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Daughters of the Sea: Hannah

By curlyq
Daughters of the Sea: Hannah
By Kathryn Lasky
Scholastic Press, 2009. 310 pgs. Juvenile fiction.

Hannah Albury, an orphan with no knowledge of her identity, is hired as a scullery maid for the Hawleys, a wealthy and well-known family in Boston. She finds herself mysteriously drawn to the ocean as well as the family's portrait painter, Mr. Wheeler. Strange things commence shortly after she leaves the orphanage such as the salty crystals she begins shedding and the extreme antagonism she senses from fanatical Lila Hawley and her cat. As Hannah comes closer to discovering her true identity, her circumstances grow increasingly bizarre and she discovers she must make a life-altering choice.

This book did an excellent job in surprising me with how captivating it was. I zipped through the novel and was much more engaged in the story than I had expected. I enjoyed the blend of fastasty and history and found the characters to be well fleshed and interesting. Although very simply written, this book will be a great choice for fantasy lovers required to read historical fiction.
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