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Missing Heaven
She had no choice but to get there before the plane crashed. If she waited and pretended to be drawn to the disaster like any other passer-by, she might not be able to reach the boy before he was dead too long . . . So begins the story of Hannah Kirkland, a woman with miraculous healing pwers who wants only to lead an ordinary life. For most of her twenty-seven years she's managed to stay out of the public eye, but the plane crash which she's heading to will change all that. Who is Hannah Kirkland, and what is the source of her amazing abilities? Does she have the right to live her life as she chooses, or do her abilities carry with them an obligation that takes away her freedom to choose? 'Missing Heaven' is a uniquely engrossing novel - suspenseful, psychological, romantic, supernatural - that will continue to resonate in the reader's mind, emotions and spirit long after the last page is read.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 8, 2022
Hannah had been praying very hard that Papa would take her to see Grampa this summer, "all the way out here in Cincinnati," as Grampa would say. She was afraid he wouldn't. She'd overheard Vivie saying to Mrs. Thornbekker once, "Paul hasn't been himself since Elizabeth's death. So thoughtless and forgetful." As much as Hannah hated it, she knew Vivie was right. She worried that Mama might have accidentally taken Papa's happiness with her to heaven."
~~A wren sings from a tree branch. Hannah healed one such bird as a 6-year-old. The grateful wren, named Gabriel, became her pet and best friend.
First two sentences: Hannah Kirkland had no choice but to get there before the plane crashed. If she waited and pretended to be drawn to the disaster like any other passer-by, she might not be able to get into the wreckage and reach the boy before he was dead too long.
We meet Hannah in the prologue, when she is rushing to save as many victims of the above mentioned plane crash as she can--including a little boy who gives every appearance of being dead prior to Hannah arriving. Turns out Hannah isn't simply a first responder with medical knowledge. Her hands often have the power to heal.
After the prologue we travel back in time with her 21 years. She's a six year old who lives with her father and step-grandmother. Her mother died 2 years prior in a car accident. This is the summer when Hannah discovers her healing powers entirely by accident. She goes out into the yard and finds a badly injured bird. When she touches the bird her hands turn warm, and the bird revives.
Much drama later, we return to present day and the plane crash. Hannah has carefully kept her healing powers out of the limelight, but this very public accident is about to change that. How will she respond to those searching for her, and wanting her to also help them?
My two cents: I'm not quite sure where to start. Caroline Wagner tried very hard to write a spiritual novel with a sympathetic, conflicted heroine. But for me at least, I just couldn't buy into Hannah's character. I enjoyed the chapters from her childhood the most. Wagner does a good job narrating the first person POV of a young child. However, even those chapters were theatrical for lack of a better word. Everyone was either VERY good, or VERY bad.
When we return to present day, the drama surrounding Hannah's life gets even more extreme. It doesn't help that adult Hannah really got on my nerves, to the point that I almost didn't finish the novel. Then there are little details in the book that bother me. For instance, Hannah feeds her dog chocolate on more than one occasion. Please don't do that. It's poisonous for dogs (see further reading below). The final straw for me was the romance in the book. Given 0.5 stars or a rating of "very bad". Probably one to skip unless you like reading all supernatural healing themed books.
Further Reading: A nice article on how to attract wrens to your yard if you like them as much as Hannah. https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-attr...
~~A quick guide on what NOT to feed your dog companion. https://animals.howstuffworks.com/pet...
~~A wren sings from a tree branch. Hannah healed one such bird as a 6-year-old. The grateful wren, named Gabriel, became her pet and best friend.
First two sentences: Hannah Kirkland had no choice but to get there before the plane crashed. If she waited and pretended to be drawn to the disaster like any other passer-by, she might not be able to get into the wreckage and reach the boy before he was dead too long.
We meet Hannah in the prologue, when she is rushing to save as many victims of the above mentioned plane crash as she can--including a little boy who gives every appearance of being dead prior to Hannah arriving. Turns out Hannah isn't simply a first responder with medical knowledge. Her hands often have the power to heal.
After the prologue we travel back in time with her 21 years. She's a six year old who lives with her father and step-grandmother. Her mother died 2 years prior in a car accident. This is the summer when Hannah discovers her healing powers entirely by accident. She goes out into the yard and finds a badly injured bird. When she touches the bird her hands turn warm, and the bird revives.
Much drama later, we return to present day and the plane crash. Hannah has carefully kept her healing powers out of the limelight, but this very public accident is about to change that. How will she respond to those searching for her, and wanting her to also help them?
My two cents: I'm not quite sure where to start. Caroline Wagner tried very hard to write a spiritual novel with a sympathetic, conflicted heroine. But for me at least, I just couldn't buy into Hannah's character. I enjoyed the chapters from her childhood the most. Wagner does a good job narrating the first person POV of a young child. However, even those chapters were theatrical for lack of a better word. Everyone was either VERY good, or VERY bad.
When we return to present day, the drama surrounding Hannah's life gets even more extreme. It doesn't help that adult Hannah really got on my nerves, to the point that I almost didn't finish the novel. Then there are little details in the book that bother me. For instance, Hannah feeds her dog chocolate on more than one occasion. Please don't do that. It's poisonous for dogs (see further reading below). The final straw for me was the romance in the book. Given 0.5 stars or a rating of "very bad". Probably one to skip unless you like reading all supernatural healing themed books.
Further Reading: A nice article on how to attract wrens to your yard if you like them as much as Hannah. https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-attr...
~~A quick guide on what NOT to feed your dog companion. https://animals.howstuffworks.com/pet...
December 1, 2020
Fun to read --takes place locally.
March 28, 2008
I really enjoyed the begining of this book, but the second half was like a completely different book/author. It was obvious that it was her first novel. great concept, but too many loose ends and not enough depth in many of the supporting roles.
August 2, 2008
A book that leaves you feeling good.
February 23, 2009
This book was OK....nice read.
August 7, 2009
Love this book. So happy to have met Caroline. I can personally relate to the main character...looking forward to the sequal and the movie
December 14, 2011
Interesting story but not that well written. I read it because it was set in my hometown and found the local references to be fun.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews