One of My All-Time Favorites!

Title:  Hannah's Dream
Author:  Diane Hammond
Published: HarperCollins  2008
Pages:  319
Genre:  Literary Fiction
Source:  Library, then purchased
My Rating:      

Hannah's Dream is a tenderly stirring narrative with incredibly engaging characters.  It is the kind of story that is wonderful and  moving...has stuck with me ever since I read it five years ago.  I could read it over and over and not tire of its magic.  I came across my copy on the book shelf this evening and felt moved to once again gush my enthusiasm in hopes that some of you will experience it, too!

Synopsis from Goodreads:
An elephant never forgets . . . but can she dream?
For forty-one years, Samson Brown has been caring for Hannah, the lone elephant at the down-at-the-heels Max L. Biedelman Zoo. Having vowed not to retire until an equally loving and devoted caretaker is found to replace him, Sam rejoices when smart, compassionate Neva Wilson is hired as the new elephant keeper. But Neva quickly discovers what Sam already knows: that despite their loving care, Hannah is isolated from other elephants and her feet are nearly ruined from standing on hard concrete all day. Using her contacts in the zookeeping world, Neva and Sam hatch a plan to send Hannah to an elephant sanctuary--just as the zoo's angry, unhappy director launches an aggressive revitalization campaign that spotlights Hannah as the star attraction, inextricably tying Hannah's future to the fate of the Max L. Biedelman Zoo.  A charming, poignant, and captivating novel certain to enthrall readers of Water for Elephants, Diane Hammond's Hannah's Dream is a beautifully told tale rich in heart, humor, and intelligence.

Not convinced yet?  Read on...

From http://www.dianehammond.com/hannah.html

Hannah's Dream was selected as an Indie Next Notable Pick by independent booksellers for October!

Starred Booklist Review
American Library Association
June 16, 2008:

On the animal kingdom’s 10-point scale of adorable critters, Golden Retriever puppies regularly come in on top, while aging gray elephants rarely make it onto the list. But when it comes to lovability, Hannah, the sole elephant at Seattle’s dilapidated Max L. Biedelman Zoo, is off the charts. Rescued as a baby by the zoo’s founder while on safari in Africa, Hannah has been cared for by Samson Brown for her 41-year captivity. Theirs is an empathetic, symbiotic relationship as Samson transfers all the love deflected by the death of his only child into caring for this slightly needy, somewhat neurotic, but always affectionate creature. But Samson is aging and his health is failing, and the zoo needs a plan. Enter Neva Wilson, an energetic young zookeeper whose creative ideas for Hannah’s well-being immediately puts her afoul of Harriet Saul, the zoo’s petty, tyrannical administrator. To save Hannah’s life, Samson and Neva scheme to transfer her to an elephant sanctuary, though their plan comes with great personal risk. Irresistibly touching, delectably uplifting, Hammond’s understated yet gargantuan tale of devotion and commitment poignantly proves that love does indeed come in all shapes and sizes.

— Carol Haggas

I'd love to hear your impressions after you read it...

keep me posted!