The Great Alone
“A thing can be true and not the truth,”
Synopsis: Ernt Allbright, former POW, comes home from the Vietnam War a changed man. Volatile, angry, he is apparently unable to maintain a job. His wife Cora and 13 year old daughter Leni learn to walk on eggshells to avoid his anger. After losing yet another job, he impulsively decides to move the family to the Alaskan wilderness to be “free.” They are not prepared, yet the help of locals does sustain them. Unfortunately, there is no escape from Ernt’s mental health issues, and life becomes dangerous in many ways in the Alaskan frontier.
Corey’s Review: I agree with my mom’s review on this one. It was such a page tuner I was hooked until the very end. It’s not necessarily going to win a Pulitzer Prize, but it is entertaining! I Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite authors. I have loved so many of her books. She has such a beautiful way of telling a story. I tend to agree with my mom, the ending was little lackluster which was disappointing considering the majority of the book was so deep and well thought out. I love reading books set in Alaska or rural towns- don’t ask why, it’s a weird thing! I have recommended this book to many friends and they have loved it. If you are looking for a book that has great character development and a story-line that has you hooked from the start then this is it! Rating 4/5
Nicholette’s Review I’m not sure how to review a book that I would say was not GREAT, but I couldn’t put it down. The story is told from the perspective of Leni, part coming of age story, part wilderness drama, part scary like the The Shining. A self imposed quarantine with your family! You can run away, but your demons come with you. I really enjoyed the book when it was focusing on what it takes to survive in the wilderness. I wouldn’t say there was much difference in the Allbright’s daily life and the life of pioneers of the American West. Lots of hard work involved. However, I thought the book romanticized the idea of the rugged individualist. It’s interesting that most of the rugged individualists (men) spent most of their time trying to tell the ladies what to do. “No one is the boss of me, but I most definitely want to be the boss of you.” This books deals with some serious issues like PTSD and domestic abuse in a thoughtful and largely understanding way. My biggest criticism is that the ending felt very rushed and a bit melodramatic. In spite of some of these criticisms, I’ll admit I couldn’t wait to see what happened. Rating: 4/5
Menu: Of course we had to do a salmon dish. Salmon and Alaska go hand in hand! There are many times throughout the book where they go fishing to stock up on enough food to last them through winter. I used and tried and true recipe for this salmon. It is so easy and so delicious! This Asian inspired salmon comes courtesy of Ina Garten….have we said we love her?!
Ingredients
1 side fresh salmon, boned but skin on (about 3 pounds)
Marinade:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons good soy sauce
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Method:
Turn on grill. Spray with non stick spray
While the grill is heating, lay the salmon skin side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.
Place the salmon skin side down on the hot grill. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes. I usually cook closer to 5 minutes
Transfer the fish to a flat plate, skin side down, and spoon the reserved marinade on top (not the marinade the fish was sitting in) . Allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
