My Rating: 5 stars
Set in Alaska in the 1970s, this wonderfully atmospheric story is about the Allbright family -- Ernt and Cora, and their teenage daughter Leni – and the struggles they endure both as a family and as individuals trying to survive in a harsh, unfamiliar environment for which they were totally unprepared. A POW from the Vietnam War, Ernt returned after the war a changed man – suffering from PTSD, Ernt has a volatile temper and is unable to hold down a job. When he inherits a piece of land from his late wartime buddy Bo Harlan, Ernt makes the impulsive decision to move his family out to the Alaskan wilderness, thinking that this will be the perfect place for them to rebuild their lives. Thirteen years old when her family moves to Alaska, Leni has always lived under the shadow of her parents' stormy relationship – she was never able to make any friends due to her family moving non-stop (she'd gone to 5 different schools in 4 years) and feeling constantly lonely, Leni sought refuge in her love of reading and books that helped her escape the realities of her difficult life. Leni always did as she was told and went along with whatever decision her parents made – whether good or bad -- partially because it made her life easier due to her dad's volatile behavior, but mostly because she loved her mother, who was her anchor, someone whom she felt a fierce need to protect. In the rough wilderness of Alaska, a place of unbridled beauty yet also potential danger at every turn, the Allbrights are welcomed into the tightly-knit community and soon adapt to life in their remote little cabin, despite the harsh environment -- it seemed that finally, they found the answer to their prayers. But as the dark winters and unpredictability of the weather cause Ernt's PTSD to worsen, Leni and her mother soon find themselves in a situation where the biggest threat to their lives wasn't from external factors, but rather the one person whom they were supposed to love the most.
This was the first book by Kristin Hannah that I've read and it definitely won't be the last. I actually have a few of Hannah's previous books on my shelf but I decided to read this one first due to getting approved for an ARC and wanting to meet publication timeline. Despite not having read her other works (yet), I still went into this one with high expectations due to everything I had heard about her other books and I have to say that I absolutely was not disappointed! There were so many things I loved about this book – the writing, the story, the characters (Large Marge was definitely my favorite character!)…it was one of those books that I couldn't put down the minute I started reading it (one of the longest books I've read so far this year but took me one of the shortest times to read). Hannah did a great job capturing the Alaska setting and the homestead way of life and even though I've never been to Alaska, I feel as though I already traveled there through the pages of this book. In fact, I would even say that Alaska was more than just a setting for the story, it was actually a character itself! While on the surface, this appeared to be a coming-of-age story about Leni having to deal with everything going on around her and how those experiences shaped her into the woman she eventually became, it was actually so much more than that. Some of the themes explored include loneliness, belonging, survival (both in terms of physical landscape and also challenges within the family), spousal abuse, the long-lasting impact of war (the PTSD angle), societal constraints (i.e. the laws at the time not supporting battered women), love, loss, the intricacies of human relationships and emotions, etc. – all were woven into the story so seamlessly and effortlessly. I was definitely impressed by the amount of ground Hannah was able to cover and yet still have such a compelling story with characters I couldn't help being drawn to.
For me, what sets this book apart (hence the 5 star rating) was the way the story spoke to me on a personal level more than any other book has so far. I was all over the place emotionally while reading this book, so much so that I had to wait a little bit to gather my thoughts before writing this review. As I watched the story unfold, especially the parts of the story told from Leni's perspective, I couldn't help thinking back to my own childhood and my family's "experience" with abuse. I saw so much of my own past teenage self in Leni – not having many friends since childhood and the loneliness that resulted (though in my case I found solace in both books and television), having a strong bond with my mother throughout childhood and constantly feeling the need to protect her when things went bad, the feelings of resentment, anger, sadness, helplessness, fear – the tremendous fear – and constantly having to "walk on eggshells" not knowing whether "this will be the moment," the dreams of leaving everything behind and living my own life yet second-guessing due to not knowing what might happen to those I loved. In the story, Ernt had the "excuse" of PTSD, of the horrors of war and being captured as a POW, the damage all of that did to him mentally, to "justify" his horrific and unforgivable actions, but in my family's case, there was no "excuse" aside from the lethal combination of gambling addiction and alcohol, exacerbated by a culture where saving face always mattered more than individual well-being and vocalizing abuse was akin to bringing shame upon the family – a cardinal sin. As I paralleled some (not all) of Leni's story to my own while I was reading, my emotions ran the roller coaster of being saddened by what Leni and her mom had to endure, to being angry, oh so angry, both at Ernt (who deserves no forgiveness) but also at Cora for repeatedly accepting the abuse and refusing all offers of help (and also forcing Leni to "go along with it as though nothing happened"). At the same time, I also rejoiced at the few stolen moments of happiness, whether it was for Leni or Cora, that were interspersed throughout the story. I also loved the entire community that surrounded Leni with so much support, especially Large Marge (wish I had someone like that in my life), the Walker family (especially Matthew) and all the strong women, many of whom were survivors of some type of hardship themselves. The ending made me cry (though I got teary-eyed during other segments as well), not necessarily with the way things happened, but the HOPE of it. I read some reviews that felt the ending was too contrived, predictable, perhaps not even completely realistic, but in my eyes, it was a perfect – albeit bittersweet – ending. Perhaps coming from a broken family myself and understanding first-hand the repercussions of abuse as well as the long-lasting impact it can still have on those who survive, part of me desperately wanted to see Leni have a happy ending to her story.
This was a powerful, emotional read for me, one that I won't soon forget. Highly recommended for sure!
Received ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley
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