Hannah & Huia

(Paperback)

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Description

Hannah is in a mental health unit, in shock and rendered speechless following the sudden death of her husband and baby son. She pays little attention to her institutional surroundings as events play and replay inside her head. There is no way out, no way back, and no future she can possibly imagine, just an endless, unbearable present. Huia is also there, a long-term resident who lives entirely in her own inner world. Her mutterings, her sleeve-plucking, her foot-tapping Well, that's just Huia. But who is she What is her story and why does the mystery of the older woman start to play on Hannah's mind Gradually drawn out of her own web of misery, Hannah learns to read Huia and decides to follow the tiny clues back to the source and discover the truth of Huia. In the process, she uncovers the strange bonds that unite them and finds it might, after all, be possible to save her own life - that families can and should heal. And that Huia may be her path to redemption. Two women, two literally unspeakable tragedies, two families, one powerful and unforgettable story. No one should ever be made to feel invisible. And you are never alone.

Reviews

"HANNAH & HUIA is a very impressive work. I edit a lot of fiction by name authors, and this is up there with the best. Emotionally hard-hitting, but with perfectly judged humour, this novel is unlike any other NZ fiction I have read. Frankly, it's a knockout." The late Stephen Stratford, author and editor

Author Bio

Charlotte Lobb was born and raised on a lifestyle block just out of Hamilton, in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Charlotte kept busy in her earlier years with an array of interests and talents ranging from ballroom dancing, violin, piano and singing to being a member of the New Zealand Shooting Team and High Performance Academy for air-rifle shooting. After leaving school, Charlotte went on to complete a Bachelor in Speech and Language Therapy (Hons) at the University of Canterbury. She now lives in Tauranga, in the sunny Bay of Plenty, with her husband, two children and their fluffy cat. Along with her passion for words, Charlotte has a desire to bring mental health topics out into the open, and to provide hope for those in need. Hannah & Huia is Charlotte's debut novel.