The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I planned to rate this three stars until right before I finished it. I then rated this four stars before talking myself back into a three star rating an hour later. I wish I could give it something in between the two.
Truth be told this was probably not my kind of book to begin with. I was taken in by the cover and catchy title after seeing the book on the shelf in a local Target. I was intrigued by the Vietnam-veteran-POW angle of the father in the story plus I’ve always been interested in Alaska. So I gave it a try.
It was a good book. Readable. The story flowed straightforward, perhaps predictably, for much of the book. A slow tension filled fuse burning. Then boom: a few twists and turns at the end of act two before gliding to an acceptable conclusion.
My chief complaint is that the characters were more like caricatures than real people. The abused wife. The thoughtful child. The rich other man. The handsome hockey player. Of course the boyfriend in Alaska is a blonde good-looking hockey player. Worst of all was Ernt, a hard-drinking Vietnam veteran with PTSD who abused his wife and family. Ernt has no inner voice. No real back story other than he was better before being a POW. No growth. I was so disappointed in this character. He was nothing more than a plot device. I thought maybe this book was his redemption story; which perhaps is a reflection on me rather than the author. This book is a bit of a redemption story but not for Ernt Allbright.
The book was a fine read if, like I said, probably not my cup of tea. I imagine if you like other Kristin Hannah works or related authors you will like this book just fine.
Mid-Life Thesis 