Life hasn’t gotten any easier for Hannah. Just when it seems things out west are getting better, a horde of grasshoppers destroys everything, including Hannah’s courage. Disheartened and giving up her dream, she and Jerry move back east. But an even worse tragedy awaits her when a freak accident claims the life of her husband. Hannah must now make her way herself, alone, and yet there is another who is intrigued by this unusual creature. There may, at long last, be happiness for Hannah when she learns to forgive herself for her many shortcomings, and strives to finally please someone other than herself. Many readers find fault with Hannah, and while it is true that she is a hard character to like, she still has some redeeming qualities that finally surface. Today we might say that she is a product of her unhappy childhood, or even diagnose her as bipolar. Hannah certainly is an unusual protagonist, but it was her overwhelmingly strong personality and my curiosity to see if she ever changed that kept me reading and looking forward to the conclusion of the series, to discover what the future held for Hannah. ( )