21 Mar Book Review: The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Some books drop you into a world so vividly that you can practically feel the cold creeping in through the pages. The Great Alone is one of those books. It’s raw, immersive, and emotionally devastating in the best way possible. Kristin Hannah takes you deep into the wilderness of Alaska, where survival isn’t just about braving the elements—it’s about facing the people you love, the ones you fear, and the versions of yourself you’re too afraid to confront. If you’re looking for a novel that will break your heart and put it back together again, this one is an absolute must-read.

What’s it about?

The story follows Leni Allbright, a thirteen-year-old girl whose life is constantly in flux, thanks to her parents’ impulsive decisions. Her father, Ernt Allbright, is a Vietnam War veteran struggling with PTSD and a hair-trigger temper. He is charming and charismatic in his good moments, but dark and volatile when the demons take over. Her mother, Cora, is devoted to him in an almost desperate way, clinging to the hope that each new beginning will finally make things better.

When Ernt suddenly inherits land in Alaska, he sees it as the answer to all his problems. Convinced that escaping the modern world and moving off the grid will heal his wounds, he uproots his family and moves them to the remote town of Kaneo, a tight-knit, off-the-map community where survival is a way of life.

At first, Alaska is breathtaking. Leni is captivated by the vast wilderness, the endless sky, and the rugged beauty of the place. The town’s residents welcome the Allbrights with open arms, teaching them how to survive in the harsh climate. They build their cabin, learn to hunt and fish, and embrace the self-sufficiency required to live in the last frontier.

But as winter approaches, the reality of their situation sets in. The darkness lasts for months, the temperatures drop to deadly levels, and isolation becomes suffocating. Ernt, already prone to violent mood swings, begins to unravel. The long nights and unrelenting cold feed his paranoia, and he turns on Cora and Leni, becoming more controlling, more dangerous, more unpredictable.

Cora makes excuses for him, as she always does. She tells Leni that her father is just struggling, that he loves them, that things will be better in the spring. But Leni knows the truth—Alaska isn’t fixing Ernt. It’s making him worse. And there is no one to save them.

Through it all, Leni finds solace in Matthew Walker, a boy who understands what it’s like to be trapped in a life not of your own making. Matthew is kind, steady, and gentle in a way that feels like oxygen in a world suffocating with tension. Their friendship becomes a refuge, an escape from the violence and instability at home.

As the years pass, Leni and Matthew’s bond deepens into something more, but love is dangerous when survival depends on keeping secrets. Ernt, spiraling further into his paranoia, joins an extremist survivalist group, convinced that the government is coming for them and that no one can be trusted. His obsession with control turns their home into a prison, and Leni is left with an impossible choice—stay and endure, or run and risk losing everything.

When a tragedy strikes that changes everything, Leni and Cora’s fragile world is shattered. A moment of desperation leads to an irreversible act, and suddenly, the wilderness isn’t the biggest threat anymore—the law is. The two of them must flee, leaving behind the only home they’ve ever known, and Leni is forced to navigate a world where the past is always chasing her.

But Alaska isn’t done with her. Years later, when she is forced to return to Kaneo, Leni must face everything she tried to leave behind—the love she lost, the secrets she buried, and the truth about what it really means to survive.

What This Chick Thinks

A brutal, immersive portrait of survival

Kristin Hannah doesn’t just describe Alaska—she drops you into it. You feel the cold, the hunger, the endless night. The setting is more than just a backdrop; it’s a living, breathing force, shaping the characters in ways that make the stakes feel visceral and real. This book makes you respect nature in a way that few novels do, balancing the breathtaking beauty of the wilderness with the raw, unfiltered brutality of it.

A heartbreaking exploration of domestic violence

At its core, The Great Alone isn’t just about surviving Alaska—it’s about surviving the people you love. The portrayal of abuse and trauma in this book is devastatingly real, and the way Hannah writes the cycle of domestic violence—the love, the regret, the promises, the fear—is gut-wrenching. Cora’s inability to leave Ernt, even as his abuse worsens, is frustrating but painfully realistic. And Leni’s struggle to protect her mother while still loving her father is heartbreaking in a way that lingers long after the book is finished.

A coming-of-age story filled with love, loss, and resilience

Leni is a phenomenal protagonist. She is fierce and vulnerable, hopeful and pragmatic. Her growth from a quiet, uncertain girl into a strong, independent woman is one of the most satisfying character arcs I’ve read in a long time. Her relationship with Matthew is deeply moving—it’s not just romance, it’s survival, it’s hope, it’s the one piece of warmth in a life filled with so much cold.

Emotionally devastating but deeply rewarding

This is not a light book. It will wreck you emotionally. There are tragedies that will break your heart, and moments where you will want to scream in frustration. But at the same time, it’s also one of the most deeply rewarding books I’ve ever read. There is hope buried in the pain, and the ending—while bittersweet—is deeply satisfying.

Final Thoughts

The Great Alone is breathtaking, brutal, and beautiful. It’s a story about survival in the wilderness and survival at home, about love and sacrifice, about the unbreakable bond between mothers and daughters. Kristin Hannah writes with unmatched emotional depth, making every page feel like an experience rather than just a story. This book will stay with you, long after you’ve read the final chapter.

If you want a book that will completely consume you, this is it.

Rating: 9.5/10

Try it if you like

• Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens – Another immersive story set in a wild, untamed landscape with a strong female lead.
• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah – A heart-wrenching story about survival and resilience, filled with the same emotional depth as The Great Alone.
• Beartown by Fredrik Backman – A novel about small-town survival and the secrets that define us, with similar themes of family, love, and hardship.