Thee, Hannah

My family has Quaker roots, so if you were like me, you probably found yourself with a copy of this fun, candid story of a Quaker girl growing up in her community. She loves her life, but is also honest about what she does not like. This makes for an engaging and relatable narrative.

I did not practice Quakerism, so this was a cool look into it's traditions and beliefs. I could understand more my great-grandparents, who lived in it's traditions their entire life.

Hannah is a joyful character and begins to really cherish her life and particular struggles and even her non-Quaker neighbors.

The illustrations in this book are sweet, feminine and rich with color. The historical picture the reader may be able to see in their own reading, is show more cool too. show less

First sentence: Hannah stopped talking for a moment to listen to the night watch cry out the time. She heard the cry again, going on down the block, "Nine o'clock," and went on talking.

My thoughts, part one: Thee, Hannah may have the dimensions of a picture book, but it is not a picture book. It is not an early chapter book. Yes, it has illustrations--occasionally--but consider it more a novel in a very odd format.

Premise/plot: Hannah, our heroine, is a Quaker. Hannah spends most of the novel feeling out of sorts about that. Why can't she dress like others? Why can't she talk like others? Why can't she be more like others? She isn't necessarily questioning faith--just how that faith is lived out. And not questioning in a show more twentieth-century or twenty-first century way. Hannah is not deconstructing. She's just wanting to wear a different kind of bonnet, a bonnet more like her friends wear. She dreams about owning a red dress, for example. Or having a sash like her friend has. The book doesn't have much of a plot--not really. It's just Hannah being Hannah day after day, week after week, month after month. It does offer a glimpse of the Quaker way of life in the nineteenth century. But is that a plot? Maybe. Maybe not. The most eventful event of the novel is when Hannah helps a runaway slave. (Her family--like many Quakers--were part of the underground railroad).

My thoughts: I like historical fiction, generally. I like classics, mostly. I wasn't expecting this to be so text-heavy because of the [deceptive] picture book format. Maybe this was not an unusual format or layout in 1940. The novel is definitely a quiet, simple book. Definitely character driven and not plot-driven. Will the novel be easy to sell to children in 2023? I doubt it. I think the book could still be enjoyed by readers of various ages, but it will be a special reader that will be the best match.

I do think that religion and spirituality are rarely tackled in modern writing and publishing. So it was nice that faith was so matter-of-fact in this story. show less

Nine-year-old Hannah, a Quaker living in Philadelphia just before the Civil War, longs to have some fashionable dresses like other girls, but comes to appreciate her heritage and its plain dressing when her family saves the life of a runaway slave.

Quaker classic. I cherished this book as a child, but usually put it down without finishing it. My adult take on it: A 9-year-old Quaker girl in Philadelphia chafes at her family's insistence on plain dress. (Note: They are rather well-off, a big family with two paid servants and a helpful grandmother who lives across the street.) Her father is an elder in their meeting and sometimes helps escaped slaves. She comes to appreciate her Quaker bonnet when an escaped slave recognizes her by her bonnet as a person who might help her and her son to freedom. The book is somewhat dated, and somewhat reflective of history 150 years ago. Read in our time, it seems strongly sexist. Delightful illustrations accompany the text.

Beautiful illustrations and lively characters. Important history. I would be sure to explain a bit about Friends/ Quakers and about the Underground Railroad before sharing this with a child. Unfortunately, I don't actually believe in the main theme of the story. Neither Hannah nor I fully understand why she must dress so plainly and not even decorate her bonnet. If it's just so runaway slaves know who is 'safe' to ask for help, then why can't she wear a sash, or hoops, and why have Quakers always been plain? I'd love to read a storybook about them that does a better job of making the reader empathize with the Traditions & Teachings.

One of my favorite children's books. Every copy I have ever seen has the beautiful full-color illustrations. The details of early Quaker life make an enthralling read for children.

The youngest of five children in a Philadelphia Quaker family just before the American Civil War, nine-year-old Hannah is impatient with the requirements of her Quaker faith. She longs to trade in her gray velvet bonnet for a gaily decorated one, such as that worn by her best friend, Cecily. As well, she longs for Cecily's hooped skirts and gaily colored dresses. Her discontent with her lot in life as a Quaker gets her in a scrape or two, until she has an experience that causes her to see her Quaker limitations in a new light. Any child who has longed to "be like the others" will relate to Hannah's situation. De Angeli is a master at her craft as a children's author. No wonder this classic children's book has been in continuous print show more since its first publication in 1940. Nothing about the story betrays its age; it is truly a timeless tale. Children four and over will enjoy hearing the story, and the eight-to-eleven group will take pleasure in reading it to themselves. show less