kristin hannah – Pleasant Nights

Well, Kristin Hannah is two for two. Two books I loved and two books that made me cry. I read The Nightingale awhile ago and really enjoyed it, but didn’t give it five stars because I felt it dragged in parts. This one, however, I would call one of the best books I read this year. I absolutely loved it.

From Goodreads: Alaska, 1974. Unpredictable. Unforgiving. Untamed.
For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival.

Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.

Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if it means following him into the unknown.

In this unforgettable portrait of human frailty and resilience, Kristin Hannah reveals the indomitable character of the modern American pioneer and the spirit of a vanishing Alaska―a place of incomparable beauty and danger. The Great Alone is a daring, beautiful, stay-up-all-night story about love and loss, the fight for survival, and the wildness that lives in both man and nature.

I have ZERO desire to ever live off the grid. I like indoor plumbing, central heat and air, and being five minutes away from everything. I’m okay not eating moose, carrying a whistle to ward off bears, and I definitely hate being cold. That said, my lack of desire to be in Leni’s position didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book.

This book really is just gorgeous in its passion, splendor, and trauma. Leni and Cora’s life is hard. Ernt is horrible (TW for domestic abuse). The scenery is a character of its own. And if you don’t cry at this book, I’m not sure you’ve got a soul. Kidding…I know some people aren’t cryers, it’s fine. I’m usually not a crier, but my gosh, this book. I was just sucked in. I think that’s the test of a great book. My world disappeared, and I was wholly in Leni’s.

The Nightingale

Two birds with one stone here!! A friend recommended this one, and it is on the NY Times Bestseller list for the book challenge. And wow! What a fabulous read! Not necessarily the most uplifting of books, but absolutely beautiful.

Two sisters, one older and responsible, one younger and impetuous. But both strong in their own stubborn way. Set in France during WWII, the stories follows both of them, sometimes living together, oftentimes apart and you see their struggles for survival during the worst period of the last century. You get small glimpses of present day, learning that one of the sisters has survived, but which isn’t revealed until the end.

I have shed tears at three books: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (ugly cried. twice.), the Book Thief (just a couple tears. twice) and now The Nightingale. I’m not a crier, so this should tell you something. I refuse to reveal whether they are happy tears or sad tears or a combination of both, but know that this book hit me hard.

I gave it 4 stars because I thought it could have been edited down a bit, but that’s just my personal preference. Overall, I loved the characters and felt their motivations were authentic. Even though WWII is always hard to read about, I feel it’s important to be frequently reminded of the time period, and books like this do an excellent job at doing so.