[2] Hannah had initially written a whole draft of a thriller with the same characters trying to solve a crime that had taken place in the past,[3] but during revisions only kept the 1970s Alaska setting; then started writing a first-person point-of-view novel from a teenage narrator.

[10][11] The Toronto Star praised its "compassionate, nuanced portrait of the “twisted love" that results from domestic violence, and of the ways in which women cope with such abuse.

"[12] The Star Tribune stated that Hannah "has created an atmosphere of brooding paranoia and simmering violence that can set your heart racing.

"[13] However, Janet Maslin of The New York Times criticized the novel, calling it "a heart-tugger written in borderline young adult style, combining terrible troubles with notes of overripe romance.

"[14] Ron Charles of The Washington Post noted that "the weaknesses of The Great Alone are usually camouflaged by its dramatic and often emotional plot.