18 Thought-Provoking Book Club Questions for The Great Alone

Looking for The Great Alone book club questions for your next reading group meeting? Here are 18 thought-provoking discussion questions to get you guys going!

The Great Alone is a beautifully descriptive story of a dysfunctional family attempting to survive in the Alaskan wilderness. Written by Kristin Hannah and published in 2017, it’s a gorgeous story with some dark moments.

The story follows Leni, a quiet, subdued teenager dealing with her parent’s dysfunctional relationship. When the family inherits land in Alaska, they decide to uproot their lives in search of a new beginning. Leni is completely unprepared for the wild unpredictability of Alaska and how solitude will impact her volatile father.

There are some deep themes to discuss in The Great Alone, from domestic violence to the impact of war on men. It’s an absorbing read and a great choice for a book club!

If you’re preparing for your next group meeting, here are some interesting book club questions for The Great Alone to kickstart your discussion.

The Great Alone Book Club Questions

Let’s start with Leni’s life before they move to Alaska. It’s already turbulent, with her family moving around often to find some peace. When Leni is told she is moving to Alaska, she accepts it.

Do you think Leni was resigned to these changes at this point? What did you think about her character at the start of the story?

Leni’s father, Ernt, suffers from PTSD after being imprisoned in Vietnam. He’s damaged and volatile, difficult to live with, but suffering deeply.

What do you think about Ernt’s character and how he treats his wife and daughter? Do you think he could have sought support in the 1970s even if he wanted to?

The family moves to Alaska after inheriting land from Ernt’s friend and are thoroughly unprepared for how run down it is. They live in a mouldy shack with a driveway so overgrown they can’t drive the van up to the house.

To top it off, the locals (while friendly and helpful) are gravely serious about the need for the family to toughen up and get used to the harsh reality of living there.

What did you think of these opening chapters, where they settle into their new home? Did you think they would stick it out there or give up?

Leni thinks of her mother, Cora, as incredibly beautiful. At a party, she observes her talking to a local, Mr. Walker. ‘Yeah. She knew exactly how beautiful she was. And Mr. Walker saw it too.’ (p.69)

What do you think of the character of Cora at this point? Do you think she was a good mother to Leni?

Leni attends the local school, with only a handful of students. She bonds right away with a boy, Matthew. She wants to grow closer to him, but she feels she has to hold herself back because of her father.

‘Leni shook her head, feeling a familiar sadness creep in. She could never tell him how it felt to live with a dad who scared you so much sometimes and a mother who loved him too much and made him prove how much he loved her in dangerous ways.’ (p.71)

Do you think Matthew would have understood if Leni had explained it?

Leni’s parents have a volatile relationship, which only grows worse as the winter approaches. Leni is scared of her father, and she understands that her parents are trapped in a twisted marriage.

How do you think their relationship impacts Leni? Do you think either of them really understands how hard it is for her?

Leni quickly develops feelings for Matthew, and he becomes incredibly important to her.

‘I matter?’

‘To me you do.’ (p.77)

What do you think of Leni and Matthew’s relationship throughout the book?

The locals warn the family of the dangers of the upcoming winter. They spend a long summer preparing food in order to survive, and with Ernt’s increasing volatility, it becomes tense.

Do you think the writer did a good job of creating a sense of dread? Why or why not?

Cora confides in Leni about her early relationship with Ernt. ‘Your dad came into my life like a rogue wave, knocking me over. Everything he said upended my conventional world and changed who I was. I stopped knowing how to breathe without him.’ (p.88)

How do you think this makes Leni feel? Do you think Cora confides in her too much, or does this help to draw them closer together?

Cora seems resigned to her fate as a wife: ‘It’s a man’s world, baby girl.’

Alaska is beautifully described in this book. It is as dangerous as it is beautiful, and it’s a hard slog to live there. ‘How could a place be as alive as Alaska, as beautiful and cruel?’ (p.299)

Why do you think the locals stay? Would you want to live out in the wilderness like this?

Ernt becomes more volatile as he grows closer to Mad Earle, swapping conspiracy theories and preparing for armageddon.

How do you think Ernt and Mad Earle’s friendship impacts Ernt’s wife and daughter? Do you think conspiratorial thinking was inevitable for Ernt at this point?

Matthew suffers a horrible family tragedy, leaving him traumatised and depressed.

What do you think the book is trying to say about grief and trauma in men?

Leni observes that strange behaviour is accepted in Alaska, and it seems to attract quirky characters. ‘Any life that could be imagined could be lived up here.’ (p.132)

Why do you think this is?

‘Leni suddenly saw how hope could break you, how it was a shiny lure for the unwary. What happened to you if you hoped too hard for the best and got the worst? Was it better not to hope at all, to prepare?’ (p.121)

Leni has a fairly nihilistic view of life: why do you think this is? Do you think she really believes that hope is pointless?

Leni changes dramatically over the course of the book, becoming wiry and tough, along with her mother.

What did you think about Leni and how she adapted to the Alaskan wilderness? Do you think you have to be a certain person to thrive there?

The story takes a heartbreaking turn when Leni tries to escape her father with Matthew.

What did you think of Leni and Matthew’s relationship after this tragedy occurs?

Leni and her mother make a difficult decision out of desperation.

Did you sympathize with them? Do you think they made the right choice together?

The ending of The Great Alone is somewhat bittersweet, but it ends with Leni’s total adoration of Alaska.

Did you enjoy the ending? Did you find it to be realistic? How do you think Leni’s life turned out in the end?

Hopefully, these book club questions for The Great Alone will help to get the discussion going for your next book club meeting!

Megan Bidmead

Guest writer

Megan is a freelance writer based in Somerset, England. When she’s not writing about books, video games, and pop culture, she’s running around after her two kids and trying to squeeze in the occasional walk in the countryside.