Review: The Great Alone

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A character-driven story that pulls readers into the heart of a family fighting to survive the demons that plague it and a wilderness that's determined to tear this family apart.

Leni Allbright hasn't lived an average life. As the daughter of fairly free-spirited parents, she's moved around regularly and seen far too much in her 13 years. When her father, Ernt, a Vietnam veteran and former POW who suffers from post-traumatic stress, decides to move the family to a homestead in the wilds of Alaska, Leni and her mother, Cora, have no idea what's in store. They are ill-prepared for the harshness of Alaska, but they must learn how to survive, or else. They soon realize that it's not possible to do it on their own, and the close-knit community steps up to lend a hand and teach them the ropes. Filled with a diverse cast of characters, The Great Alone is a story of family, friendship, love, violence, survival, and ultimately hope.

*I thoroughly enjoyed the story, but in listening to the audio I found that scenes shifted abruptly and made me feel as if I had missed parts of the story. This brought my rating down to 3 stars from what would have been a solid 4.

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