Sorry, did not finish, not a fan of magical realism.
No review forthcoming - no link
(Had to add a star rating)

I read the first chapter of this book as a preview and was hooked so was excited to read it. Hanna lives with her large family in a small community where all men have several wives.. As she turns eighteen, she is betrothed to a much older man within the town and this begins to make her question her life and her family. The plot was well created, focusing on the development and maturing of the character Hanna. I found some aspects hard to believe - in an entirely plausible story there was just one strand of magical realism that just didn't seem to fit - there was no explanation for it or basis for the mystery. Nevertheless I did enjoy it and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others.

I LOVED this book. It was so sad, yet well written. I was committed from page one. Every time I had to put the book down, because every day life got in the way (damn it!), I looked forward to stealing away and reading a couple more pages!

Hannah lives in a community that is headed by a cult-like figure. The members of the community are contained by fear and the women in particular, have no power and no say in their future. Women are married off at a young age and subjected to the cruelty that a situation such as this generally creates.

Hannah bucks against the system. Through the whole novel I was championing Hannah. Willing her to follow her instincts and get out. This suppression and control that this novel depicts, I believe is believable and so accurate.

I truly loved this book. It was beautifully written. Definitely worth a read and would be a great book to read in a book club as there are plenty of discussion points.

As an avid viewer of A&E's Escaping Polygamy and someone who has a fascination with TLC's Sister Wives, I was drawn to Christopher Meades' Hanna Who Fell from the Sky. I had read Hidden Wives by Claire Avery back in 2010, so when I read the summer of Meades' book, I knew I wanted to read it. The first hundred and twenty pages are gripping and move quickly; readers get to know the members of Hanna's household and what her upcoming nuptials would entail for her new duty as a wife to a middle-aged man with several wives and also what it would mean for her her siblings and the home she has grown up in. The second half of the book Hanna finds herself with two very different possibilities; while both of these options will inevitably change her life, she constantly goes back and forth, to the point where as a reader, I started to get annoyed. Meades does provide a satisfying ending, but doesn't get to that with actions that readers would appreciate. The whole "Hanna fell from the sky" business got obnoxious and I wouldn't disagree with some of the secondary characters who, throughout the book, call Hanna out for thinking she's better than everyone else.

I enjoyed this well-written novel. It was suspenseful and at times unsettling. Clearhaven's a community where men make all important life decisions for the women of the town. The title character, Hanna, is a bright presence in an otherwise gloomy landscape. She has a strength that belies her youth and allows her to shake up her present condition. With her strong will and sense of what she wants she finds the courage to question authority with life changing results.

I am so angry with this author about how he ended this book! It was not as genuine as the rest of the story and it did not make any point. Other than that, this was a page-turner, not only because of the topic (polygamy is so mysterious and creepy to me), but his writing style was lovely. I loved the characters and their backstory, but to scratch it all in the end was really beyond me.

Hannah is the oldest daughter in the family and she is about to be married to a man twice her age. We learn about the family dynamic, community rules and beliefs, strivings of those women, so different from our modern ones. It was all so compelling and intriguing! Of course, I was rooting for Hannah throughout the book, but some of her actions near the end made me feel less sympathetic. I really blame the author for this.

There is unnecessary magical element in the book, as can be seen in the title. They all believe that Hannah actually fell from the sky and she shows some unexplained powers. Why? We don't know. Why Hanna? Who knows... I would appreciate this more if it was either or, not something in the middle.

But, I will continue to follow this author, I really liked many things about his style.

Reads more like a YA novel -- should be an huge hit with teens.

cults...either you follow their tenets or you rebel, often at great personal risk. Hanna didn't ever seem to get it together. A hard story for me to swallow.

This was an pleasant, quick read. The end felt somewhat rushed (as in, wrap it up quick) but otherwise was an interesting glimpse into a polygamous community. Just don't think too much about the details, like how is Hanna so self-aware and not overwhelmed by the outside world if she's never been in it? If half-stars were possible, this would be a 3-and-a-half.

There were so many tonal shifts in this book. At first I thought maybe my inability to keep track of whether the events that were being described were real, and of the inner thoughts of the main character, was due to her being an unreliable narrator, but the end was actually much less interesting than that. Honestly, with the big reveal that ****SPOILER****Hanna is actually an angel, or at least has some magic powers it was incredibly disappointing that she did absolutely nothing to save the vast majority of her family or anyone else in the misogynistic cult in which she lived.****END SPOILER**** Her being an unreliable narrator due to what should have been a massive head injury partway into the book would have in many ways been far more satisfying. I love fantasy and would usually welcome a mix of realism and fantastic events, but it just wasn't that well done in this book.

Hanna is gripping right from the beginning. The story could be taking place anywhere in the country right now, or it could be in an alternate universe. It contains some magical realism, but is mostly a story about a girl becoming a woman. Of course, I loved the family interactions the most. In this case, the family consists of one father, several wives and lots of children. Hanna is the oldest and is responsible for her sister who was born with a defect in her spine.

The action in the story builds throughout the text and up to about 90% this was a 5 star book. The ending took it down for me as I expected so much more. Hanna is supposed to be great. Perhaps the book ends before she does this great thing, but I was really hoping to see it for myself.

Everything about Hanna Who Fell from the Sky, by Christopher Meades, is odd. The polygamy practiced in Clearhaven isn’t that strange, given that the FLDS exist. But a girl who actually fell from the sky is definitely out of the ordinary. All her life, Hanna has been told this strange story by her mother. So while she does her best to be obedient to her father and the community’s spiritual leader and cares for her many (many) siblings, Hanna always has a sneaking suspicion that she’s different from everyone else. Maybe she really did fall from the sky. She might have gone on wondering if her sudden betrothal to a man three times her age hadn’t occurred.

Clearhaven is an isolated community located in an unknown country. Brother Paul rules with a firm hand, his dictates enforced by his two police officer sons. The older men in the community have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo, because their obedience is rewarded with young wives. (The older boys are sent out into the world with just the clothes on their back, to reduce competition for wives. The FLDS have a similar practice.) The women follow along because they are not encouraged—actively dissuaded, in fact—from becoming self-sufficient.

Hanna has been raised to be just like her mother and sister-mothers. Her life is hard, but she feels useful when she cares for her younger sister, Emily, who has a twisted spine. She might have gone on like this indefinitely if Brother Paul and her father hadn’t arranged for her to marry a middle-aged man who already has four wives. She does not want to marry Edwin. She says she will, but only because she has no other options. Besides, she thinks, who will care for Emily if she leaves?

I kept waiting for Hanna to run away. As the kindle progress counter ticked upward, I kept waiting. Hanna Who Fell from the Sky is not that kind of book. Instead, it’s a story about a girl who struggles to find the strength in herself to say “No” to the men around her. It’s an uncomfortable but enlightening coming of age story where we watch our protagonist as she waffles back and forth between obedience and defiance. Meanwhile, there are hints of something that might or might not be supernatural. I’m still not sure how to interpret the ending, now that I think about it. This is a very curious book, full of all sorts of questions to think about and talk over with other readers. Some readers might be frustrated with that ending, however.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for review consideration. It will be released 26 September 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.

Hanna Who Fell From The Sky is both dystopian *and* hopeful, two words which are not usually used in the same sentence. Hanna lives in a polygamous family, in an isolated community called Clearhaven and is about to turn 18, at which time she must marry a man of her father's choosing. Her father, Jotham, is a cruel man; her mother, Kara is the only one of Jotham's wives not to bear more than one child. As Hanna approaches her wedding date, she finds the thought of marrying a man her father's age very disturbing. A possible way out of her predicament arrives in the form of Daniel, a young man of her age who gives her a taste of the world outside Clearhaven. The story seesaws back and forth as Hanna learns more about why this particular groom was chosen for her, and she weighs her responsibilities to her family against her personal freedom. The author keeps you guessing right up until the end, although I was pretty sure which choice she would make. And by the way...the book's title actually is very important to the story line. But if you want to find out why, you'll have to read the book.

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.

Magic realism, a polygamist religious community and a girl who doesn't quite belong. A strange,, haunting, beautiful story with a strong female protagonist. Uniquely told, just go with it.

Hanna Who Fell from the Sky begs to be shared and discussed with friends. I found myself tearing through the book, because I just had to know how it ended. (Whew! I was not disappointed!) I can see this book used to spark interesting classroom discussions. I also think it would make a great movie.

Compelling and unsettling, this book had me wrapped around it's finger from the first chapter.

I wanted to like this book so much. The concept is interesting, but I feel like Hanna was such a frustrating character that it was hard to really root for her or care how her story ended. She was constantly going from one end of the spectrum to the other - I will leave the community, I will never leave the community. There didn't seem to be any in between. I thought the author could have done a much better job describing the internal struggle Hanna had to have been feeling. Unfortunately, I will not be recommending this book.

Reading the synopsis of HANNA WHO FELL FROM THE SKY really peaked my interest. For some reason, I love reading about cults and this book was all about that. This story features a polygamic religious cult in a city called Clearhaven.

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.