The Great AloneThe Great Alone
Score Modern
What it's about
Ernt Allbright comes home from Vietnam a changed and volatile man. After losing another job, he moves his wife, Cora, and thirteen-year-old daughter, Leni, to the Alaskan wilderness to live off the grid. At first the land and the tight-knit community seem like a fresh start. But as the long, dark winter sets in, Ernt's fragile state deteriorates, and Leni and her mother realize they're on their own.
Why it's worth reading
It spent four weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It's a sweeping survival story and a portrait of Alaska as vivid as any character.
You'll love it if you liked
The Nightingale
Where the Crawdads Sing
Educated: A MemoirGood to know
It deals with domestic violence in detail. It's long but moves fast, and it has a romance at its center.
By the numbers
- Readers87 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller79 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #26 of the 116 historical novels we rank
- #123 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #243 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Moving, Uplifting
More by Kristin Hannah
The WomenThe Nightingale
The Four Winds
Home FrontIf you like this, read next
The Song of Achilles
Outlander
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Water for Elephants
Daisy Jones & the Six
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie SocietyExplore the best-of lists
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Quick answers
Is The Great Alone worth reading?
Yes. It spent four weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It ranks #243 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 82.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Great Alone about?
Ernt Allbright comes home from Vietnam a changed and volatile man. After losing another job, he moves his wife, Cora, and thirteen-year-old daughter, Leni, to the Alaskan wilderness to live off the grid. At first the land and the tight-knit community seem like a fresh start. But as the long, dark winter sets in, Ernt's fragile state deteriorates, and Leni and her mother realize they're on their own.
How long does it take to read The Great Alone?
About 11 hours (449 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Great Alone?
If you liked it, try The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens or Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover.