Dear Hanna by Zoje Stage

On the surface to others however, Hanna is now a functional adult, a phlebotomist, and meets Jacob and his young daughter during a lab visit. [Now here in itself is an alarm bell. Hanna, who had violent thoughts and actively, more than once, tried to kill someone is drawing blood from people every day – Whoa!] Jacob is impressed with Hanna’s gentle, professional skill, not knowing that Hanna had noticed the well-groomed, affluent-looking Jacob in the waiting room and aimed to make a positive impression.

Hanna makes the calculation that Jacob and his daughter would be a good fit in her life. Jacob is financially stable and has a nice home and Joelle, who is old enough to take care of herself, is a good student, on a path to a great future. Hanna just wants to step into this already established family environment with no additions. She believes she is not capable of taking care of a small child and doesn’t want anything in her life that will jeopardize her being sent away again.

Things go well for a few years in Hanna’s life, until something unexpected happens to her now teenage stepdaughter – Joelle is pregnant. Hanna came to rely on and value her domestic life, her regular routine. She didn’t like surprises or the idea of not knowing how to manage and control her life, so this new dynamic will ruin things for Hanna. Hanna is also terrified at the prospect of having a little child around her, especially one she may resent for disturbing her once stable life.

Hanna tells her brother Goose everything, her deepest thoughts and even her violent urges. Her new family doesn’t know about the terrible things she’s done as a child or about her stay at the institute for troubled kids. Because of the fact her parents sent her away and they’ve kept their distance since, Hanna feels they abandoned her and doesn’t have confidence that anyone else will be forgiving knowing about her past and what she’s done.

Through her thoughts and letters with her brother, it appears Hanna has not changed much – she’s only older, more measured and refined. Now, Hanna knows she can’t do certain things without being locked up again. She contemplates ending her stepdaughter’s pregnancy, killing the boyfriend and his interfering, domineering mother, even making herself ill for sympathy. During this process of calculating and stressing over her new situation, her husband notices the changes in her behavior and becomes concerned, asking her to get professional help or contact her parents. He doesn’t understand how things could be so bad between Hanna and her parents.

Hanna continues with her dark thoughts and calculating, and she gets caught by her husband while carrying out one of her schemes. Her husband is horrified at her actions and calls her parents to the house to have a meeting about his wife. During this meeting her husband learns the real tragic situation and truth about her little brother – He is not away at school! Her parents also disclose that Hanna was sent away as a child to an institute and why she was sent there. Hanna’s husband realizes that the reasons her parents are estranged is completely justified. He’s been living with someone he doesn’t know and may be dangerous. He takes action immediately – Hanna is asked to leave.

But that’s all. No one called the authorities to have Hanna maybe re-evaluated. Hanna was allowed to transfer locations at work – she’s still a phlebotomist. She moved to her own apartment – she’s still out there, a pyscho, sociopath! So, the author, if she pleases, can continue on with Hanna’s story as Hanna continues to navigate relationships and life’s situations and challenges. I hope you all give this disturbing, psychological thriller a read before another installment comes out.  Dear Hanna by Zoje Stage was a dark, unsettling, creepy read, good for Halloween or any windy autumn day.  I hope you give it a read.