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A review by bickie
Hannah, Divided by Adele Griffin
3.0
Set in 1934, HANNAH, DIVIDED follows the changes Hannah experiences when she decides to go against her family's wishes and leave the dairy farm to pursue advanced math education in Philadelphia. Hannah is gifted with numbers, patterns, and math in general; however, she is less skilled at reading because she gets distracted by the beautiful shapes of the letters and ends up counting, for example, how many a's are on the page/in a chapter/in a book. Hannah is constantly counting and manipulating numbers; she is also often tapping sequences and rhythms to calm herself when agitated.
Hannah's grandfather is the only family member who encourages her to consider a life outside of Chadds Ford and the family dairy farm. Even her friends are focused on becoming "June brides" and living in white houses on the same street - each has chosen her favorite shade of shutters. Hannah has conflicting feelings about the comfort and safety of home and the lure of higher learning. The ending is somewhat unsatisfying; the reader is left with many questions about what happens to Hannah next, though she seems to become more philosophical about her lot in life. There is even an abrupt turn-around in a fellow schoolmate who suddenly thinks Hannah is worth including in a party.
I liked the gentle treatment of Hannah's differences (OCD? Asperger's? Dyslexia?) and her authentic-sounding determination. The book does not cudgel the reader with lessons or labels. However, I did not like the ending or the complete lack of ambition of the family for Hannah; they seemed to view her as a needed farmhand/dairy maid and didn't see why girls needed to read or cipher.
Best for ages 9-11.
Hannah's grandfather is the only family member who encourages her to consider a life outside of Chadds Ford and the family dairy farm. Even her friends are focused on becoming "June brides" and living in white houses on the same street - each has chosen her favorite shade of shutters. Hannah has conflicting feelings about the comfort and safety of home and the lure of higher learning. The ending is somewhat unsatisfying; the reader is left with many questions about what happens to Hannah next, though she seems to become more philosophical about her lot in life. There is even an abrupt turn-around in a fellow schoolmate who suddenly thinks Hannah is worth including in a party.
I liked the gentle treatment of Hannah's differences (OCD? Asperger's? Dyslexia?) and her authentic-sounding determination. The book does not cudgel the reader with lessons or labels. However, I did not like the ending or the complete lack of ambition of the family for Hannah; they seemed to view her as a needed farmhand/dairy maid and didn't see why girls needed to read or cipher.
Best for ages 9-11.