THE GREAT ALONE by Kristin Hannah, published by St. Martins Press in 2018.
I haven't reviewed a book in a bit, but after reading travel manuals for my travel blog, I felt that I needed to start writing the things I have been reading. Last month I read the book EDUCATED by Tara Westover and was surprised by the cruelty that happened in this book, the extremes presented and the men who think they are protecting you but in reality are hurting you. Tara's was based on her life and her family.
THE GREAT ALONE is a work of fiction but holds true to the concepts above, a man broken by circumstances tries to protect his family from the horrors of the world after Vietnam, and finds the last frontier in Alaska. Hoping to get away from the rules of society. In tow are his wife Cora and daughter Leni. They have inherited a cabin in the woods on the Kenai pennisula, when it was mostly, dirt road, no electricity and no running water. They move when it is summer and full of light, but winter comes and the darkness that lies within the father Ernt comes pouring out , usually in the form of abuse to Cora. In a typical "I love him, and it's not his fault he is like this excuse," she stays, never press charges and gives her daughter a very unrealistic look about what love is.
Leni still finds someone in the only boy her age in this wilderness, who she likes, but the wilderness can be cruel and this young man experiencing tragedy leaves to him leaving for awhile to live with his Aunt and Uncle in Fairbanks. They write and their feelings change, but the obstacle is his father Mr. Walker. Ernt, Leni's father hates the family because he thinks Mr. Walker is flirting with his wife and trying to change Alaska.
The Walker family had been the first people to homestead this land and had built a small city and opened it up to people who wanted to live on the land , but as time changes so do thoughts about what this area could look like in the future. This is a thorn in Ernt's side, he wants to live off the grid and not have electricity, running water or a bathroom. Many clashes of will occur, which usually ends with Cora battered and bruised.
Ms. Hannah brings to light the harshness and beauty of Alaska in this book. The dangers that you can encounter and the reality to people who think they can live in Alaska because they went in the summer when it was beautiful. Having been to Alaska in the summer I saw the beauty of the place the long hours of sunlight, the great flowers and rivers. I even played golf at midnight. My husband who lived in Alaska for a few years when he was a child, knows the harsh reality of Alaska. The long nights, the expense of buying things to stay alive, the hunting in the wilderness with his dad and the knowing that you always have to be prepared. When we visited in the summer, he had us bring winter coats, gloves hats, flashlights, water and food, no matter where we went. He was always prepared, he learned this from Alaska.
This book made me understand more about Alaska and how it can either bring a family together or tear it apart. Great book. Great title.
