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Hannah Rose is one of those perfect romances. Hannah is being pursued by two men whose beliefs are completely at odds with the other. To have either one, she must choose to embrace their beliefs and reject totally the beliefs of the other. It wouldn’t be so hard if Hannah had firm feelings about slavery, but she’s never given it much thought. Now a slave owner and an abolitionist vie for her love.
Gouge does a great job of putting into words the views of the two sides of the slavery issue during those times. The southern gentleman speaks of his slaves kindly but believes they are childlike and in need of care. The abolitionist breaks the law, risks his life and endangers Hannah and her son for his cause.
Both seem like decent men to Hannah. Both think the other is pure evil. Hannah is caught in the middle.
Gouge puts everybody on the line in Hannah Rose. If Hannah chooses the abolitionist, she could put her son in danger. If Hannah chooses the southern gentleman all her Massachusetts friends will view her as a traitor – even more, they will have to distance themselves from her because they have secrets she might pass on to the wrong people.
As a backdrop to this story, Hannah is the widow of the ruthless Captain Ahab. Her son is the image of his father and when
he faces a crisis, he shows signs of Ahab’s strong will and single minded desire for revenge.
Hannah Rose was just wonderful, completely engrossing. I kept reading when I should have been doing other things. When something called me away from the book, I itched until I could start reading again. It’s the perfect way to spend a winter afternoon.
Reviewed by Mary Connealy
for The Road to Romance
January 13, 2005
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