The Great Alone

Genre: Fiction

This is the story of Leni, 13 years old and daughter to parents, Ernt and Cora. Ernt is a Vietnam War veteran who suffers from severe PTSD, and Cora is his biggest supporter, even when she shouldn't be. Cora and Ernt have the opportunity to escape their lives and try to make it in the great wilds of Alaska. Together with their daughter Leni, the family finds a great community of friends and supporters in their new little off-the-grid Alaskan town. But, soon enough, with winter coming and darkness descending, Ernt's PTSD rises to the surface and he becomes the scariest of threats to his family. Leni is stuck between her parents' passionate love and destructive relationship, but grows up to learn about true friendship and love, the kind that can overcome the most insurmountable of obstacles.

If I ever meet Hannah, I will have to give her a hug. A thank you hug. One that says thank you for imagining these characters and for writing their stories in a way that makes me fall in love with them. But, mostly, for making the end of their story so beautiful and happy. I was so relieved that it was a good ending (not letting myself fully believe that it will end well until the very end of the book) that I actually cried with relief. I loved so much about this story: the characters, and not just the main characters, the story line with its many twists and turns and the setting.

The only critique I will give is that Hannah's application of the PTSD diagnosis in Ernt's character feels like it's an excuse for his abusive behavior. I think PTSD was used to explain some of the story line, but it ultimately served to deflect blame from his actions and from his true nature, which I don't think serves the story well.

That said, I have been reading and listening to so many books recently, sometimes finishing and then starting without time to pause and reflect, that I didn’t realize how much I was craving a good story. This book delivers on all fronts. I highly recommend it.