Hanna's Daughters by Marianne Fredriksson (1999, Paperback)

As an avid reader, I saw a brief excerpt from this novel and it piqued my interest. I must say that this is a mesmerizing tale; you will not want to put this book down once you begin reading! The setting and the characters are so realistic, I felt transported to those times and places where the characters lived and then died. You will feel the pain and anguish of each character and yet rejoice with them at moments of happiness. The author, Marianne Fredriksson, is a storyteller like no other. This is the first time I had read any of her works; I now look forward to reading anything else she has written!

This is not a frivolous fairy tale; it is stark, raw reality and, at the same time, educational and full of historical facts. I did not feel reading this book was a waste of time or just simple entertainment. Rather, I experienced personal growth and true appreciation as an end result of this reading. Would I read it again? Oh yes, definitely...in fact, I am considering reading it again immediately (and I only finished it this morning!).