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What Happened to Hannah: A Novel

by Mary Kay McComas

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10418259,401 (3.58)2
As a teenager, Hannah Benson ran away from home in order to save herself. Twenty years later, this loner is called home by tragedy, finding herself the sole responsible party for a troubled teenage niece.
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When we are growing up, and viewing life through young eyes, we often don't see the true reality of the world around us. Hurtful things may cause us to make our own reality. We may be looking and listening, but still not comprehending. Sometimes, it takes maturity and similar experiences in our later years to really grasp the full meaning of what we have seen and experienced. Life is a continual learning process, full of starts, stops, and restarts. The truth is always there, waiting. We just have to find it. It already knows exactly where to find us. In "What Happened to Hannah", by Mary Kay McComas, the truth comes home to Hannah Benson in a startling manner, and one phone call forever changes the path of her life. To escape the cycle of abuse, Hannah had left home at age sixteen and never looked back. In high school, Grady Steadman was Hannah's sweetheart. Years later when he calls her, he is the sheriff of their hometown, informing her that her mother has just passed away. He also tells her that her sister had died some time ago and left behind a young daughter. Hannah's return to her home place is bittersweet, and she is forced to deal with painful memories and haunting ghosts from her past. She must also find a way to make a new life for herself and for her niece, Anna. With Grady now again a visible presence, Hannah's heart remembers how they once felt about each other, and feelings long denied flicker back into flame. In order to grasp a chance at true happiness, Hannah must let go of the weight of the past and grab on to the future with all of her heart.

Abuse has long -lasting, widespread effects-not just on the victim, but on those who care for the victim. All of us, whether we realize it or not, know someone who has been abused at some point in their life. The first reaction to abuse is denial. It's a subject which makes people uncomfortable, and the victims often linger in a very painful silence. Writing about it may encourage someone who is a victim to seek help. Acknowledgement is not only a first step, it's a giant leap!

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  gincam | Sep 6, 2019 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
It took me a long time to read this book, but once I started it, I could not put it down! McComas tells the story of Hannah Benson, a victim of child abuse whole fleas her abuser and starts a new life as a teenager. Twenty years later, she receives a call that her niece has been orphaned and needs a guardian. Hannah returns to the town where her abuse took place and memories come flooding back. We are taken along for the ride as Hannah relives the trauma, her first love and twenty years of family secrets. I very much enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone as a quick read. ( )
  jess0124 | Feb 1, 2013 |
Hannah Benson escaped a childhood of horrific abuse by running away. Twenty years later she is called back when her mother's death leaves her niece, Anna, with no other living relatives. Hannah is less than excited about returning to the scene of her past miseries. Hannah and Anna have to go through an uncomfortable process of getting to know one another, and Hannah must decide if her life can handle any more disruption.

McComas has crafted an engaging plot. The story of Hannah's past slowly unfolds, and we find out exactly what happened the night she ran away. I read the entire book in one sitting. That said, I found Anna's character to be largely unbelievable. The whole story works because Anna is basically perfect. But teenagers are infinitely more sneaky and complicated, and I got the feeling that everything worked out far too easily. At the end I'd enjoyed reading it, but I could have predicted much of it too. ( )
  lahochstetler | Nov 4, 2012 |
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. ( )
  bookaholicmom | Jul 18, 2012 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
Hannah is brutalized by her parents but also has a boy she loves. When things go terribly wrong at home one night, she decides to run away and never look back. She made a good life for herself but didn't let many close to her. She receives a call from her high school love that will send her back to the town of painful memories but will teach her to open up and fall in love with humankind once again. ( )
  KristiB41 | Feb 25, 2012 |
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As a teenager, Hannah Benson ran away from home in order to save herself. Twenty years later, this loner is called home by tragedy, finding herself the sole responsible party for a troubled teenage niece.

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