Hannah's Gift

By Maria Housden

Every once in a while a book comes along that can change your life–a book so special, it is destined not just to be read but to be cherished, to be passed from one reader to another as a precious gift. Filled with wisdom and grace, tears and laughter, Hannah’s Gift is one such book. Within these pages Maria Housden shares the transformative lessons in living she received from her three-year-old daughter Hannah, who brought courage, honesty, and joy to her struggle with cancer.

During the last year of her short life, Hannah was fearless in the way she faced death–and irrepressibly joyful in the way she approached living. The little girl who wore her favorite red Mary Janes into the operating room changed the life of everyone who came in contact with her. Now, in a book that preserves Hannah’s indomitable spirit, Maria Housden offers the gift of her daughter’s last year to all of us.

In a lyrically told narrative, both moving and unforgettable, Housden recounts Hannah’s battle with cancer in simple, straightforward language that transcends grief and fear to become a celebration. From Hannah’s story emerge five profound lessons–of truth, joy, faith, compassion, and wonder–that have the power to change our lives.

During her illness Hannah showed how we can truly live in the moment and break free from lives suffocated by too many unlived joys. Even more memorable is the message Hannah delivered after her death to those she loved–a message of hope for anyone faced with the deepest questions of life and death.

Hannah’s Gift nourishes the soul with an ageless wisdom all the more invaluable for having come from someone so young. A remarkable story, remarkably told, it will bring comfort to anyone touched by loss, and renewed faith in the
power of love.

Closing her eyes and extending her arms, Hannah began to dance. Oblivious to everything but the shoes on her feet, she skipped and clicked across the floor, twirling in circles, faster and faster. There was something about her pure joy and the defiant nobility of the red shoes that caught everyone’s attention....

The true measure of a life is not its length but the fullness with which it is lived

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Dec 23, 2009
• ISBN: 9780553897722

Maria Housden

Maria Housden is a lecturer, author and passionate advocate for quality of life, particularly for those with terminal illness. She has led bereavement support groups and speaks throughout the US to groups as diverse as church and civic organisations, high school students and medical professionals. For 4 years, she served on the Board of Directors of the Kimberly Fund, a nonprofit organization that raises money for families of children facing life-threatening illnesses.

Reviews for Hannah's Gift

[suzanne5002 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great read that will make you laugh and cry at the same time. The thought-provoking words that 3 yr. olds come up with are hilarious. Hannah knows that she is dying but that doesn't stop her from living life to the fullest. She knows what she wants and nothing is gonna stop her from getting it. We see that when she is determined to wear her red patent-leather shoes into surgery. Her brother,Will who is 5, is amazing also. They get along so well & have deep conversations about her illness in their own way;a child's version of death and dying. We also read how her mother dealt with Hannah's death after she was gone. Even though she had 2 little babies to care for, she went into a deep depression over Hannah's death & it took her a few years to deal with it. Every year on Hannah's birthday, they celebrate it with a cake and balloons. She also learned that one doesn't need to be perfect nor should your spouse expect you to be perfect. JUST LIVE!!

[dez_5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This must be one of the saddest books I've ever read.I have a three year old daughter - the same age as Hannah. I can't believe I actually managed to get through it. Very, very sad.

[janey47 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Whenever people rave about Tuesdays With Morrie, I always ask them to give this little book a look. As a friend of mine said at one point, "I don't really care what Morrie learned. He had a full, long life. It would have been very peculiar if he hadn't come through it with that perspective and equanimity." Hannah, on the other hand, had a full life even though she lived only four years. Housden is wonderful. She is a keen observer of her own reactions and her own physicality, and it is often in our physical bodies that we find the true nature of our experiences and emotions. This book has no sentimentality or soothing moral. It is the chronicle of a woman who watches her daughter dying and it is the chronicle of a woman committed to her daughter living fully in the time she had. Strongly recommended.

[littlewish_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hannah's Gift By Maria Housden, is a touching and emotional read which is told through the eyes of Hannah's mother. At the start of the story Hannah's mother finds out she has miscarried at the same time she finds her daughter also bleeding on the toilet. Hannah is then taken to hospital where we learn she has cancer. From then on all their lives take a very different path to what was planned, and you will feel as you are there with them every step.

[shell70_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A moving true story of a mother's journey in saying goodbye to her dying daughter, surviving the grief and having to raise and nuture the rest of the family. A tear jerker.

[corajoanburgett · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hannah's gift to her family, acquaintances, medical personnel was the gift of complete guilessness. The book's subtitle is "Lessons from a Life Fully Lived." Hannah lived on this earth for 4 years but has much to teach us all. Hannah brought courage, honesty and even laughter to her struggle with cancer. It's also about "a mother's intimate and tender journey to find a new meaning after experiencing the unthinkable." Hannah grabs your heart from the first page and never lets it go.