All But What’s Left

Carrie
Mumford
Genre: 
Contemporary

Hannah Tatum loses her mother when she’s six years old, and her life is never the same. She grows up with her dad, running the farm, dreaming of a traditional future: she’ll marry her childhood sweetheart, Radek, take over the family farm, and live happily ever after. Of course, by her twenty-first birthday, her carefully planned life begins to fall apart. Radek is off to college and has suggested they “take a break.” Her dad has a heart attack and decides to sell the farm. And a new ranch hand comes onto the scene, who exasperates Hannah as much as he stirs new, more interesting emotions.

The opening scene of this book grabs the reader by the throat and the heart, with Hannah witnessing her father shooting a bear in front the hen house. Her mother is inside . . . does he know?

These and other questions haunt Hannah as the reader dips down into her life like a firefly, randomly, at different ages. Although a clever way to tell the tale, some readers may find this flitting back and forth in Hannah’s life somewhat disorienting, even though each chapter is dated. The story’s main weakness, however, is pacing. After a gripping start, the reader expects a fast-paced ride. Instead, the narrative slows down considerably, possibly losing those who expected what the opening promises. The prose lapses into a contemplative tone, with the reader spending much time inside Hannah’s head. The writing, however, is beautiful—even lyrical. For fans of literary fiction, this emotional coming-of-age story will not disappoint!

FS Brown