Hannah's Voice in Evolved Publishing

Dec 08, 2016 Gregg Sapp rated it really liked it

When I was a kid and wanted to torture my siblings or worry my parents, I used to zip my lip, clam up, and refuse to speak a word. For the small effort of simply holding my tongue, I could drive my entire family to distraction – what was wrong?, what did I want?, why wouldn’t I answer them? As a device for attracting attention, silence was far more effective than begging, arguing, threatening, or throwing a tantrum. It was also just a bit devious.

When the young lead character of Robb Grindstaff
When I was a kid and wanted to torture my siblings or worry my parents, I used to zip my lip, clam up, and refuse to speak a word. For the small effort of simply holding my tongue, I could drive my entire family to distraction – what was wrong?, what did I want?, why wouldn’t I answer them? As a device for attracting attention, silence was far more effective than begging, arguing, threatening, or throwing a tantrum. It was also just a bit devious.

When the young lead character of Robb Grindstaff’s “Hannah’s Voice” chooses silence, she seems to do so not because she wants something, nor to hide from anything, nor, even, to play for sympathy or to make some kind of a point. Instead, when asked a repetitive question, she simply seems to calculate her options and reaches the reasonable decision that saying nothing is the most sensible thing to do:

“I raised my eyes to meet his. Blue eyes. Bright blue. Pretty blue eyes, but they were also red, like mine after I go swimming at the city pool. I started to speak, to ask why she would make up a story like this, why she hated me so. Was it because I always won the spelling championship? But I didn’t say anything. I’d told him the truth. Saying it again wouldn’t make it any truer. If he didn’t believe me the first time, or the second time, why would he suddenly believe me if I said it a third time.”

On the surface, “Hannah’s Voice” is an engaging, fast-paced story with a clever, unique premise, a likeable cast of characters (and equally reprehensible villains), with an emotional core that tugs on the heart strings. And, at that level, the book succeeds admirably. Reading through several online reviews, I find any number of ardent and sincere testimonies from reader who were touched, emotionally, by Hannah’s pluck, optimism, and goodness in the face of extremely trying and downright peculiar circumstances. In places the story rather strains credulity, but even so, Hannah deserves her happy ending.

However, approaching this book as literal narrative misses what I surmise to be the author’s more intriguing designs. “Hannah’s Voice” works at a couple of levels. It is possible to read it as a kind of contemporary Christian parable, or a broader social allegory, or as a mischievous satire on faith and innocence. Personally, I think that the more rewarding interpretation is the latter, for it gently lampoons the mindset of today’s “post truth” society, wherein simple, straightforward honesty like Hannah’s is so rare that folks just can’t process it.

When Hannah says that all she wants is pancakes, that’s what she means, no more or less. Doesn't it?
...more

Like · see review

Apr 21, 2013 Ana Popielnicki rated it it was amazing

Thought-provoking, powerful message

I don't know where to begin. I told the author (who I have the privilege of knowing "virtually", and who by the way DID NOT request or require a review of this book, which I bought for my reading pleasure) that I had no words. I was speechless, a GOOD speechless, though not like Hannah -- more like because of Hannah. Hers is the most powerful wordless message. Robb manages to convey his main character, Hannah, as amazingly real -- even though she is at the begi ...more

Like · see review

Jul 16, 2013 David Litwack rated it it was amazing

Hannah’s Voice is an original, well-written novel that, like most good books, transcends genre. The main character, Hannah, is a complex and endearing young girl who is struggling to come to terms with a painful past. The story is a little reminiscent of The Secret Life of Bees, as we follow Hannah’s journey of discovery of the good and bad in life. On the way she encounters some who will help, some who would exploit and some who expose her to the more bizarre aspects of humanity.

It’s quite a f ...more

Like · see review

Mar 01, 2015 Steven Greenberg rated it it was amazing

Compelling, Moving, Brilliant!

I read this book in one sitting – something I almost never do. It is seldom that I have met a character portrayed as empathetically or crafted as intricately as Hannah, who moves within a story that is wildly compelling, yet flows easily and requires no suspension of disbelief. Hannah’s Voice stays with you long after you put it down. Highly recommended!

Like · see review