mind.

Leni, Ernt and Cora have been searching for a life of peace and consistency since Ernt returned from the war. It's 1974 in Seattle, Washington, Ernt has lost another job and times are tough. He receives a letter from the father of one of the soldiers he befriended during the Vietnam War and the POW camp. The letter explains that the soldier left Ernt his property in Alaska when he passed away. Ernt immediately sees this as the opportunity to escape to the wilderness for his family - they load up their VW van, tape on their "Alaska or Bust" poster, and head for the Great Alone.

When they arrive, they meet several of the Kaneq inhabitants that will become their neighbors. There is very little for them in Alaska, and they have to learn to hunt for their meals, live without running water, and survive the Alaskan winters. The overwhelming darkness of the winter drives Ernt to nightmares and violence, and he releases his rage on his wife with his fists. Leni lives through the beatings in horror, promising herself she will never abandon her mother with this monster. Cora's neighbors come to her rescue, threatening Ernt and offering their protection. However, Cora's love for Ernt is an unstoppable force that keeps her roped into a dangerous cycle from which she cannot seem to break free.

Ernt's anger peaks when he thinks the wealthy Walker family is destroying Kaneq by profiting off of the wilderness by turning the town into a tourist attraction. The family feud doesn't stop Leni from befriending Matthew Walker, the only kid her age in Kaneq, and her first real friend. Their friendship grows throughout the story, turning into a forbidden love romance when they turn eighteen. Matthew and Leni are determined to leave Kaneq and attend college in Anchorage together, but first they have to save Cora and escape Ernt. What follows is a story of survival and the power of love.

I absolutely loved this story. Leni's development from a shy, frightened middle school student to a fearless teenager to an incredibly strong woman was remarkable, and further proof of how well Hannah can write a female heroine. I saw many parallels between The Nightingale and The Great Alone, and I appreciated being able to cheer on a female in the most unlikely of places, the Alaskan Wilderness. The setting was beautiful, the characters had depth and the plot had me hooked. Add the perfect amount of romance between Leni and Matthew, and this book has me already dreaming of Hannah's next release.