What Happened To Hannah

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Original edition (February 7, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 006208478X
ISBN-13: 978-0062084781

Summary

As a teenager, Hannah Benson ran away from home in order to save herself. Now, twenty years later, the past comes calling and delivers life-changing news: her mother and sister have passed away, leaving Hannah the guardian of her fifteen-year-old niece.

Returning home to bitter memories and devastating secrets, Hannah must overcome her painful past to pave a future with her niece, the last best chance at a family for both of them. She begins to create a new, happier life with her niece and rekindles a relationship with Grady Steadman, one of the few people she’s ever called a friend.

But she can’t forget what she cannot forgive, or lay to rest those ghosts that will not die. Will love and trust—and the truth—give her the strength to stand her ground and fight for what she deserves?

My Thoughts

This book is a good character driven novel. Those who enjoy stories of abused characters that have overcome their abuse will enjoy this book.

Hannah escapes her family and abuse as a teenager. She is a successful adult who seems very well rounded when she receives a phone call telling her her mother has passed away and she is now the guardian of a teenage niece named Anna, that Hannah had no idea existed. She returns home to take care of her family's affairs and meet and care for Anna.

As a reader, you know Hannah has been abused and she left her home but the mystery revolves around what happened to Hannah the fateful night she left. Hannah has not been back since. As Hannah cleans out her mother's home, she also cleans out the memories which seem to haunt her from that horrible night. The story goes back to when Hannah was a teenager which is intertwined with the present day story. Not to worry though. The storyline is easy to follow.

There is a romantic storyline also. Hannah is reacquainted with Grady, her high school sweetheart. Hannah is not ready to welcome back anyone from her past as she has moved on and in her eyes has put the past behind her. Grady is sure Hannah is hiding something from her past that needs to come out. There is a tension between them but is it because they still have feelings for each other or is it because Grady is just doing his job as the local sheriff?

I enjoyed reading about Hannah's life. She was a strong willed child and woman who did what she had to survive. She was an easy character to like. I felt bad that as a child, the community turned a blind eye to the abuse happening in her home. I'm sure this happens everyday but it sure was hard to stomach as I became involved with Hannah and her story.

The story kept me reading and wanting more until I got to the satisfying ending. I would recommend this book to book clubs as there is much there to discuss. It's an excellent read for those who like to read about dysfunctional families and those who have overcome abusive situations.


I received this book for my honest review from Amazon Vine