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Hanna Who Fell from the Sky
From highly acclaimed, award-winning author Christopher Meades comes a magical, provocative tale of forbidden love and one girl's struggle for liberation
Hanna has never been outside her secluded community of Clearhaven. She has never questioned why her father has four wives or why she has fourteen brothers and sisters. And in only one week, on her eighteenth birthday, Hanna will follow tradition and become the fifth wife of a man more than twice her age.
But just days before the wedding, Hanna meets Daniel, an enigmatic stranger who challenges her to question her fate and to follow her own will. Then her mother tells her a secret--one that could grant Hanna the freedom she's known only in her dreams. As her world unravels around her, Hanna must decide whether she was really meant for something greater than the claustrophobic world of Clearhaven. But can she abandon her beloved younger sister and the only home she's ever known? Or is there another option--one too fantastical to believe?
With lush, evocative prose, Christopher Meades takes readers on an emotional journey into a fascinating, unknown world--and, along the way, brilliantly illuminates complexities of faith, identity and how our origins shape who we are.
Hanna has never been outside her secluded community of Clearhaven. She has never questioned why her father has four wives or why she has fourteen brothers and sisters. And in only one week, on her eighteenth birthday, Hanna will follow tradition and become the fifth wife of a man more than twice her age.
But just days before the wedding, Hanna meets Daniel, an enigmatic stranger who challenges her to question her fate and to follow her own will. Then her mother tells her a secret--one that could grant Hanna the freedom she's known only in her dreams. As her world unravels around her, Hanna must decide whether she was really meant for something greater than the claustrophobic world of Clearhaven. But can she abandon her beloved younger sister and the only home she's ever known? Or is there another option--one too fantastical to believe?
With lush, evocative prose, Christopher Meades takes readers on an emotional journey into a fascinating, unknown world--and, along the way, brilliantly illuminates complexities of faith, identity and how our origins shape who we are.
342 pages, Hardcover
First published September 26, 2017
53 people are currently reading
1831 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Meades
6 books117 followersChristopher Meades is a Vancouver author whose novel The Last Hiccup won the 2013 Canadian Authors Association Award for Fiction.
His first novel The Three Fates of Henrik Nordmark was released by ECW Press in 2010, followed by The Last Hiccup (2012) and For The Love of Mary (2016). Fall 2017 will see the release of Hanna Who Fell From The Sky (Park Row Books).
His story The Walking Lady won the 2009 Toyon fiction prize. His fiction has been featured in The Fiddlehead, Upstreet, The Dalhousie Review, Vancouver Province, Write On, The Delinquent (UK), Welter (Baltimore U.), Inch, Cause & Effect, Inscape, Toyon, The Offbeat, Delivered (UK), The Feathertale Review, Sierra Nevada Review, Canadian Stories, The Potomac Review, The Penguin Review, Thema and Nonymous.
His first novel The Three Fates of Henrik Nordmark was released by ECW Press in 2010, followed by The Last Hiccup (2012) and For The Love of Mary (2016). Fall 2017 will see the release of Hanna Who Fell From The Sky (Park Row Books).
His story The Walking Lady won the 2009 Toyon fiction prize. His fiction has been featured in The Fiddlehead, Upstreet, The Dalhousie Review, Vancouver Province, Write On, The Delinquent (UK), Welter (Baltimore U.), Inch, Cause & Effect, Inscape, Toyon, The Offbeat, Delivered (UK), The Feathertale Review, Sierra Nevada Review, Canadian Stories, The Potomac Review, The Penguin Review, Thema and Nonymous.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 314 reviews
August 22, 2017
A polygamous community, a cult, somewhere bordering the woods, in a secluded place called Clearhaven is where we meet 17 year old Hanna. She is about to be married off to a man who is three times her age, a man who already has several wives. An eerie read in many respects, a quick read and one that I couldn't put down. I was surprised about the element of magical realism. If the description hinted at it by describing it as magical and posing a fantastical option, I didn't pick up on it . While I think the story could have stood on its own without that, it didn't take away from the powerful story told here.
In Clearhaven, "The Creator" is supreme but it's the men who control their wives, demanding their obedience and fertility. Some of the women stand by their husbands and those who don't suffer abuse at their hands. It's a community where most of the young men are sent away so they aren't competition for the older men. Daniel is a young man who has been away and has come back. When Hanna meets him they, of course have an immediate attraction. Their relationship grows over the next days, maybe too quickly for genuine feelings, but its lovely to see Hanna smile in light of the plans that her father has made for her future. Gradually, we learn that the selection of Hanna's husband has little to do with what "The Creator" has told her father and more to do with money and years old grudges.
Even though a quick read, I was captivated by the writing, by the complex relationships between husbands and wives, wives and sister wives, mothers and daughters. I almost gave this 3 stars because of my inability to suspend my belief enough about Hanna, but in spite of that I found so much more here and it warrants 4 stars.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Harlequin/Park Row Books through NetGalley.
December 21, 2018
This was an enthralling story that was both beautiful and disturbing...
I had no idea what to expect when I picked up this book, I was going to only read a few pages and before I knew it I was over halfway done and I could not put it down.... I was both captivated and repelled Buy the isolated town of Clear Haven... it was so heartbreaking to see not only Hana but all the women and children of this town being treated so poorly....
Hannah was beautiful, both inside and out... living in a secluded town with polygamy and archaic laws... Hannah is a week away from 18 and betrothed to a man twice her age who already has four other wives.... makes your skin crawl doesn’t it? Hannah has such a special bond with her siblings especially one of her sisters who has a spine abnormality... so can Hannah escape this horrible situation, when this is all she knows?
There is a magical element to the story that will mean something different to every reader, depending upon whether you take it literally or figuratively.... did Hannah literally fall from the sky or figuratively fall from the sky? Up to interpretation, but added an element of charm and/or the supernatural to the story... there are some definite lines in the story good and bad, pier and evil, I would have perhaps likeed a little more gray rather than black and white.... there is also a definite knight in shining armor, who I absolutely adored, although I would’ve liked Hannah to have figured some things out on her own, girl power and all that!These are just such nit picky things, this really was a story that completely captivated me and really made me think, can’t ask for much more than that!
Absolutely recommend, a compelling story that will make you look at things in a different light!
*** Big thanks to harlequin for my copy of this book ***
I had no idea what to expect when I picked up this book, I was going to only read a few pages and before I knew it I was over halfway done and I could not put it down.... I was both captivated and repelled Buy the isolated town of Clear Haven... it was so heartbreaking to see not only Hana but all the women and children of this town being treated so poorly....
Hannah was beautiful, both inside and out... living in a secluded town with polygamy and archaic laws... Hannah is a week away from 18 and betrothed to a man twice her age who already has four other wives.... makes your skin crawl doesn’t it? Hannah has such a special bond with her siblings especially one of her sisters who has a spine abnormality... so can Hannah escape this horrible situation, when this is all she knows?
There is a magical element to the story that will mean something different to every reader, depending upon whether you take it literally or figuratively.... did Hannah literally fall from the sky or figuratively fall from the sky? Up to interpretation, but added an element of charm and/or the supernatural to the story... there are some definite lines in the story good and bad, pier and evil, I would have perhaps likeed a little more gray rather than black and white.... there is also a definite knight in shining armor, who I absolutely adored, although I would’ve liked Hannah to have figured some things out on her own, girl power and all that!These are just such nit picky things, this really was a story that completely captivated me and really made me think, can’t ask for much more than that!
Absolutely recommend, a compelling story that will make you look at things in a different light!
*** Big thanks to harlequin for my copy of this book ***
October 2, 2017
Interesting premise but not particularly well executed. One character is clearly selected to say wise things, but not realistic teen boy things, and that really jumped out at me. The protagonist is about to be pushed into a polygamous marriage at age 18 but seems to "be surprised" that she will be expected to have babies. When all the women in her entire community, a secluded community, are married and having babies. I can suspend disbelief that she doesn't know the outside world (despite the weekly market that seems to come from the outside) but I had a hard time thinking she would have any reason not to know her own religion inside and out. So it felt uneven and inconsistent, and the magical element didn't really play out in a clear way.
Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 19, 2017
Hanna is turning eighteen in a week and has never left the town of Clearhaven. Her hometown is a polygamist community where residents blindly follow a cult-like individual named “Brother Paul”. Her father has four wives and has sired fourteen children. When her birthday arrives she is destined to become the fifth wife of a man three times her age. To prepare for that day, she spends time with her future husband’s wives and learns about expectations for their marriage bed.
Days before her wedding, Hanna meets Daniel who has just returned from a trip outside the town. She is intrigued by his stories and starts to consider life beyond Clearhaven. Her mother also seeks more for Hanna and shares a unique secret to help influence her decision. As her birthday approaches, Hanna must decide knowing that. the cost of her freedom will be a life away from her family and friends.
This book by Christopher Meades is a creative coming of age story with some magical realism blended in. It realistically depicts the unpredictable behaviors of a teen making the transition to adulthood.
Days before her wedding, Hanna meets Daniel who has just returned from a trip outside the town. She is intrigued by his stories and starts to consider life beyond Clearhaven. Her mother also seeks more for Hanna and shares a unique secret to help influence her decision. As her birthday approaches, Hanna must decide knowing that. the cost of her freedom will be a life away from her family and friends.
This book by Christopher Meades is a creative coming of age story with some magical realism blended in. It realistically depicts the unpredictable behaviors of a teen making the transition to adulthood.
October 16, 2017
Favorite Quotes:
Paul the Third, was chubby and balding, like an off-kilter teapot always in danger of tipping over. Paul the Third wore a mustache that Charliss described as “four parts pubic hair and three parts bacon grease” and he perspired constantly.
Hanna had felt like a rubber band stretched to the point of breaking, pulled so tight that its color had all but disappeared. Hanna had spent so very long worried about what others thought, about the consequences for the slightest misbehavior, that she hadn’t stopped to think about what she wanted, what was right for her.
Someone once told me that fear only subsides when joy is so powerful that you refuse to be afraid.
The Creator forbids women from wearing red… Brother Paul says it’s the color harlots wear in the big city… And it’s not that I was born desperately wanting to wear a red dress. But it’s strange— when something’s taken away from you, you just want it so badly.
He gritted his teeth. Hanna counted two at the top and a throng of incisors at the bottom, by turns black and yellow, like a decomposing ear of corn.
My Review:
I was enthralled, flabbergasted, and awestruck by the superlative quality and artifice in Christopher Meades’s writing. His word-craft and storyline were diabolically ingenious and to my complete wonderment, held me captive despite my typical avoidance of this type of subject matter. I was riveted to my Kindle while also deeply conflicted and frustrated by the compelling characters and the harsh predicaments they had either been forced into, placed themselves in, or were maintaining by their complicity. Chaffing at the hypocrisy, cruelty, and abuse of power by the arrogant men under the guise of religion as well as the pettiness and stupidity of the women who allowed not only themselves to be used and abused, but to extend that learned helplessness to their children; I couldn’t decide whom I despised more. However, I intensely reviled Hanna’s repulsive father, who was a despicable, loathsome, and abusive alcoholic as well as an irresponsible polygamist.
Although a bit forlorn and heavily conflicted, I was utterly consumed by Mr. Meades’s masterful phrasing, vivid descriptions, thoughtful emotive details, and razor-sharp insights. There was a smooth fluidity to his narrative that kept a movie reel steadily rolling through my cranium. In retrospect, what is even more astonishing was his ability to so deftly and accurately depict the inner musings, hopes, turmoil, and confusion of a loyal and sheltered eighteen-year-old girl as she gradually gained awareness of her own naiveté and the purposeful manipulations that had been used to maintain her ignorance and life of poverty.
Mr. Meades’s well-crafted storyline was simply gripping and kept me invested, engaged, and twisted in knots while fervently hoping for the main character of Hanna, and her mother, to find their spines as well as their footing and flee the tyranny of that harsh and backward community. I experienced a steadily mounting sense of foreboding knowing the pressure was building toward the climax and found myself taut with tension and a death grip on my Kindle, and decidedly unwilling to put it down to do the regularly scheduled adulting for the day. It was worth the book hangover and displeased grumbling of family members. Mr. Meades has a new fangirl – I greedily want all his words.
Paul the Third, was chubby and balding, like an off-kilter teapot always in danger of tipping over. Paul the Third wore a mustache that Charliss described as “four parts pubic hair and three parts bacon grease” and he perspired constantly.
Hanna had felt like a rubber band stretched to the point of breaking, pulled so tight that its color had all but disappeared. Hanna had spent so very long worried about what others thought, about the consequences for the slightest misbehavior, that she hadn’t stopped to think about what she wanted, what was right for her.
Someone once told me that fear only subsides when joy is so powerful that you refuse to be afraid.
The Creator forbids women from wearing red… Brother Paul says it’s the color harlots wear in the big city… And it’s not that I was born desperately wanting to wear a red dress. But it’s strange— when something’s taken away from you, you just want it so badly.
He gritted his teeth. Hanna counted two at the top and a throng of incisors at the bottom, by turns black and yellow, like a decomposing ear of corn.
My Review:
I was enthralled, flabbergasted, and awestruck by the superlative quality and artifice in Christopher Meades’s writing. His word-craft and storyline were diabolically ingenious and to my complete wonderment, held me captive despite my typical avoidance of this type of subject matter. I was riveted to my Kindle while also deeply conflicted and frustrated by the compelling characters and the harsh predicaments they had either been forced into, placed themselves in, or were maintaining by their complicity. Chaffing at the hypocrisy, cruelty, and abuse of power by the arrogant men under the guise of religion as well as the pettiness and stupidity of the women who allowed not only themselves to be used and abused, but to extend that learned helplessness to their children; I couldn’t decide whom I despised more. However, I intensely reviled Hanna’s repulsive father, who was a despicable, loathsome, and abusive alcoholic as well as an irresponsible polygamist.
Although a bit forlorn and heavily conflicted, I was utterly consumed by Mr. Meades’s masterful phrasing, vivid descriptions, thoughtful emotive details, and razor-sharp insights. There was a smooth fluidity to his narrative that kept a movie reel steadily rolling through my cranium. In retrospect, what is even more astonishing was his ability to so deftly and accurately depict the inner musings, hopes, turmoil, and confusion of a loyal and sheltered eighteen-year-old girl as she gradually gained awareness of her own naiveté and the purposeful manipulations that had been used to maintain her ignorance and life of poverty.
Mr. Meades’s well-crafted storyline was simply gripping and kept me invested, engaged, and twisted in knots while fervently hoping for the main character of Hanna, and her mother, to find their spines as well as their footing and flee the tyranny of that harsh and backward community. I experienced a steadily mounting sense of foreboding knowing the pressure was building toward the climax and found myself taut with tension and a death grip on my Kindle, and decidedly unwilling to put it down to do the regularly scheduled adulting for the day. It was worth the book hangover and displeased grumbling of family members. Mr. Meades has a new fangirl – I greedily want all his words.
July 24, 2017
My new book arrives in September 2017 from Park Row Books....
Here are a few blurbs to appear on the back cover:
"A strange and beautiful fable with shades of Deliverance, Room, and Winter’s Bone." —Laline Paull, award-winning author of The Bees
"Beautiful and delicate, Meades has written a powerful meditation on how we define ourselves, the gift and cruelty of faith, and the redemptive act of storytelling. A gorgeous blend of dreamy folklore and gritty reality." –Erika Swyler, bestselling author of The Book of Speculation
"With original characters and graceful prose, Christopher Meades has created an indelible novel about faith, family and love. Your heart will soar and ache for Hanna on her thoroughly original coming-of-age journey." - Kelly Simmons, author of One More Day
"Hanna rises like a phoenix. Christopher Meades weaves a feast of paradox and surprise.” -- Benjamin Ludwig, author of Ginny Moon
"Acclaimed Canadian writer Meades portrays a strong, independently minded young woman on the brink of adulthood in a story laced with magic realism and questions of faith about her struggle to choose between tradition and her own free will." —Booklist
Here are a few blurbs to appear on the back cover:
"A strange and beautiful fable with shades of Deliverance, Room, and Winter’s Bone." —Laline Paull, award-winning author of The Bees
"Beautiful and delicate, Meades has written a powerful meditation on how we define ourselves, the gift and cruelty of faith, and the redemptive act of storytelling. A gorgeous blend of dreamy folklore and gritty reality." –Erika Swyler, bestselling author of The Book of Speculation
"With original characters and graceful prose, Christopher Meades has created an indelible novel about faith, family and love. Your heart will soar and ache for Hanna on her thoroughly original coming-of-age journey." - Kelly Simmons, author of One More Day
"Hanna rises like a phoenix. Christopher Meades weaves a feast of paradox and surprise.” -- Benjamin Ludwig, author of Ginny Moon
"Acclaimed Canadian writer Meades portrays a strong, independently minded young woman on the brink of adulthood in a story laced with magic realism and questions of faith about her struggle to choose between tradition and her own free will." —Booklist
August 21, 2017
Hanna Who Fell From The Sky by Christopher Meades was a bit hit and miss for me. The part of the story which first caught my attention when I read the blurb - about a young girl living in a polygamist community - was excellent and I experienced the strength of emotions I had anticipted. What I hadn't expected, but in hindsight should have, was the need to suspend disbelief for the story thread from which the book drew it's title.
When we meet Hanna she is only days away from her 18th birthday and is about to learn who she will be married off to. She's been raised in a family belonging to the Clearhaven community. The oldest of fourteen children this is a place where men rule, where they take as many wives as they see fit and the young girls have no say in the matter of who they are married to. A place where male authority is enforced with corporal punishment, the men seem to be brutish and egotistical, and where the word of the Creator goes unchallenged. Reading this brought to mind the Handmaids Tale except where I felt apathetic and somewhat unmoved by that book (I know I'm in the minority there) this one made me angry. I wanted to arc up on Hanna's behalf, on behalf of all these brainwashed women living in the polygamous community. I couldn't imagine how such communities could exist in the real world, yet it seems they do. In a chance encounter with Daniel, a boy of a similar age as herself, a boy who has seen something of the outside world, Hanna begins to question almost everything about her existence at Clearhaven. Part coming of age, part getting of wisdom, I understood the confusion Hanna felt about wanting to follow her own heart but wanting to do right by her siblings and of considering the impact her own behaviour might have upon others.
Honestly, I'd have enjoyed the book more if that had been the basis for the entire story. I was unprepared and taken by surprise at the magical element that was introduced. Whilst I didn't dislike this part of the the story I'll admit I was a tad confused by the need for it, and if I'm honest, it detracted slightly from my overall enjoyment - but of course this may not be so for others. Overall, an enjoyable and mind opening read.
Thanks to the author Christopher Meades, the publisher Harlequin, and NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When we meet Hanna she is only days away from her 18th birthday and is about to learn who she will be married off to. She's been raised in a family belonging to the Clearhaven community. The oldest of fourteen children this is a place where men rule, where they take as many wives as they see fit and the young girls have no say in the matter of who they are married to. A place where male authority is enforced with corporal punishment, the men seem to be brutish and egotistical, and where the word of the Creator goes unchallenged. Reading this brought to mind the Handmaids Tale except where I felt apathetic and somewhat unmoved by that book (I know I'm in the minority there) this one made me angry. I wanted to arc up on Hanna's behalf, on behalf of all these brainwashed women living in the polygamous community. I couldn't imagine how such communities could exist in the real world, yet it seems they do. In a chance encounter with Daniel, a boy of a similar age as herself, a boy who has seen something of the outside world, Hanna begins to question almost everything about her existence at Clearhaven. Part coming of age, part getting of wisdom, I understood the confusion Hanna felt about wanting to follow her own heart but wanting to do right by her siblings and of considering the impact her own behaviour might have upon others.
Honestly, I'd have enjoyed the book more if that had been the basis for the entire story. I was unprepared and taken by surprise at the magical element that was introduced. Whilst I didn't dislike this part of the the story I'll admit I was a tad confused by the need for it, and if I'm honest, it detracted slightly from my overall enjoyment - but of course this may not be so for others. Overall, an enjoyable and mind opening read.
Thanks to the author Christopher Meades, the publisher Harlequin, and NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 16, 2017
What sold me on this book: a young girl who has been raised in the secluded polygamist town of Clearhaven is soon to be married off to a man nearly three times her age.
What kept me reading: Hanna was relatable. She was a teen girl who had been told one thing all of her life, and after meeting a stranger and a talk with her mother, she finds out nothing is what she thought. The writing from Meades is enthralling. I could not put this book down, because at times it felt like pure poetry. There are times in this story that I want to just shake the characters. Yell "wake up," in their faces! Meades does a wonderful job putting the reader into Hanna's shoes, and helping you feel the warring thoughts and feelings going through her. The mystery and so many questions that you'll start to ask once you start reading!
There is a little bit of a love story, but this is mostly a unique coming of age story, with a fantastical bit of plot mixed in to take the heavy reality edge off.
I really enjoyed this story, and think lightning has struck with the girl who fell from the sky.
June 10, 2017
This had such a promising start and premise. Meades created a vivid cast of characters and setting and the stakes are immediately clear. Hanna will either the toe the line and become the fifth wife of a much older man or she'll leave the community and start over. Sprinkle in the story Hanna's mother tells her about her birth and you start to wonder if this magical realism or allegory. I was intrigued. But Hanna herself began to annoy me. There was too much back and forth between staying and going and how she felt about her upbringing and family. I tried to empathize because leaving an essentially polygynous cult would not be an easy decision, although she's already making other "disobedient" choices so it was hard to figure out why she felt obligated to stay. I think I needed more from Hanna. Instead of telling us she felt like two different people, I needed to see it. I needed her to be more than the oblivious golden girl all the men ogled. This is likely a case of "it's me, not you" and I'm confident most people will enjoy this one more than I did. I had a hard time putting it down, for one, and there's a lot of potential for a great discussion. I don't regret reading it, despite the rating.
Disclosure: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Disclosure: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 12, 2018
When you expect a book to have purpose, like tell a morale, be inspiring, etc., it's a bit odd when it doesn't seem to play out that way. I think Christopher Meades (based on the afterword he wrote) intended for this to be an inspirational story. For me it was a story of being caged and powerless; and while that could be inspiring depending on the end I do not feel like there is any inspiration to be drawn from here.
Plot
Hanna Who Fell From the Sky had an interesting enough plot. A girl who has been raised on a 'colony' of religious fanatics who have essentially taken the Bible and re-written it. Their version encourages polygamy for older men (3+ wives required) and extensive procreation (no birth control here). Our lead gal is about to be married off and is just starting to question the small, restricted world around her.
Moral Points
I was expecting a book filled with a lot more moral points than this one has. There are morales to be learned based on how the women and children are treated, maybe something in the story of Hanna being forced into marriage with an elderly man she does not like (his 3rd wife), or in the treatment of the 'crippled' little sister Hanna has. But overall for the average person I don't think there is anything special or new here.
One Point of Interest
I did find one thing very interesting however. Having not thought much about polygamous societies before it had not occurred to me that you'd have an influx of men, and not enough women to go around. So in this colony they banish the boys at nineteen except for one who is the family heir and remains in the colony. Those who are sent away forbidden to return.
Fascination
I have a strange (maybe concerning, lol) fascination with cults, religion and faith. I was raised Christian but as a teen turned my back on it when a minister told me my gay friend was evil (don't even start me..). I eventually found my spirit in Wicca (a branch of Paganism). I could write a book about why I ended up with the beliefs I did; but one aspect of many was that Wicca is not an organized, attend somewhere every week religion. Therefore I'm intrigued by those who need a place or are restricted to places of worship.
When I talk about religious requirements to attend a worship location I'm always reminded of a quote from The Big Bang Theory in which Amy says, "I don't object to the concept of a deity, but I'm just baffled by the notion of one that takes attendance."
Worth the Read?
I'm unsure of whether or not I would recommend this book. While Meades writing is acceptable (but not special) and the characters have sufficient development for the most part; I found myself thinking as I read that I could easily put the book down and not continue. Having read the end I feel even more 'meh' about it than before as it didn't really go anywhere interesting to me. So unless you are dying to read about a society with polygamy I think this is an easy pass.
A shout out of the Author
I can't help but have been moved by the afterword in which the author tells us a little of his struggle during writing Hanna Who Fell From the Sky. I actually think those few pages were more interesting than the whole book. Maybe Meades will write a fictional version of his concussion story that occurred while he wrote this book? That I would read.
For this and more of my reviews please visit my blog at: Epic Reading
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
Plot
Hanna Who Fell From the Sky had an interesting enough plot. A girl who has been raised on a 'colony' of religious fanatics who have essentially taken the Bible and re-written it. Their version encourages polygamy for older men (3+ wives required) and extensive procreation (no birth control here). Our lead gal is about to be married off and is just starting to question the small, restricted world around her.
Moral Points
I was expecting a book filled with a lot more moral points than this one has. There are morales to be learned based on how the women and children are treated, maybe something in the story of Hanna being forced into marriage with an elderly man she does not like (his 3rd wife), or in the treatment of the 'crippled' little sister Hanna has. But overall for the average person I don't think there is anything special or new here.
One Point of Interest
I did find one thing very interesting however. Having not thought much about polygamous societies before it had not occurred to me that you'd have an influx of men, and not enough women to go around. So in this colony they banish the boys at nineteen except for one who is the family heir and remains in the colony. Those who are sent away forbidden to return.
Fascination
I have a strange (maybe concerning, lol) fascination with cults, religion and faith. I was raised Christian but as a teen turned my back on it when a minister told me my gay friend was evil (don't even start me..). I eventually found my spirit in Wicca (a branch of Paganism). I could write a book about why I ended up with the beliefs I did; but one aspect of many was that Wicca is not an organized, attend somewhere every week religion. Therefore I'm intrigued by those who need a place or are restricted to places of worship.
When I talk about religious requirements to attend a worship location I'm always reminded of a quote from The Big Bang Theory in which Amy says, "I don't object to the concept of a deity, but I'm just baffled by the notion of one that takes attendance."
Worth the Read?
I'm unsure of whether or not I would recommend this book. While Meades writing is acceptable (but not special) and the characters have sufficient development for the most part; I found myself thinking as I read that I could easily put the book down and not continue. Having read the end I feel even more 'meh' about it than before as it didn't really go anywhere interesting to me. So unless you are dying to read about a society with polygamy I think this is an easy pass.
A shout out of the Author
I can't help but have been moved by the afterword in which the author tells us a little of his struggle during writing Hanna Who Fell From the Sky. I actually think those few pages were more interesting than the whole book. Maybe Meades will write a fictional version of his concussion story that occurred while he wrote this book? That I would read.
For this and more of my reviews please visit my blog at: Epic Reading
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
October 18, 2017
Hanna is about to turn 18. And in the community of Clearhaven in which she lives, that only means one thing for a woman. Marriage. And in her case, to a man 3 times her age as his 5th wife.
This is a polygamist society and a cult with Brother Paul ruling over all as he has direct contact with "The Creator".
I really enjoyed reading this book as the insight into the cult was engaging and the writing was well paced with interesting characters. What I didn't really understand was the very minor magical realism component which didn't quite seem to fit. For this reason it has taken me a few days to write the review as I'm unsure if it is a 4 or 3 star read, but considering how it held my attention I've put it to 4.
I would recommend this to fans of character driven novels that like something a little left field and intriguing.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is a polygamist society and a cult with Brother Paul ruling over all as he has direct contact with "The Creator".
I really enjoyed reading this book as the insight into the cult was engaging and the writing was well paced with interesting characters. What I didn't really understand was the very minor magical realism component which didn't quite seem to fit. For this reason it has taken me a few days to write the review as I'm unsure if it is a 4 or 3 star read, but considering how it held my attention I've put it to 4.
I would recommend this to fans of character driven novels that like something a little left field and intriguing.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 4, 2022
I requested this story from Netgalley ages ago probably because something about the description ensnared me.
It might’ve been this because I’m a sucker for love and magic and strong-willed ladies but it was so long ago that I can’t say for sure. “But just days before the wedding, Hanna meets Daniel, an enigmatic stranger who challenges her to question her fate and to follow her own will. Then her mother tells her a secret--one that could grant Hanna the freedom she's known only in her dreams. “
Though some of those things are in this book, the way it was written simply did not work for me. The romance and the magic was underdeveloped and the plot was caught in the same conflict loop for over 300+ pages and I just do not have the patience for that right now. Or ever, to be real.
This review is all over the place but anyhow what else is new? Hanna Who Fell From the Sky is about a polyamorous sect/cult whose young women are not allowed to venture past the set boundaries because the menfolk in charge of things are too insecure to allow them to realize there is more to life than having babies of men old enough to be their fathers/grandfathers. Oh and they also force most of the young men out when they reach a certain age, whether they want to leave or not, in order to keep competition at bay. This whole thing was gross and it bothered me. The bartering of children and young ladies was more than I bargained for and to be honest I don’t even know why I finished it and I kind of wish I hadn’t.
Hanna’s abusive father has arranged her marriage to a geezer and she is set to marry him real soon because she’s reached the proper age (I think it’s 18?). She knows what she’s supposed to do but she’s also developed some feelings for a young man who speaks of disobeying authority and owns lips that taste of honey (I mean, who can blame her?!) but this is forbidden and she learns a secret about herself that leads her to believe she is destined for much more than being a fifth wife and spitting out babies. Unfortunately, she spends the entirety of the novel wavering back and forth about doing something about this predicament and by the end I was Exhausted but I stuck it out because this is what I do. I hung in there until the very end hoping she’d rescue herself but, well, I won’t spoil things but let me tell ya, I wasn’t at all that thrilled with certain events and that’s all I’m saying.
If you don’t mind reading about pervy old abusive, revolting and conniving men for pages on end, a wishy-washy MC, and like a little unexplained magical realism mixed in with your cult drama you will like this one more than I did - lots of people have. I initially gave it a 2 ½ star and bumped it up to a 3 but after thinking on things for a few days I’ve decided to go with my gut and give it a 2. It may be my mood and I’ll freely admit that but this book got on my last nerve and was not an enjoyable reading experience for me. I never felt truly moved or emotionally involved by these terrible things that were happening because certain aspects of the book weren’t developed enough for me to care. I spent my time with this book feeling vaguely disgusted so I guess there’s that.
This is a review of my personal reading experience. Yours may differ. Don't be blaming me if it does!
It might’ve been this because I’m a sucker for love and magic and strong-willed ladies but it was so long ago that I can’t say for sure. “But just days before the wedding, Hanna meets Daniel, an enigmatic stranger who challenges her to question her fate and to follow her own will. Then her mother tells her a secret--one that could grant Hanna the freedom she's known only in her dreams. “
Though some of those things are in this book, the way it was written simply did not work for me. The romance and the magic was underdeveloped and the plot was caught in the same conflict loop for over 300+ pages and I just do not have the patience for that right now. Or ever, to be real.
This review is all over the place but anyhow what else is new? Hanna Who Fell From the Sky is about a polyamorous sect/cult whose young women are not allowed to venture past the set boundaries because the menfolk in charge of things are too insecure to allow them to realize there is more to life than having babies of men old enough to be their fathers/grandfathers. Oh and they also force most of the young men out when they reach a certain age, whether they want to leave or not, in order to keep competition at bay. This whole thing was gross and it bothered me. The bartering of children and young ladies was more than I bargained for and to be honest I don’t even know why I finished it and I kind of wish I hadn’t.
Hanna’s abusive father has arranged her marriage to a geezer and she is set to marry him real soon because she’s reached the proper age (I think it’s 18?). She knows what she’s supposed to do but she’s also developed some feelings for a young man who speaks of disobeying authority and owns lips that taste of honey (I mean, who can blame her?!) but this is forbidden and she learns a secret about herself that leads her to believe she is destined for much more than being a fifth wife and spitting out babies. Unfortunately, she spends the entirety of the novel wavering back and forth about doing something about this predicament and by the end I was Exhausted but I stuck it out because this is what I do. I hung in there until the very end hoping she’d rescue herself but, well, I won’t spoil things but let me tell ya, I wasn’t at all that thrilled with certain events and that’s all I’m saying.
If you don’t mind reading about pervy old abusive, revolting and conniving men for pages on end, a wishy-washy MC, and like a little unexplained magical realism mixed in with your cult drama you will like this one more than I did - lots of people have. I initially gave it a 2 ½ star and bumped it up to a 3 but after thinking on things for a few days I’ve decided to go with my gut and give it a 2. It may be my mood and I’ll freely admit that but this book got on my last nerve and was not an enjoyable reading experience for me. I never felt truly moved or emotionally involved by these terrible things that were happening because certain aspects of the book weren’t developed enough for me to care. I spent my time with this book feeling vaguely disgusted so I guess there’s that.
This is a review of my personal reading experience. Yours may differ. Don't be blaming me if it does!
September 18, 2017
The premise of this book fascinated me and I decided to request an ARC from Edelweiss and check it out.
Hanna is 17, going on 18. One her upcoming birthday, her father Jotham has determined (with input from the Creator, he claims) that Hanna must be wed to his former friend and business partner Edwin. While we follow Hanna's story we learn much about life in a polygamous household-- her present and future homes especially. It is a depressing life for the women and children in particular. As the boys mature, they are sent out of Clearhaven to remove the competition for the young brides. It is a despicable, misogynist system and the men use reprehensible means to keep control.
Fortunately Hanna is not your run-of-the-mill bride-to-be. She has a special story regarding her birth which gives her a special ability. She also has a new friend named Daniel who wants to leave Clearhaven as much as she does.
When Hanna was waffling on fleeing or staying, I was at first irritated, but found that as I finished the book it was a much more effective ending given what had passed before. That ending raised my rating an entire star as did the Author's Note as the end.
Definitely would recommend this book for lovers of fiction with young women facing difficult choices.
Hanna is 17, going on 18. One her upcoming birthday, her father Jotham has determined (with input from the Creator, he claims) that Hanna must be wed to his former friend and business partner Edwin. While we follow Hanna's story we learn much about life in a polygamous household-- her present and future homes especially. It is a depressing life for the women and children in particular. As the boys mature, they are sent out of Clearhaven to remove the competition for the young brides. It is a despicable, misogynist system and the men use reprehensible means to keep control.
Fortunately Hanna is not your run-of-the-mill bride-to-be. She has a special story regarding her birth which gives her a special ability. She also has a new friend named Daniel who wants to leave Clearhaven as much as she does.
When Hanna was waffling on fleeing or staying, I was at first irritated, but found that as I finished the book it was a much more effective ending given what had passed before. That ending raised my rating an entire star as did the Author's Note as the end.
Definitely would recommend this book for lovers of fiction with young women facing difficult choices.
October 2, 2017
Thank you so much TLC Book Tours and Park Row Books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
From page one I was immersed into the lyrical prose of Christopher Meades. Following the heartbreaking story of Hanna who lives in a religious cult community, this story is all about identity, faith, and most importantly believing in yourself. Both haunting and beautiful I could not put this book down until I had finished and I have a feeling Hanna will stay with me for long after the final pages.
“All I know is that if you don’t believe in miracles, you’ll never experience one.”
I was immediately interested in the entire premise of this book. Religious cult type settings have always fascinated me and Hanna being part a polygamist community had me hooked right away. While at times the book felt a bit slow I thought Christopher did a good job getting the reader to feel exactly how Hanna felt living in this community. The world building, though minimal, was well done. I could see every part of Clearhaven clearly and I shudder to think that places like this exist. I felt I was on an emotional roller coaster waiting to find out what was next for Hanna and how each event would unfold through out the story. Rooting for Hanna to find her voice and break away from this town kept me glued to the pages. For such a dark story there was also so much light.
One thing I didn’t love was that there wasn’t much connection to some of the characters. I wish Hanna and Daniel had met more than once before she started using him as a reason to find herself. Had they started to have a relationship I could connect too I think I would have loved them that much more. I also think though this was not solely meant to be about a romance so in that way I understand why the book did not focus more on Daniel and Hanna.
For such a dark story there was also so much light. I was so happy with the ending of this book and I loved the messages Christopher gave us. I can only hope more young women in Hanna’s situation, or anyone who ever feels trapped, are able to break free from their chains and find their freedom. I would recommend this to anyone wanting an emotional and empowering read that is a bit slower but tells a beautiful story.
From page one I was immersed into the lyrical prose of Christopher Meades. Following the heartbreaking story of Hanna who lives in a religious cult community, this story is all about identity, faith, and most importantly believing in yourself. Both haunting and beautiful I could not put this book down until I had finished and I have a feeling Hanna will stay with me for long after the final pages.
“All I know is that if you don’t believe in miracles, you’ll never experience one.”
I was immediately interested in the entire premise of this book. Religious cult type settings have always fascinated me and Hanna being part a polygamist community had me hooked right away. While at times the book felt a bit slow I thought Christopher did a good job getting the reader to feel exactly how Hanna felt living in this community. The world building, though minimal, was well done. I could see every part of Clearhaven clearly and I shudder to think that places like this exist. I felt I was on an emotional roller coaster waiting to find out what was next for Hanna and how each event would unfold through out the story. Rooting for Hanna to find her voice and break away from this town kept me glued to the pages. For such a dark story there was also so much light.
One thing I didn’t love was that there wasn’t much connection to some of the characters. I wish Hanna and Daniel had met more than once before she started using him as a reason to find herself. Had they started to have a relationship I could connect too I think I would have loved them that much more. I also think though this was not solely meant to be about a romance so in that way I understand why the book did not focus more on Daniel and Hanna.
For such a dark story there was also so much light. I was so happy with the ending of this book and I loved the messages Christopher gave us. I can only hope more young women in Hanna’s situation, or anyone who ever feels trapped, are able to break free from their chains and find their freedom. I would recommend this to anyone wanting an emotional and empowering read that is a bit slower but tells a beautiful story.
Read
August 6, 2017Such a unique concept in YA! I commend the author for tackling such a sensitive subject. Meades is an astonishingly talented wordsmith.
did-not-finish
December 6, 2017Made it to about page 50, but I'm just not buying into this. Hanna feels like a caricature, very overdone descriptions of feelings, reactions, etc. Also don't care for the writing in general and was having to push myself to pick up the book and read it.
September 19, 2017
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 Stars
This is an odd and yet very readable book. In fact, I'd have read it in a straight shot, if life hadn't interrupted. The story is that of a young woman, coming of legal age, in a rural polygynous community called Clearhaven. I found some aspects of the community, which is large enough to have a big daily market, to be rather sketchily drawn. The tremendous economic disparity within the community, and how that works as a justifiable disparity, within the structure of their faith bothered me. In this community, all the older sons are expelled, only the youngest kept and groomed to replace an aging father upon his death, while all daughters are married off to the older men in Clearhaven. In this structure, there are few men competing for all the women of this town. (No mention of inbreeding was made but needless to say, I had a lot of questions about genetics in this enclave.) Women must remain obedient and be guided by their fathers, husbands, adult sons. Frankly, I was amazed that these men were willing to wait until the young women were eighteen in order to force them into polygamy.
Hanna, our protagonist, is soon turning eighteen in her dirt-poor but surprisingly literate family. (Female literacy is especially something I would question in the community since an educated woman is more likely to rebel against the constraints presented.) She receives a new suitably modest dress (one of only three she possesses) for her 18th birthday, but the dress that's ominously awaiting her is the wedding dress (naturally recycled from that of her most recent sister-mother, Jessamina) when she marries Edwin, a man three times her age, becoming his fifth wife. Needless to say, this unusual 18-year-old girl (more on that later) is not down with this plan.
Some aspects of this story so perfectly capture the silenced, obedient aspect of victims of abuse and domestic violence. Encapsulated here we see the circumstances of domestic violence that can leave those with little experience working with DV/child abuse survivors' questioning "why didn't they just leave?" thus failing to understand how constricted one's possibilities appear to be when this life of abuse is all you have ever known. As we come to learn, Hanna hasn't had much violence visited on her personally because of her special status, which is part of a long reveal, in her family. Instead, she sees her beloved sister Emily, her beloved mother Kara, punished and physically abused by her father, often taking blows in her stead, in a sort of whipping -boy relationship. Thus, Hanna is tormented by both her coming fate, as the fifth wife of an old man with a predilection we won't get into here, and by her fear that leaving would be shirking her perceived responsibility to shield her mother, sisters and brothers, from her father's drunken wrath.
Early on in the book, Hanna re-encounters Daniel, the youngest son of a community benefactor, who one can infer is slightly younger than Hanna is, but who is far more worldly, since his parents have taken him and his two older brothers, ages eighteen and nineteen, to "The City" in order to acclimatize the older two boys to their forthcoming expulsion from Clearhaven. Daniel has seen and lived in the outside world for a while and marvels a bit at its wonders, including the monogamous marriage idea. Daniel is ambivalent about his future role in Clearhaven which, when revealed, leaves you ever so briefly questioning what choice he will make about the direction of his life. It's a foregone conclusion that Daniel will be smitten (just like every other man with eyes, don't get me started...) with Hanna, and Hanna is... if not smitten, exactly, quickly warmed to the idea of Daniel as a way out of her situation. Some reviewers have called this "instalove" but that wasn't my take at all. They were two kids with a shared experience, normal attraction, and a heaping share of infatuation. Why wouldn't an 18-year-old girl be drawn to a same age boy versus a kinky 60-something-year-old man? Why wouldn't any teenage boy be drawn to Hanna, a pretty teenage girl?
So now we come to my problem with this story. As briefly mentioned above, Hanna is special. A thinly built out aspect of magical realism is woven like a golden thread into the plot. While I won't get into the specific fairy tale aspect of her nature, since I don't want to spoil it for the reader, I am troubled by some aspects of the story. In more than a few instances Hanna is placed in sexually menacing situations. Her entire path out of her being menaced, and out of her community, is conveniently managed by magical realism. Now while I love a good fairy tale, I'm not sure that I think a story with such a gritty plotline should give us our heroine escaping her problems by means of sudden magical intervention. Meades has set this story in a fairly detailed real and present day world, has given us a heroine who is facing real and very ugly threats to her wellbeing. Magic suddenly saves her? This troubles me. Yes, it's a fantasy and make no mistake, I have no quarrel with the caliber of Meades writing which is excellent (and especially impressive given his afterword comments on the terrible TBI he suffered several years back). In this story we have a heroine who is rescued by 1) magic and 2) a boy. Given all Hanna's purported "specialness" I find this so... disappointing. I originally thought it might have been an editorial suggestion but after reading Meades comments about the origin and history of this story, which has been 12 years in the making, I feel he has written exactly what he intended to write. I can respect that choice but still question whether giving Hanna greater agency, either over her actions entirely without magic, or with her use of magic from the very beginning of the story might have given us a better story with a heroine who lives up to her remarkable origins.
A few more comments may go up on the blog about this book post-publication. In summary, Meades is a good writer. I just wish he'd given us a Hanna who lived up to the promise of her fall.
3.5 Stars
This is an odd and yet very readable book. In fact, I'd have read it in a straight shot, if life hadn't interrupted. The story is that of a young woman, coming of legal age, in a rural polygynous community called Clearhaven. I found some aspects of the community, which is large enough to have a big daily market, to be rather sketchily drawn. The tremendous economic disparity within the community, and how that works as a justifiable disparity, within the structure of their faith bothered me. In this community, all the older sons are expelled, only the youngest kept and groomed to replace an aging father upon his death, while all daughters are married off to the older men in Clearhaven. In this structure, there are few men competing for all the women of this town. (No mention of inbreeding was made but needless to say, I had a lot of questions about genetics in this enclave.) Women must remain obedient and be guided by their fathers, husbands, adult sons. Frankly, I was amazed that these men were willing to wait until the young women were eighteen in order to force them into polygamy.
Hanna, our protagonist, is soon turning eighteen in her dirt-poor but surprisingly literate family. (Female literacy is especially something I would question in the community since an educated woman is more likely to rebel against the constraints presented.) She receives a new suitably modest dress (one of only three she possesses) for her 18th birthday, but the dress that's ominously awaiting her is the wedding dress (naturally recycled from that of her most recent sister-mother, Jessamina) when she marries Edwin, a man three times her age, becoming his fifth wife. Needless to say, this unusual 18-year-old girl (more on that later) is not down with this plan.
Some aspects of this story so perfectly capture the silenced, obedient aspect of victims of abuse and domestic violence. Encapsulated here we see the circumstances of domestic violence that can leave those with little experience working with DV/child abuse survivors' questioning "why didn't they just leave?" thus failing to understand how constricted one's possibilities appear to be when this life of abuse is all you have ever known. As we come to learn, Hanna hasn't had much violence visited on her personally because of her special status, which is part of a long reveal, in her family. Instead, she sees her beloved sister Emily, her beloved mother Kara, punished and physically abused by her father, often taking blows in her stead, in a sort of whipping -boy relationship. Thus, Hanna is tormented by both her coming fate, as the fifth wife of an old man with a predilection we won't get into here, and by her fear that leaving would be shirking her perceived responsibility to shield her mother, sisters and brothers, from her father's drunken wrath.
Early on in the book, Hanna re-encounters Daniel, the youngest son of a community benefactor, who one can infer is slightly younger than Hanna is, but who is far more worldly, since his parents have taken him and his two older brothers, ages eighteen and nineteen, to "The City" in order to acclimatize the older two boys to their forthcoming expulsion from Clearhaven. Daniel has seen and lived in the outside world for a while and marvels a bit at its wonders, including the monogamous marriage idea. Daniel is ambivalent about his future role in Clearhaven which, when revealed, leaves you ever so briefly questioning what choice he will make about the direction of his life. It's a foregone conclusion that Daniel will be smitten (just like every other man with eyes, don't get me started...) with Hanna, and Hanna is... if not smitten, exactly, quickly warmed to the idea of Daniel as a way out of her situation. Some reviewers have called this "instalove" but that wasn't my take at all. They were two kids with a shared experience, normal attraction, and a heaping share of infatuation. Why wouldn't an 18-year-old girl be drawn to a same age boy versus a kinky 60-something-year-old man? Why wouldn't any teenage boy be drawn to Hanna, a pretty teenage girl?
So now we come to my problem with this story. As briefly mentioned above, Hanna is special. A thinly built out aspect of magical realism is woven like a golden thread into the plot. While I won't get into the specific fairy tale aspect of her nature, since I don't want to spoil it for the reader, I am troubled by some aspects of the story. In more than a few instances Hanna is placed in sexually menacing situations. Her entire path out of her being menaced, and out of her community, is conveniently managed by magical realism. Now while I love a good fairy tale, I'm not sure that I think a story with such a gritty plotline should give us our heroine escaping her problems by means of sudden magical intervention. Meades has set this story in a fairly detailed real and present day world, has given us a heroine who is facing real and very ugly threats to her wellbeing. Magic suddenly saves her? This troubles me. Yes, it's a fantasy and make no mistake, I have no quarrel with the caliber of Meades writing which is excellent (and especially impressive given his afterword comments on the terrible TBI he suffered several years back). In this story we have a heroine who is rescued by 1) magic and 2) a boy. Given all Hanna's purported "specialness" I find this so... disappointing. I originally thought it might have been an editorial suggestion but after reading Meades comments about the origin and history of this story, which has been 12 years in the making, I feel he has written exactly what he intended to write. I can respect that choice but still question whether giving Hanna greater agency, either over her actions entirely without magic, or with her use of magic from the very beginning of the story might have given us a better story with a heroine who lives up to her remarkable origins.
A few more comments may go up on the blog about this book post-publication. In summary, Meades is a good writer. I just wish he'd given us a Hanna who lived up to the promise of her fall.
February 12, 2019
I loved this! An emotional and heart-felt story of young Hanna forced to live a life she doesn't want and who wishes for greater things. At times I was holding my breath. This story will stay with you long after you close the cover.
Dawnny Ruby-BookGypsy
Novels N Latte Book Blog
Novels & Latte Book Club
Hudson Valley NY
Dawnny Ruby-BookGypsy
Novels N Latte Book Blog
Novels & Latte Book Club
Hudson Valley NY
September 23, 2017
This book started out as a gradual read for me. It took me a slow while to get into the story and the characters. Yet, I don't think that I fully ever connected with Hanna, Daniel or any of the other characters in the story. Sadly, this did not help my reading situation. As it made it hard to stick with the story. Additionally, it made for slow reading.
When it came to Hanna, I wanted her voice to be stronger. It seemed to get muddled by her conflict to family and duty and love. Which in my case, I did not experience a great love connection between Hanna and Daniel. It seemed more that Hanna was in love with the idea of someone who was on the outside and could show her that there was more to life than what she was used to. Plus, the story seemed to stray on the lighter side of what cult life is like then digging deeper. Had that happy medium been found along with stronger voices lent to the characters, this would have different reading experience for me.
When it came to Hanna, I wanted her voice to be stronger. It seemed to get muddled by her conflict to family and duty and love. Which in my case, I did not experience a great love connection between Hanna and Daniel. It seemed more that Hanna was in love with the idea of someone who was on the outside and could show her that there was more to life than what she was used to. Plus, the story seemed to stray on the lighter side of what cult life is like then digging deeper. Had that happy medium been found along with stronger voices lent to the characters, this would have different reading experience for me.
March 31, 2021
The main theme of the story is fear. Hanna is the oldest in her family’s clan of 9 children. The story starts 10 days before Hanna’s 18th birthday. On Hanna’s 18th birthday a man twice Hanna’s age, with 4 other wives, will marry and deflower Hanna. Hanna meets a boy named Daniel at church who starts to change her views for her future. He opens Hanna’s eyes and makes her question her options. Hanna, her siblings, and her mother and sister mothers live in constant fear of displeasing their father and the elder of the community. Disobedience in any form means immediate punishment. Hanna must decide if she will follow her marital fate or try for something beyond the community and leave her family behind.
This whole story takes place in about a weeks time and has a magical element that I didn’t see coming at all. I liked he descriptive details this author sprinkles throughout the story. I had no problem imagining the crumbling house she grows up in or the lavish accommodations of her betrothed. It felt like I was right there next to Hanna seeing things as she saw them.I had a hard time picturing the magical element but it did help the story progress.
This is a coming of age story about a relate-able girl. Hanna has hopes for herself and her sisters, especially her handicapped sister Emily. Her bond with Emily and need to protect her is admirable. There are quite a few female relationships in this story that, while uncomfortable, make perfect sense. I liked the closeness between Hanna and Kara, her real mother, and the almost rivalry between Jessamina, her families youngest sister wife. The dynamics of these females are pretty insightful.
What I didn’t like about this story were those descriptions of the elder men in the community. I have a hard time believing these people would cast most of their sons out, or that this whole community of men could all be so evil. Other than a few choice boys, all the males in this book are pure evil. I do wish there would have been more explanation for Hanna’s gift. I feel like the author left the reader hanging as to why and that left me a little disappointed. I also didn’t like Hanna’s choices at the end for her sister Emily.
This was a pretty addictive read for me from start to finish despite my small issues with the story. There is much more I could say about Hanna and town but I don’t want to spoil anything for potential readers. I would recommend this to people who don’t mind wondering about the author’s intentions. This could be a story of coming of age, or a fantastical story about a girl with a rare gift. The author left that for the reader to decide.
January 9, 2018
In my own defense, I picked this up at the library because it was sitting on the shelf next to a book that I'd been wanting to read for a while. And it seemed weird and vaguely creepy and it seemed way outside of what I normally read. So I took a chance.
I can say, five hours later, that I should not have taken that chance.
I can't figure out if I read it so quickly (in just a few hours) because I thought this book was so bad that I had to get it over with, or because I wanted to see if it got any better. The characters are poorly formed, the whole thing is like a matryoshka doll of cliches, and I was bored to death by the will-she-won't-she of the plot. The ending was unsatisfying. The whole book was unsatisfying.
And overall, the entire book felt like the weird fetishization of a straight white man. Not impressed.
I can say, five hours later, that I should not have taken that chance.
I can't figure out if I read it so quickly (in just a few hours) because I thought this book was so bad that I had to get it over with, or because I wanted to see if it got any better. The characters are poorly formed, the whole thing is like a matryoshka doll of cliches, and I was bored to death by the will-she-won't-she of the plot. The ending was unsatisfying. The whole book was unsatisfying.
And overall, the entire book felt like the weird fetishization of a straight white man. Not impressed.
January 15, 2018
Very fine writing, fluid and descriptive. I was sympathetic toward 17-year old Hanna and invested in her story. The story is a drama with magical elements that serve to save Hanna at times of trouble, but she also takes it upon herself to question and act against the repressive cult community in which she lives. Despite the magical moments and fictional religion, it felt very real, especially Hanna's actions and reactions, and I followed her story with great interest.
Read
September 5, 2017I was thrilled to receive an early review copy of this book.
Hanna is both a fictional character and an eye into the world of polygamous cults, where there is no wiggle room for personal freedom. Meades' writing is a treasure, weaving elements of magical realism into a coming-of-age story that will provoke great discussions.
Hanna is both a fictional character and an eye into the world of polygamous cults, where there is no wiggle room for personal freedom. Meades' writing is a treasure, weaving elements of magical realism into a coming-of-age story that will provoke great discussions.
July 26, 2017
I loved this book. I can see how some of the other reviewers might not have enjoyed it, but it really resonated with me. Meades does an amazing job setting the scene, with the tone of the writing echoing the bleak existence into which Hanna was born/thrust. This book doesn't have a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat, but the writing is beautiful and the character development is so nuanced that I found myself yearning to go back to the book and find out what was next in Hanna's life. I also really enjoyed the element of magical realism, as well. It was unique and understated, but gave an added element of interest and moodiness. As a film director who specializes in stories that center on the young female psyche, I kept thinking how much I'd love to adapt this into a feature.
December 7, 2017
Looking for a story about bravery, hope and intrigue? This is it! #HannaWhoFellFromTheSky is about the daughter of a man with multiple wives who lives a simple life. As her 18th birthday approaches, Hanna is coming to terms with the fact that she is expected to follow in the footsteps of those around her and become the fourth wife of a man twice her age. It’s a life of strict, quiet, unfair servitude. But Hanna has a spark in her, one that lights a revelation: there may be another path, if she’s brave enough to take it.
July 16, 2017
This provided an interesting glimpse into a (fictional) polygamous cult, but it veered into insta-love territory and took a rather jarring side trip into magical realism as well. Plus I feel like I never really got a clear picture of Hanna's personality. I'm sure lots of teens will enjoy this; it just wasn't my favorite.
*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
August 19, 2017
Magic realism, a polygamist religious community and a girl who just doesn't seem to fit in. Strange, haunting, a very powerful read.
May 19, 2017
I work at a small bookstore and when I looked at the staff's ARC shelf and picked up this book I was intrigued by the description on the back. Little did I know that by the end of my 7.5 hour shift I would be finishing the book completely in love with the story. This novel, Hanna, Daniel, everyone had me spellbound from beginning to end. Hanna is a wildly relatable character to any teenager who wants to break free of the constructs that society has for them. The little bit of fantasy that is integrated into the tale gives the plot the little bit of mystery and intrigue needed to pull the reader in and push the story along. After finishing this book I would say that this is one of the best books that I have had the pleasure of reading recently and am compelled to say it is one of the best that I've read... ever!
October 6, 2017
Hanna Who Fell from the Sky drew me in with its subject matter--a young girl who has spent her life in a polygamous sect, who is about to turn eighteen and will be the fifth wife of her father's friend who is more than twice her age. I am fascinated by cults and Hanna's community of Clearhaven has all of the markings of one. The families are all polygamists, the community is remote, insulated and lead by Brother Paul, a prophet who "The Creator" speaks to/through. Young girls are married off to much older men, and young men are winnowed out and sent away in order to make the numbers work for the older men to have multiple wives. There are nineteen in Hanna's family and she's the eldest and the caretaker of her siblings--especially her younger sister who has a twisted spine. Hanna is a great character--smart, strong, beautiful, and loving so the "creep" factor is pretty high with all men in the community who would like to have her as one of their wives. When her Brother Paul blessed pairing is announced ten days before the wedding will take place, Hanna is resigned to her fate and role but then she meets Daniel, nineteen, and back in the Clearhaven community with his family, and she begins to question what she has been led to believe.
The book is unique as it's not just a coming-of-age story, but it has a strong core of magical realism woven in. I like magical realism, unless it gets to be too much "woo-woo" and I have mixed feelings about it here. In much of the book it seemed more of a background element--part of a story or secret about Hanna's past and with the author's descriptive writing, I felt that it enhanced the storytelling and made the book different and special. Towards the end of the book, it leaned more into the woo-woo side and I felt it overtook the story briefly and thus took away a bit from it. Still, I was very much into Hanna's fate and that of the other characters, and the book kept me absorbed in finding out what would happen. Just know that if you aren't a fan of magical realism, you may struggle with it at times here. Christopher Meades's notes at the end of the book tell the tale of how he took a short story he created on a whim and then years later slowly re-wrote it after suffering a traumatic brain injury and three years of terrible concussion symptoms. He spent an hour a day (all he could bear) reworking the novella into this book and feels that Hanna's story helped him stay sane and get well again. His afterward touched me much like Hanna Who Fell from the Sky did and I look forward to reading more from him.
You can see my review along with a recipe inspired by the book on my blog post here: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20...
Note: A review copy of "Hanna Who Fell From the Sky" was provided to me by the author and the publisher via TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.
The book is unique as it's not just a coming-of-age story, but it has a strong core of magical realism woven in. I like magical realism, unless it gets to be too much "woo-woo" and I have mixed feelings about it here. In much of the book it seemed more of a background element--part of a story or secret about Hanna's past and with the author's descriptive writing, I felt that it enhanced the storytelling and made the book different and special. Towards the end of the book, it leaned more into the woo-woo side and I felt it overtook the story briefly and thus took away a bit from it. Still, I was very much into Hanna's fate and that of the other characters, and the book kept me absorbed in finding out what would happen. Just know that if you aren't a fan of magical realism, you may struggle with it at times here. Christopher Meades's notes at the end of the book tell the tale of how he took a short story he created on a whim and then years later slowly re-wrote it after suffering a traumatic brain injury and three years of terrible concussion symptoms. He spent an hour a day (all he could bear) reworking the novella into this book and feels that Hanna's story helped him stay sane and get well again. His afterward touched me much like Hanna Who Fell from the Sky did and I look forward to reading more from him.
You can see my review along with a recipe inspired by the book on my blog post here: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20...
Note: A review copy of "Hanna Who Fell From the Sky" was provided to me by the author and the publisher via TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 21, 2024
3.5/5 Stars
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I think I really liked this book. Okay, so that might sound a bit odd, but the book itself is a bit odd, and I wasn’t always sure what I was reading. The book chronicles a young woman who is trapped in a polygamous cult community. She is supposed to become the fifth wife of a much older man very soon. She is torn between horror at this thought and duty toward her family (her abusive father is depending on her to bring the family out of poverty). In the meantime, she starts to fall for the son of one of the other men in their community. Unfortunately, the romance was a bit too close to instalove for me, so I wasn’t particularly invested. And even though I understood that Hanna had loyalties to her family, especially her mother and slightly disabled sister, I still couldn’t help but just want to scream for her to leave!
But then, there’s a bit of magical realism that’s introduced, and the book got a whole lot more interesting to me. I found myself intrigued by this element and trying to figure out if it was real or if there was some other explanation. I ended up liking the book a lot more during the second half—both because I enjoyed the magical realism and because I started to develop a bit more sympathy for Hanna and her impossible situation.
I ended up giving this book 3.5/5 Stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I think I really liked this book. Okay, so that might sound a bit odd, but the book itself is a bit odd, and I wasn’t always sure what I was reading. The book chronicles a young woman who is trapped in a polygamous cult community. She is supposed to become the fifth wife of a much older man very soon. She is torn between horror at this thought and duty toward her family (her abusive father is depending on her to bring the family out of poverty). In the meantime, she starts to fall for the son of one of the other men in their community. Unfortunately, the romance was a bit too close to instalove for me, so I wasn’t particularly invested. And even though I understood that Hanna had loyalties to her family, especially her mother and slightly disabled sister, I still couldn’t help but just want to scream for her to leave!
But then, there’s a bit of magical realism that’s introduced, and the book got a whole lot more interesting to me. I found myself intrigued by this element and trying to figure out if it was real or if there was some other explanation. I ended up liking the book a lot more during the second half—both because I enjoyed the magical realism and because I started to develop a bit more sympathy for Hanna and her impossible situation.
I ended up giving this book 3.5/5 Stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
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