Your Store
Select A Store
Select Store
There are no stores nearby.
My Store:
Select A Store
Overview
Overview
*The #1 New York Times bestseller*
The newest audiobook sensation from Kristin Hannah, bestselling author of The Nightingale.
This program is read by acclaimed narrator Julia Whelan, whose enchanting voice brought Gone Girl and Fates and Furies to life. Kristin Hannah reads the acknowledgements.
Alaska, 1974.
Unpredictable. Unforgiving. Untamed.
For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival.
Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America's last true frontier.
Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents' passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if means following him into the unknown.
At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the Allbrights' lack of preparation and dwindling resources.
But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt's fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves.
In this unforgettable portrait of human frailty and resilience, Kristin Hannah reveals the indomitable character of the modern American pioneer and the spirit of a vanishing Alaska--a place of incomparable beauty and danger. The Great Alone is a daring, beautiful, stay-up-all-night audiobook about love and loss, the fight for survival, and the wildness that lives in both man and nature.
Praise for The Great Alone:
"Listeners, beware: You won't want to stop listening to narrator Julia Whelan's performance of this complex story of survival and family...With pitch-perfect timing and a touch of drama, Whelan exquisitely builds the tension, creating an enveloping atmosphere of foreboding that's difficult to turn away from...a don't miss audiobook experience." -- AudioFile Magazine
"Reliably alluring...The Great Alone is packed with rapturous descriptions of Alaskan scenery... Hannah remembers and summons an undeveloped wilderness, describing a gloriously pristine region in the days before cruise ships discovered it." -- The New York Times Daily Review
"Kristin Hannah's new novel makes Alaska sound equally gorgeous and treacherous -- a glistening realm that lures folks into the wild and then kills them there." -- The Washington Post
- Format: CD
- Author: Hannah, Kristin
- ISBN: 9781427212689
- Condition: Used
- Dimensions: 5.90 x 0.90
- Publication Year: 2018
Customer Reviews
Rating Snapshot
5 ★
88%
4 ★
6%
3 ★
6%
2 ★
0%
1 ★
0%
16 Ratings
0
0% Would Recommend
0 Recommendations
Review Images
Sort by:
-
Breathtaking and frightening
Jamie A. - 2 years 4 months agoI honestly did not think that Kristin Hannah could produce something as moving and unforgettable as The Nightingale. But, The Great Alone is every bit as good, but it's definitely different from The Nightingale. A family moves to Alaska to live off the grid and start a new life. The father is a Vietnam POW, and he has returned from war a violent and abusive man who drinks too much. Despite all of it, his wife has an unshakable love for him - and also fears him too much to run away. Their daughter is only a teenager, confused by her parents' relationship and their nomadic lifestyle. Alaska brings out the best and worst of this family. It's a tale of domestic strife and coming of age. Hannah weaves a tale that is breathtaking and frightening, tense and wondrous, beautiful and heart-wrenching. I thought that I would die from the heartbreak - but there is light at the end, and it felt like coming home.
HPB Staff Review -
A Masterpiece
Sabrina F. - 5 years agoThe Great Alone is easily one of the best books I have ever read, but beware, it is a tough read that deals with some heavy topics, including domestic violence. Leni and her mother Cora endure a lot of hardship in this novel, but they also learn that they are stronger than they ever realized. In Kaneq, Alaska, they find hope, inner-strength, and community. The Great Alone is beautifully-written. The journey may be harsh and feel hopeless at times, but keep going. You are going to love it.
-
A Story Well Done
Rochelle P. - 5 years 1 month agoReally great story that centers around 1 family and their patriarch's choice to move them to the harsh terrain of the Alaska wilderness. At times it was suspenseful and sad - just like life can be I suppose. #SpringPicks
-
The Great Alone
HPB S. - 5 years 9 months agoI thought the subject matter was rather dark. The characters were well developed. I'm not sure I would consider it one of my favorites. I have liked other books by this author better. The setting of Alaska was well described.
-
A must read for those who want to know how wars affect our soldiers.
jacqueline P. - 5 years 9 months agoI have always wondered what it would be like to have PTSD and this book gives a powerful look at the destruction that changes the mind of those who suffer from the disease. It creates not only one angry individual but also a person who is a threat to so many other people. I lived a part of this book, not having PTSD but knowing someone who did. His behavior was always a mystery until I read this book.