In bestselling novels like FIREFLY LANE, WINTER GARDEN and NIGHT ROAD, author Kristin Hannah has exhibited a genuine insight into human relationships, particularly those fundamental relationships that compose families and lifelong friendships. But recently, she has been placing those human dramas on a broader canvas, such as in her last book, THE NIGHTINGALE, set during the Nazi occupation of France. She also has explored war and its hidden scars previously, in HOME FRONT. But whereas that novel showed a combat veteran eventually able to find redemption in civilian life, Hannah’s latest, THE GREAT ALONE, portrays the darker side of war and damaged veterans.

Thirteen-year-old Leni Allbright has gotten used to feeling rootless. It’s 1974, and ever since her father, Ernt, returned home from Vietnam, he’s had a hard time settling down. Leni doesn’t really remember the carefree man her mom fell in love with; instead, she’s only known a father prone to paranoia, anger and lashing out, especially when he’s had too much to drink. Leni’s mom, Cora, seems endlessly willing to forgive her husband, and she even keeps the family above water by borrowing money from her estranged parents, who don’t trust Ernt.

"I’ve always loved survival stories, and Kristin Hannah has written a great one here. There are moments of real man-against-the-elements tension, but also a larger exploration of what kind of character is needed in order to survive the harsh and punishing conditions of frontier life."

When one of Ernt’s old buddies, a fellow POW, dies, it turns out he’s left Ernt and his family a parcel of land and a cabin up in Alaska, on an isolated strip of land called the Kenai Peninsula. Ernt is convinced that a fresh start in Alaska will be exactly the kind of new beginning he needs, sure to put a stop to his volatile moods and the horrific nightmares that haunt his sleep. Like many newcomers to Alaska, the Allbright family is woefully unprepared for the life that awaits them in Alaska. But they also discover an eccentric and large-hearted community that’s eager to open their arms, make them welcome, and help teach them what they need to know in the fleeting days before winter sets in.

Leni loves her new life in Alaska, and her parents seem to be flourishing, too --- at least at first. But as cold and darkness set in, and the family grows increasingly isolated, will the real dangers come not from wolves and bears, but from within?

I’ve always loved survival stories, and Kristin Hannah has written a great one here. There are moments of real man-against-the-elements tension, but also a larger exploration of what kind of character is needed in order to survive the harsh and punishing conditions of frontier life. THE GREAT ALONE is set in an Alaska on the verge of change; one of the points of conflict here is the townspeople’s varying interest in capitalizing on the fledgling tourism industry. And it’s a setting she knows and understands well; as her author’s note reveals, she has a real family connection to this part of Alaska and clearly understands and loves its beauty and its dangers. “Here, where survival is a choice that must be made over and over, in the wildest place in America, on the edge of civilization, where water in all its forms can kill you, you learn who you are,” she writes.

How this drama plays out in the lives of Hannah’s characters is fascinating to see, and readers will be more than happy to throw on an extra blanket and spend a little more time in this enthralling place that she captures so well.