“In Alaska, you can make one mistake. One. The second one will kill you.”
“Living in Alaska was a test of endurance, of resilience, of whether you could love something that didn’t love you back.”
“Sometimes being brave means doing the thing that scares you the most.”
The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah, completely swept me away. I couldn’t put it down. It’s one of those rare books that stays with you long after the final page.
Set against the raw, breathtaking beauty of Alaska, the story is both haunting and hopeful. I fell in love with Leni—her strength, her heart, her resilience. Watching her come of age in such an unforgiving environment, with so much chaos in her home life, was deeply emotional. Her relationships with Large Marge, Matthew, and the bond with her mother. Gut-wrenching, fierce, and full of grace. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. (Large Marge was one of my favorite characters. She is strong, wise, funny, and exactly the kind of woman you’d want in your corner when everything falls apart.)
Kristin Hannah’s writing is vivid and immersive—I could feel the cold, see the wilderness, and hear the silence of the Alaskan night. The tension between survival and isolation, love and trauma, was so powerful. At times heartbreaking, at times empowering—it was an emotional rollercoaster I was glad to be on.Â
If you love stories about strong women, complicated families, survival, and love that endures against all odds, this is absolutely worth reading. I picked this book up thinking it would be about survival, living off grid, the wonder and awe of Alaska. And while it was all those things – it was so much more. It has love: romantic love, mother-daughter love, and the kind of love from a community that rises up when things fall apart; resilience: both after abuse and the harsh winters of Alaska; and this beautiful and emotional coming-of-age story. I absolutely loved it and will be recommending it to everyone.
5 stars.
If you are participating in The 52 Book Club’s 2025 Reading Challenge, I found the book The Great Alone worked best with these prompts: Genre Four: Set in Winter, A character with red hair, A standalone novel, May Mini-Challenge: (Dessert) Set in Alaska, Author’s last name is also a first name, Set in a country with an active volcano, Genre chosen for you by someone else, More than a million copies sold, Genre Three: Set in Autumn, An adventure story Title is a spoiler, March Mini-Challenge: A book you’ve been meaning to get to “eventually”.
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You can find other books for the 52 book club 2025 reading challenge here.
