Hannah

Sylvia Pantaleo is an assistant professor of education specializing in
children’s literature at Queen’s University and the co-author of
Learning with Literature in the Canadian Elementary Classroom.

The year is 1858 in Pictou County, Nova Scotia. Thirteen-year-old
Hannah’s father has recently been killed in the coal mines, and her
mother is very ill after giving birth to her fifth daughter. There is no
money to pay the rent, but Hannah is stubborn and determined to work in
the coal mines to provide her family with financial support. Hannah’s
plan is confounded, however, by the superstitious miners who believe
that if a female works in the coal mines, disaster will strike.

Reluctantly, John, a 14-year-old who is employed in the mine, assists
Hannah in securing work in the mine as “Brian.” When some of the
miners decide to initiate “Brian,” Hannah’s true identity is
revealed. The miners are furious at Hannah’s deception and accuse her
of cursing the mine, so Hannah and her family leave Pictou County and
travel to Halifax.

Hannah is an energetic and determined character, willing to defy the
gender expectations of the time period. The secondary characters are
believable, and their roles are important to the development of the
plot. Diana Vazquez effectively creates the historical world of the
small Nova Scotia settlement. Recommended.