The Great Alone

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Leni and Cora decide to bury the body, which they do. They tell Marge and ultimately they know they'll need to flee. There's no battered woman defense for murder and eventually people will notice he's missing. They need to make it look like Ernst killed them both, and then they can just disappear. Egan, Elisabeth (January 29, 2021). "Kristin Hannah Reinvented Herself. She Thinks America Can Do the Same". The New York Times . Retrieved March 22, 2021. There it was: the sad truth. Mama loved him too much to leave him. Still, even now, with her face bruised and swollen. Maybe what she'd always said was true, maybe she couldn't breathe without him, maybe she'd wilt like a flower without the sunshine of his adoration." Alaska is beautifully described in this book. It is as dangerous as it is beautiful, and it’s a hard slog to live there. ‘How could a place be as alive as Alaska, as beautiful and cruel?’ (p.299) The family goes to a community barbecue that night at the Walker's House ( Tom and Geneva are Matthew's parents) which is huge. Ernt has been happy in Alaska up until now, but he and Earl get drunk at the party and exchange bitter comments about the Walker's fancy house ("born rich" etc.). Matthew overhears them, but tells Leni that it's okay.

One thing is for sure, Kristin Hannah, hands down, is a talented author who can weave a tale. I have read many of her previous novels and always found them to be beautiful and thought provoking. This one, however, rubbed me the wrong way. How do you think Ernt and Mad Earle’s friendship impacts Ernt’s wife and daughter? Do you think conspiratorial thinking was inevitable for Ernt at this point? Sure, Dad lost his temper sometimes and he yelled and they never had enough money and they moved all the time to distance themselves from creditors, but that was their way, and they loved each other. They go to see Earl "Mad Earl" Harlan (Bo's father) and meet Bo's family. Earl is friendly, but also kind of belligerent and paranoid. Thelma, Bo's sister, offers to teach Cora to farm. It's 1974 and the world is bursting with music, movies and glamour...and Leni finds herself isolated and alone. Trapped with an increasingly violent father and surrounded by an unforgivingly harsh land.The Nightingale is an epic love story and intimate family drama about two sisters in France, caught up in a world at war, living in a country under siege, who will have to do the unthinkable to survive. This book will take you on one of the most incredulous journeys you have ever been on. Starting in the 1970s this story begins about a family where the husband has come home from Vietnam and how he is so different than the man who went to Vietnam. What you find throughout the story is that it is about so much more than this one family and the hidden secrets that they have, the things that they endure and more importantly, the things that they survive. You learn about Alaska, and all of its beauty that radiates every day. You are drawn in to feel the darkness that happens in Alaska and what that means not just for this family, but for everybody who lives in the community. You are shown just how important community can be and what other people are willing to do when they believe in something. The Great Alone” does not disappoint. This was another fascinating, thought-provoking, and captivating read. Heartbreaking at times... but there were also moments of great love and unbelievable kindness. A gripping story where I was desperate to know what was going to happen next. A bittersweet but satisfying ending topped off this amazing read. I think I could write “I LOVE THIS BOOK! I LOVE THIS BOOK! I LOVE THIS BOOK!” at least million times! This is not only my last year’s favorite book but this is also one of my all-time favorite books. Larsen, Peter (June 29, 2018). "Author Kristin Hannah tells a coming-of-age story set in the harsh yet beautiful landscape of Alaska in her new book 'The Great Alone' ". Orange County Register . Retrieved March 26, 2021.

But sometimes, especially on days like today, Leni was afraid. It felt to her as if her family stood poised on the edge of a great precipice that could collapse at any second, crumble away like the houses that crashed down Seattle’s unstable, waterlogged hillsides. What do you think about Ernt’s character and how he treats his wife and daughter? Do you think he could have sought support in the 1970s even if he wanted to? Do you think Leni was resigned to these changes at this point? What did you think about her character at the start of the story? Ernt becomes more volatile as he grows closer to Mad Earle, swapping conspiracy theories and preparing for armageddon.

Book Summary

Two types of people come to Alaska, people who are running to something or running away from something. With no police station and no telephone service, Alaska gives new meaning to the word...Remote.