Ernt Allbright, a Vietnam war vet struggling with PTSD, decides to move his family to a remote corner of Alaska. His wife Cora and teenage daughter Leni suddenly find themselves living off grid, learning to survive the brutal Alaska winters—and the brutal tempers of Ernt. It’s a fascinating look at a period in history when Alaska was completely wild and untamed, and a painful look into life in an abusive relationship.
I’m a big fan of Kristin Hannah’s writing. The Nightingale looks into World War II, while The Women offers a glimpse into the Vietnam War. The Great Alone shows some of the aftermath of the Vietnam War, with soldiers coming back from the war with injuries, PTSD, and depression, and how that leads to alcoholism, difficulties in keeping a job, and struggles with family life. The book manages to strike a delicate balance between making you feel bad for Ernt and what he went through, while also hating him for the way he treats his loved ones. To some extent, Hannah puts you in the shoes of Cora and Leni, and makes you understand what it’s like to be in an abusive relationship.
The book also does a great job of showing what life was like in the remote parts of Alaska in those years: no electricity, indoor plumbing, or phones; 6 months with practically no sunlight; extreme cold, snow, wind, and rain; a thousand ways to die. The Allbright family has to learn to grow vegetables, catch fish, and preserve food in a dozen different ways (canning, salting, drying, etc). In a strange way, showing just how primal and brutal it is somehow romanticizes living off the grid. I don’t think I could actually do it myself, but I must admit, there is something appealing about getting away from the rat race of the modern world, living in a close-knight community, and spending more time on nature.
Some parts of the book are a bit slow, and the romance angle in Hannah’s stories is always a bit hit-or-miss, but overall, it’s an interesting, well-written book that does a good job of handling difficult topics.
