Reviews
DJ, Squam Lake, NH
I’ve taught for 40+ years in the primary grades and middle school and have supported numerous youth groups. I can say that I’ve pretty much “Seen it all.” The Gentling of Hanna Johansen by Charles Coleman is a book that deals with the many difficult situations that young people (and their parents), are dealing with in today’s world as portrayed through the problematic life of one precocious teen, Hanna Johansen. The sub title, A Betrayal of Trust, suggests that the serious nature of relationships in students’ lives today, such as parents, grandparents, teachers, all adults in authority have profound influence on our youth today and a “betrayal of trust” in these relationships can cause many problems for the students and their families. This book deals with sensitive issues such as abuse of teacher authority, sexual abuse, premarital sex and suicide, all topics not for the faint of heart, but unfortunately far more common in today’s world than we would like to believe. This book discusses how one family handled these issues and how recovery from hurt and trauma can be helped with the counseling aid from psychiatrists, friends and family. This book should be suggested as required reading for teachers of Middle School and High school aged children. It discusses topics that most people don’t think about every day and teachers should, because there might be a student in need that they could help if they are tuned in to these situations. The book is well written and an enjoyable and informative read!
Book Name -The Gentling Of Hanna Johansen: A Betrayal of Trust
Author -Charles Coleman
From the very first page, Charles Coleman’s The Gentling of Hanna Johansen completely unraveled me. It isn’t just a novel; it’s a deeply moving, empathetic study of the human psyche that captures the fragile interplay between deep trauma and resilient hope .
What struck me most was how raw and authentic the character dynamics felt, particularly the bond between Hanna and her grandfather, Papa Andy. Through themes of grief, active combat, and abandonment, Coleman weaves a delicate ray of light through the darkness. Even though Hanna functions as a powerful metaphor for the quiet mental health struggles so many young women face today, her personal journey felt intimately real 🕯️.
The narrative blends academic psychology with sheer emotional depth, making the narrative both intellectually grounding and heart-wrenching. It serves as a gentle yet profound reminder of how deeply our personal stories overlap and how healing—though painful—is ultimately rooted in love and restored trust.
If you are looking for a powerful, deeply human read that lingers in your thoughts long after the final page, this is an absolute must-read
Review by Matt McAvoy
The Gentling of Hanna Johansen: A Betrayal of Trust is a phenomenal achievement: this is not just a book, it is a project, a study into the human psyche, how personalities overlap and the influence they have on each other through their own personal stories. The Gentling is a clever, intricately woven narrative about trauma, hope, despair and ultimately the power of love, trust and renewed belief in others. Most of this book’s small cast of characters have experienced trauma or depression, with issues including bereavement, active combat, sexual abuse, abandonment and survivor’s guilt, yet despite these dark themes, a ray of light shines brightly through the book, though while some are lucky enough to catch a glimpse of this ray, it comes too late or too dim for others to embrace.
I believe much of the tale is based on a true story, and that the author may have based the key supporting character in Hanna’s journey – her grandfather (Papa) Andy Collins – on a retired Professor of Psychology or a like figure. Working at the highest levels of education, Andy offers a professional overview, along with fellow professional Alexa Muybridge, Hanna’s psychiatrist, of the personal interactions which will either make or break Hanna. But in some ways, true story or not, Hanna is merely a metaphor for the toxic contagion of mental illness, which is growing to pandemic levels; indeed, the book frequently refers to a post-Vietnam War mental health crisis, and looking at the world now it is difficult to argue with this. But with the advent of social media, and the globally-reaching influence of peer pressure, as fuel for increasingly catastrophic rhetoric in the development of young people, it’s looking increasingly likely to have laser-focused the long-foreseen crisis on a much later generation – maybe we resisted long enough to kick the can down the road, but no one can resist the immense phenomenon of the instant and global propaganda era. Indeed, Hanna herself doesn’t really appear – except very briefly in the prologue – until about a quarter of the way through the book, indicating that her story is a thoughtful choice for how the overall message is imparted; after all, there are many young girls like Hanna. What a tremendously relevant way to do so!
The Gentling of Hanna Johansen is superlative. It is as good and as qualified a study into the intertwining influence of conflicting and complementary mental health factors as you will read. A satisfying, utterly comprehensive sum of all its parts – human, professional, academic and emotional. You will be very unlikely to read a better book this year – in any genre – and written in such a good, narrative-format, semi-fictionalized mental health study, ever.
Paul J.,
State College, PA
If "We are the word. We are the children," and if "children are the future" of our species as human beings rings true to you, then I've never seen a movie or read any book that foresees that future more intimately, more insightfully and more compassionately than "The Gentling of Hanna Johansen: A Betrayal of Trust." It's all here! Here, portrayed in a writing style that seamlessly probes the minds of "troubled teens", notably the “why” and “how” their specific environment(s) directly “conditions” and affects their psycho logical development and mental well being in an irrefutable cause and effect relation ship… in an environment which we, as adults, have created for them to struggle for their own survival. I’ve never seen anything quite like this ever. If you believe that they “are the children…saving our own lives... It's true we'll make a better day, just you and me" then, as adults, you won't find a better travel companion to get there than this remarkable novel, nor will your daughters and sons.
Testimonial
Matt McAvoy Book Review
The Cornerstone of Rebuilding a Resilient Identity: TRUST
HANNA: “No one’s ever trusted me before.”
ANDY: “Maybe because you’ve never given them a reason to.”
“. . . a phenomenal achievement! This is not just a book, it is a project, a study into the human psyche, how personalities overlap and the influence the characters have on each other through their own personal stories.”