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The Great Alone Kindle Edition

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,185 ratings

A sweeping multigenerational saga of the founding of the state of Alaska by an iconic author with more than three hundred million copies of her books in print.

Spanning two hundred years, this saga of romance and adventure in the untamed Alaska wilderness begins with Tasha Tarakanov, a beautiful Aleut woman, and her beloved Andrei, a noble and ambitious Cossack hunter. From their union come seven generations of proud Alaskans, including the beautiful Marisha, who finds her fortune as a legendary madam, and Wylie Cole, who bravely defends his homeland during World War II.

Glorious and grand,
The Great Alone is a story of brave young men and women, whose dreams, heritage, betrayals, loves, and fortitude are as vast and wild as the land from which they sprang.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Sprawling epics are supposed to offer pageantry and exotic locales. . . . Because Janet Dailey is a well-known romance writer, one might expect love and sex. The Great Alone comes through on all counts.” —The New York Times Book Review

The Great Alone is moving, entertaining reading for lovers of romance and adventure.” —Richmond Times-Dispatch

About the Author




Janet Dailey, who passed away in 2013, was born Janet Haradon in 1944 in Storm Lake, Iowa. She attended secretarial school in Omaha, Nebraska, before meeting her husband, Bill. The two worked together in construction and land development until they “retired” to travel throughout the United States, inspiring Dailey to write the Americana series of romances, setting a novel in every state of the Union. In 1974, Dailey was the first American author to write for Harlequin. Her first novel was
No Quarter Asked. She went on to write approximately ninety novels, twenty-one of which appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. She won many awards and accolades for her work, appearing widely on radio and television. Today, there are over three hundred million Janet Dailey books in print in nineteen different languages, making her one of the most popular novelists in the world. For more information about Dailey, visit www.janetdailey.com.


Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00J5X5ER2
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Open Road Media Romance; Reprint edition (April 1, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 1, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 6.0 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 752 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,185 ratings

About the author

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Janet Dailey
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JANET DAILEY’s first book was published in 1976. Since then she has written more than 100 novels and become one of the top-selling female authors in the world, with 300 million copies of her books sold in nineteen languages in ninety-eight countries. She is known for her strong, decisive characters, her extraordinary ability to recreate a time and a place, and her unerring courage to confront important, controversial issues in her stories. You can learn more about Janet at www.JanetDailey.com.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
1,185 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book informative and well-researched. They describe it as an enjoyable read with a well-developed family story. However, some find the length excessive and confusing at times.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

119 customers mention "Historical accuracy"116 positive3 negative

Customers find the book informative and engaging. They describe it as a historical novel set in Alaska's Aleutian Islands that contains a lot of history they did not know. The story is emotional, with changes from one generation to the next. Readers find the book serious and informative, while also being an interesting tale reminiscent of James Michener.

"...covers approximately 200 years of one family's history of survival, heritage, loves and fortitude. This book kept my interest from beginning to end...." Read more

"...Lots of violence on this earth! It was interesting, though, to see the changes from one generation to another generation and go from skin-..." Read more

"Wonderful historical novel set in Alaska's Aleutian Islands, following one family's descendants through invasion after invasion of Russians hunting..." Read more

"...This book was like a living history for me...." Read more

92 customers mention "Readability"88 positive4 negative

Customers find the book engaging and interesting. They find it enjoyable, even if they are not interested in learning about the subject matter. The last half of the book is considered good, as the story moves faster and keeps their attention.

"...This book is fascinating to read and the author did an excellent job of educating us as well as entertaining us." Read more

"...The blending of fiction with history is remarkable! This is a good book to read even if you are not interested in learning some history...." Read more

"...as I previously knew very little about Alaska and I enjoy a good read with well drawn characters and an exciting plot...." Read more

"...in Alaska and lived there the first 15 years of my life, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My Dad was on Attu when the japs overran it...." Read more

28 customers mention "Writing style"24 positive4 negative

Customers find the writing style engaging and well-written. They say it's easy to read, with descriptive language and explanations for foreign words. The book is described as well-crafted and spellbound.

"...It is very well written. The story is long and it is one that I found I could put down...." Read more

"...The writing made me forget I was reading a book. I was there. I have recommended the book to many friends...." Read more

"...I know I will like it , because I liked Janet. She was a very nice, interesting and talented person...." Read more

"A superbly written and edited novel for those who love history, detail, and a compelling story...." Read more

25 customers mention "Character development"25 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the well-developed characters. They find them fascinating and relatable.

"...knew very little about Alaska and I enjoy a good read with well drawn characters and an exciting plot...." Read more

"...The characters will become your friends, the pace is fast, the history sad and amazing. Read it!" Read more

"...It was made realistic by characters who lived there as the Russian explorers landed in the 1700's and continued on through several generations..." Read more

"...Later, perhaps, the characters were more interesting - Glory being the best...." Read more

24 customers mention "Information quality"24 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative and engaging. They appreciate the detailed knowledge of life in Alaska and the author's research. The book provides information about Aleut Indians and Russia's influence on Alaska.

"...This book is fascinating to read and the author did an excellent job of educating us as well as entertaining us." Read more

"...Instead it embodies a tome of research for which I am grateful, as I previously knew very little about Alaska and I enjoy a good read with well..." Read more

"A good historical novel of Alaska and àll the tribes of Indians and it was emotional often when you realize how they were treated by Americans and..." Read more

"...Well--the story line is okay, the detailed knowledge of life in what is now Alaska for a two hundred year span is impressive and makes a very..." Read more

15 customers mention "Family story"15 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the family story. They find the book well-written and engaging, following a family through generations. The characters feel like real people, and the author weaves together multiple stories nicely. The descriptive language and strong characters make the book enjoyable to read.

"...I thoroughly enjoyed it. Well written. It's great to read about a family going back in history for several generations...." Read more

"...I love following a family through history and generations." Read more

"Very interesting re history of area and the creation of fictional family and generations following gave the..." Read more

"...Weaves the multiple generations together very nicely. Even learned some history in it that I didn't know...." Read more

20 customers mention "Pacing"8 positive12 negative

Customers have different views on the pacing of the book. Some find it fast-paced and interesting, making it a painless way to absorb a bit of history and geography. Others mention that the first part seems slow-moving and drags on.

"...The first part, especially seemed to drag on. Later, perhaps, the characters were more interesting - Glory being the best...." Read more

"...two hundred year span is impressive and makes a very interesting and fast read." Read more

"...However there were way too many intricate details that became tedious and didn't seem to be necessary to the story...." Read more

"...The characters will become your friends, the pace is fast, the history sad and amazing. Read it!" Read more

10 customers mention "Length"0 positive10 negative

Customers find the book too long and confusing. They say it's a good read but too long by a couple of generations.

"It is very long...." Read more

"...It contained a lot of history that I did not know, but it was a very long book. The first part, especially seemed to drag on...." Read more

"It was a long read, but kept my interest all the way through. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Well written...." Read more

"...sense of reality - it could all have been true. Rather long but I enjoyed reading it." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2017
    After visiting Alaska and the Yukon area last year I really developed a desire to learn more about its history. It amazes me how tough people are and have been in the development of Alaska. This book covers approximately 200 years of one family's history of survival, heritage, loves and fortitude. This book kept my interest from beginning to end. It gives you a lot of information about Aleut Indians and Russia's influence on Alaska. The whole book was very emotional for me to read but part of the book dealing with world war II was really hard to get thru. This book is fascinating to read and the author did an excellent job of educating us as well as entertaining us.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2014
    Although I would love to visit Alaska someday, I had never read any of its history. This story was a great historical eye opener for me. I had no idea that Russia owned Alaska way before any other country. The Russians were so brutal and violent, but of course, the natives were not any different than the natives that abused and killed other natives. It has happened since the beginning of times, the abuse of the weaker and less fortunate. It sickened me to learn how the Russians, and others that followed after, killed the sea otters, sea lions and seals by the thousands...As I'm also sure this is still going on many countries today. Lots of violence on this earth!

    It was interesting, though, to see the changes from one generation to another generation and go from skin-boats to airplanes. Also, sadly to learn that racism has always existed and how you are treated by the color of your skin, or hair, or eyes.

    The blending of fiction with history is remarkable! This is a good book to read even if you are not interested in learning some history. It is very well written. The story is long and it is one that I found I could put down. I had to take breaks in between readings so my mind would rest from all the information and names given. I will go back and read it again since maybe it would be easier to assimilate the second time around.
    6 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2015
    Wonderful historical novel set in Alaska's Aleutian Islands, following one family's descendants through invasion after invasion of Russians hunting furs, British doing the same, then the sale of the of Alaska to the Americans, all the while each invading culture leaving its stamp on the islands and pushing the native population aside. But this is not another "ain't it awful what the white people did" novel, which I am getting pretty sick of. Instead it embodies a tome of research for which I am grateful, as I previously knew very little about Alaska and I enjoy a good read with well drawn characters and an exciting plot. Janet Dailey puts me in mind of Mitchner, but with more soul. I don't understand the title, though.
    5 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2015
    As someone born in Alaska and lived there the first 15 years of my life, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My Dad was on Attu when the japs overran it. I was born in Anchorage but moved to the Matanuska valley when I was three years old. I still remember the train ride from Anchorage to this day. My Mother and youngest brother were living in Anchorage when the earthquake of 1964 struck. As a matter of fact, they had left 2 hours earlier for Palmer to visit friends. This book was like a living history for me. I don't know if these people were real or just characters rounding out historical facts but in any case, it was spellbinding for me. Although not as long, it ranks right up there with James A. Mischnier for style. Would love to read other books by this author.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2019
    A good historical novel of Alaska and àll the tribes of Indians and it was emotional often when you realize how they were treated by Americans and Russians. Janet Dailey knows how to research for a good novel.
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2011
    I had thought Janet Daily wrote romance-genre , book club books, not my thing. I bought "The Great Alone" for a friend who had lost her copy, and she insisted I read it before giving it to her.
    In addition to the author, the book had two strikes against it: a map (which never has all the references made in the text), and a family-tree (which signals lots of characters not easily remembered).
    Well--the story line is okay, the detailed knowledge of life in what is now Alaska for a two hundred year span is impressive and makes a very interesting and fast read.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2024
    A book I didn't know I needed to read. Great story of Alaska's founding. I am Inspired to read more about our 49th state and the history surrounding it.
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2015
    A book I didn't want to end. After being to Alaska twice by ferry and falling in love with the land and people, this book brought it all together. The writing made me forget I was reading a book. I was there. I have recommended the book to many friends. A must read if you're going to visit Alaska, or if you've been there and want to supplement your knowledge. The characters will become your friends, the pace is fast, the history sad and amazing. Read it!
    One person found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Great Alone
    Reviewed in Canada on February 3, 2025
    This is a really good read, and I believe tries to hold true to Alaska’s
    History,although fiction it is written around the facts
  • Amazon Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not quite like Janet Dailey's usual work.
    Reviewed in Australia on December 11, 2020
    A bit too long drawn out.
  • Tricia
    4.0 out of 5 stars Epic
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 1, 2017
    I liked the start the best as there is so much detail. The book is very interesting a historical reference. A good read
  • val
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on July 27, 2015
    loved it.
  • William Daniel Page
    3.0 out of 5 stars not my type
    Reviewed in Canada on September 29, 2023
    just not my type of book

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