Thursday, March 1, 2018

A Home for Hannah


Who says you can't go home? Home is the place where you feel loved and respected, the one place you're free to be your true self. For Hannah that's not the case, she feels restricted and judged, unable to fit in she decides to make her own way. Will she find a  place to belong or will she lose herself?

Hanna McLean left Pontotoc Mississippi 15 years ago and never looked back. She loves her family but she just isn't cut out to be Amish. Now, here she is heading back to her parents house trying to make sense of her life. Hannah had everything a girl could ask for, she had a husband, a son she adores, a nice house, money etc. but when her husband and his mistress wind up dead Hannah is left to pick up the pieces. With her assets frozen and a teenage son to care for she does the only thing she can do, return home to Pontotoc and her family. It's just a pit stop, a place for her to stay while she waits for her husband's affairs to settle and try to figure out what to do. What if, while she's waiting she finds all she's ever wanted? Could she stay?

Aaron Zook is doing the best he can. His wife recently passed and he's left caring for three children on his own. While he dreams of training horses for a living there just isn't much opportunity in Pontotoc. That's why he's considering moving to Ohio. He needs to find a way to support his family and let his heart heal. When he hears news that Hannah McLean, his first love, is returning to the community he can't help but think this could be their second chance! Determined to play it cool, Aaron only asks that they try to be friends but with three little match makers love is in the air!

I felt sorry for Hannah. All she ever wanted was a place to belong. She thought she had found this with her husband and the English world. When that falls apart she heads back home to her family. Not because she wanted to so much as she had no other choice. She has her son Brandon to think about and with no money and no job options are limited. I know it had to be hard to go back to her family and admit she was wrong. Here she is broken and needing a place to stay, they could have turned her away, instead they welcomed both her and Brandon with open arms. God's like that, no matter how far we stray when we realize it all we have to do is run home like a prodigal.

Aaron probably took Hannah's leaving the hardest. They were planning a future together and she runs off without saying a word. That stings. Of course, Aaron moved on, best he could. He met and married Lizzie and they had three beautiful children. He doesn't regret his life with Lizzie one bit but when he's alone he can't help think "what might have been". When Hannah shows back up in Pontotoc those thoughts go in to overdrive but can he risk trusting her again?

I absolutely loved A Home for Hannah! Amy Lillard crafts a story that hooks you from the get go and is full of twists and turns you can't put it down until the very end! I've read my share of Amish stories, and have loved them all, but this one holds a special place in my heart. I feel it's a story we can all relate to, wanting to fit in, no matter where we come from. I love how she weaves bits of humor and sage advice throughout her stories. if you've never read an Amy Lillard novel you are missing out! I truly believe  A Home for Hannah is a book that everyone can read and enjoy.

* I was provided a free copy of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.

You can grab a copy here:A Home For Hannah

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