Hanna Who Fell from the Sky

Hanna, the heroine of this uneven coming-of-age novel with a fantasy element from Canadian author Meades (The Last Hiccup), lives in Clearhaven, an idyllic rustic town whose inhabitants practice polygamy. As Hanna nears her 18th birthday, she becomes formally betrothed to a middle-aged man who watched her grow up and already has four wives. But then she meets Daniel, a Clearhaven resident who has recently returned from a nearby city. As her wedding day approaches, her growing attraction to Daniel causes her to question not only her role in Clearhaven but the town’s entire culture. Her father, Jotham, has a financial stake in her union, which becomes more muddled when her mother, Kara, Jotham’s second wife, discloses the secret about Hanna’s origins suggested by the title. Hanna’s plight is sure to move many readers. Others, however, will be put off by the vague, unimaginative worldbuilding and lose patience as Hanna vacillates between doing what the community expects and doing what feels right for her. Agent: Anne Bohner, Pen & Ink Literary. (Sept.)