The Great Alone

1. General Impressions 

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• How is the setting of Alaska important to the book? What impressions did you have about Alaska prior to reading the book? Does the book confirm or challenge these perceptions?
• How do the women characters in The Great Alone parallel female protagonists in Kristin Hannah’s other novels?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• The book opens when Leni is 13 and spans into her adulthood. Which ages of her life seem to be the most difficult? How does this compare with your own experience of aging?
• The killing of Ernt by Cora is a defining event in the novel. What was your reaction to Cora’s action? Was Cora’s action justified? Were the other choices that Cora could have made?
• Much of the conflict throughout the book comes because of both decisions characters have made in their pasts and circumstances that are beyond their control. Consider situations you have faced that are the result of either your decisions or circumstances. How did you resolve this situation? What did you learn?
• Which character did you find it most difficult to sympathize with and why? 

3. Societal and Cultural Context 

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• Ernt Allbright has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from his combat experience during the Vietnam War. To what extent is PTSD understood during the time period in which the novel is set?
• What does the novel suggest about the importance of community? How is this bond particularly unique in the Alaskan wilderness?
• What obstacles do Cora and Leni face because they are women living in the 1970s? How do such restrictions and misconceptions impact women in the present day?
• Many aspects of The Great Alone can be considered taboo topics in the United States. Discuss these taboo topics. What it is that makes these topics difficult to address? How have these taboo topics evolved in the time since the era in which the novel is set?

4. Literary Analysis 

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• How would the novel change if told from Leni’s father’s point of view? Why was this point of view not chosen, in your opinion?
• Compare and contrast Leni and Cora. What is the cause of their similarities and what creates their distinctions?
• Consider the tone of the book’s ending. Does it leave the reader with hope and an optimism for the future? Why or why not? 
• What role does the character Matthew play in the novel? What risks does he take in befriending and helping Leni and Cora? What motivates him to do this and what “payoff” does he receive?
• Alaska is often referred to as “the last wilderness” or “the last frontier” because so much of it is uninhabited. How can the notion of “wilderness” or “uncharted territory” be applied metaphorically to the characters in the novel?

5. Creative Engagement 

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• In a 2018 interview with Los Angeles Review of Books, Kristin Hannah discusses her own personal connection to Alaska. If you were to author a novel, what setting would you choose and why? What challenges or advantages would writing about this setting bring with it?
• Imagine a “sliding doors” version of Leni’s life where her father does not move the family to Alaska. Would the relationships and family dynamics play out in the same way? Why or why not? 

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