Hannah's Dream: A Novel [Paperback]

Diane Hammond (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 2008

An elephant never forgets . . . but can she dream?

For forty-one years, Samson Brown has been caring for Hannah, the lone elephant at the down-at-the-heels Max L. Biedelman Zoo. Having vowed not to retire until an equally loving and devoted caretaker is found to replace him, Sam rejoices when smart, compassionate Neva Wilson is hired as the new elephant keeper. But Neva quickly discovers what Sam already knows: that despite their loving care, Hannah is isolated from other elephants and her feet are nearly ruined from standing on hard concrete all day. Using her contacts in the zookeeping world, Neva and Sam hatch a plan to send Hannah to an elephant sanctuary—just as the zoo's angry, unhappy director launches an aggressive revitalization campaign that spotlights Hannah as the star attraction, inextricably tying Hannah's future to the fate of the Max L. Biedelman Zoo.

A charming, poignant, and captivating novel certain to enthrall readers of Water for Elephants, Diane Hammond's Hannah's Dream is a beautifully told tale rich in heart, humor, and intelligence.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hammond (Going to Bend) shares the story of charismatic mega-vertebrate Hannah, the elephant star of the failing Max L. Biedelman Zoo, in her sweet but slow third novel. Since the 1950s, Hannah; her loving caretaker, Sam; and the zoo have been languishing. Enter Harriet Saul, the zoo's ambitious new director, and Neva Wilson, an expert elephant keeper; both want to change things, but in different ways. Harriet's plan involves her dressing up as the eccentric zoo founder to give presentations and commissioning original theme music for a publicity campaign. Neva's idea is to move the aging Hannah to an elephant sanctuary, a plan supported by nearly everyone, including the zoo's milquetoast business manager. If the conflict sounds weak, it is; the friendship between Hannah and Sam and the gently informational lessons about elephant care are more memorable than the late-breaking battle. The narrative, with its sprawling cast (and attendant relationships and personal histories), often bogs down, but the moments of genuine emotion will charm readers in search of a happy ending. (Sept.) ""
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From Booklist

*Starred Review* On the animal kingdom’s 10-point scale of adorable critters, golden retriever puppies regularly come in on top, while aging gray elephants rarely make it onto the list. But when it comes to lovability, Hannah, the sole elephant at Seattle’s dilapidated Max L. Biedelman Zoo, is off the charts. Rescued as a baby by the zoo’s founder while on safari in Africa, Hannah has been cared for by Samson Brown for her 41-year captivity. Theirs is an empathetic, symbiotic relationship as Samson transfers all the love deflected by the death of his only child into caring for this slightly needy, somewhat neurotic, but always affectionate creature. But Samson is aging and his health is failing, and the zoo needs a plan. Enter Neva Wilson, an energetic young zookeeper whose creative ideas for Hannah’s well-being immediately put her afoul of Harriet Saul, the zoo’s petty, tyrannical administrator. To save Hannah’s life, Samson and Neva scheme to transfer her to an elephant sanctuary, though their plan comes with great personal risk. Irresistibly touching, delectably uplifting, Hammond’s understated yet gargantuan tale of devotion and commitment poignantly proves that love does indeed come in all shapes and sizes. --Carol Haggas

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (September 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061568252
• ISBN-13: 978-0061568251
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #458,001 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A native New Yorker, Diane Hammond spent the majority of her school years in Upper Nyack, NY. After graduating from Nyack High School, she attended and earned a BA from Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont.

Hammond first began writing in Washington, DC, cutting her teeth on short stories and attending classes at the Glen Echo Writers Center in Glen Echo, Maryland, and joining a number of ad hoc writing groups. Her first short story was published in Woman's World, followed by others in Mademoiselle, Yankee Magazine, the Washington Review, and other periodicals.

In 1984, she moved to tiny Newport, Oregon (pop. 9,000), on the central Oregon coast, a writer's paradise with its relative isolation, constant winter storms and harsh beauty. She began maturing artistically there, discovering themes and settings that have resonated in her writing ever since.

Hammond's first novel, GOING TO BEND, was published by Random House/Doubleday in 2003, with particular acclaim in the Pacific Northwest, where the book was set. HOMESICK CREEK, her second novel, followed in 2006. Her third novel, HANNAH'S DREAM, was released by Harper Perennial in 2008 and has become a bestseller; her fourth novel, SEEING STARS, was also released by Harper Perennial in 2010.

She currently lives in West St. Paul, Minnesota with her husband Nolan, four cats and two Pembroke Welsh corgis.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Story of Love and Devotion, September 18, 2008

By 

W. C HALL (Newport, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hannah's Dream: A Novel (Paperback)

I finished Diane Hammond's novel, "Hannah's Dream," with a lump in my throat and joy in my heart.

"Hannah's Dream" is a well-crafted, heartfelt story of a 41-year love affair--between an elephant named Hannah and her long-time keeper, Samson "Sam" Brown. The tale is set at the fictional Max L. Biedelman Zoo in Washington State. The zoo was the proud creation of Maxine (Max was a woman, the daughter of a lumber magnate) Biedelman, who found her greatest joy in the green hills of Africa. The zoo was bequeathed to the local city after her death, and its glory days are clearly behind it. Hannah isn't faring much better, despite Sam's loving attention, which includes regular treats from Dunkin' Donuts. She's got bad feet from spending most of her days (and nights) standing on concrete and seems to long for the company of other elephants--something she hasn't enjoyed in decades. Sam's health is poor and he clearly needs to retire, but won't give up his "sugar" until he knows she's going to be well-cared for.

A couple of pivotal characters in the story are a new keeper who seems to be the answer to Sam's prayers--and a zoo director who sees Hannah as the key element in her plans to resurrect the fading institution. We get to know the lead characters, their families, other zoo staff, an ambitious reporter and others in Hammond's richly-drawn portraits that make these characters truly three-dimensional. One of the author's gifts is an ability to see even the less sympathetic players in this drama in a light that shows their humanity.

Hammond used to be the public relations officer for the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Free Willy Keiko Foundation, and was intimately acquainted with the world's most famous killer whale. As she explains in her introductory acknowledgements, she drew on that experience to help shape this wonderful, heartfelt story. As I said earlier, this is a love story--a story that shows the power of hope, the power of dreams, and one that illuminates one of life's bittersweet lessons--that sometimes true love involves letting go of the object of your love.--William C. Hall

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You won't be disappointed, September 24, 2008

By 

Richard B. Green - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hannah's Dream: A Novel (Paperback)

Should I buy or just locate it at the library? Well, I bought it, read it, loved it, and now have the book to share with friends who enjoy losing themselves in a really good story. Hannah is brought vividly to life by author Hammond. I found myself caught up in her history, her needs, her fears, her care, her future. Part of a small Washington-state zoo for forty years, Hannah's caretaker, Sam, will not allow himself a much-needed retirement until he knows that Hannah is left in the best and most loving of hands. As this tale unfolds, we're introduced to any number of characters, endearing and otherwise, none better fleshed-out than Sam, Hannah's friend and, it turns out, trustee for so many years and Max(ine) Biedelman, zoo owner, the one responsible for rescuing Hannah from her fate in Burma; as the years have gone by though and the zoo, in the hands of others, has become run-down, a very real fear develops for what fate awaits Hannah as she lives out the final third of her life. You won't be disappointed, allowing yourself to become part of this story's unfolding. And you're sure to take on a different attitude toward our predilection for bringing wild animals into captivity. Max may have felt she was doing Hannah a favor forty years earlier, but what happens to these creatures as they age, as monies for their care diminish, as their day-to-day existence falls to the perhaps less-caring? These are sure to be questions you'll be asking as you come to love Hannah and Sam and the beautiful relationship that has developed between them over time.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful character-driven story, March 21, 2009

By 

Jennifer Donovan "5minutesforbooks" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hannah's Dream: A Novel (Paperback)

In Hannah's Dream, Diane Hammond delicately deals with the human experiences of love, lack of love, loss, hope, duty, growing up and growing old.

I like books about people. No, not biographies, but books that invite his into the lives and hearts of people -- ordinary or extraordinary. I'm drawn to stories -- to characters -- to themes of friendship, personal growth, internal or external struggles.

When I this is a character-driven novel, let me go one step further and say that this book is full of characters -- Max Biedelman, a sort of androgynous woman who lived in the early twentieth century; Harriet, the director of the zoo which Max founded, who taps into the confidence and spirit of Max as she tries to find acceptance for herself and financial success for the zoo; and Sam Brown, a man who has given his life and his heart to two women, his wife Corinna and the elephant Hannah. These are only a few of the believably quirky characters that reside here with Hannah the elephant.

This was a really lovely story, and I highly recommend it.