The Last Thing He Told Me Book Discussion – Did Hannah Make the Right Choice?

This post discusses my thoughts and initial reaction after reading the ending of The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave. This is a spoiler book review. Make sure you’re all caught up!

The Last Thing He Told Me Book Discussion

Okay…so my theories weren’t exactly the greatest. Hannah wasn’t necessarily selected for a specific purpose in the way I thought, and the “big bad” is not someone who we’ve already met. At least I caught onto the detail that the photos of Owen’s ex-wife were suspicion. Now I know why.

But that’s not what this particular article is about…

Let’s Review: Hannah’s Choices

It’s certainly been a long and exhausting emotional rollercoaster for Hannah since her husband abandoned her and his daughter in the middle of a crisis. Since then, Hannah and Bailey discovered the truth about Owen’s past, ultimately leading them to Bailey’s estranged family who has a close connection to a powerful criminal organization located in Texas.

As her guardian and someone instructed to “protect her,” Hannah was given two choices from two opposing sides. 

Either she can enter into a witness protection program per recommendation of Grady, or she can honor her deal with Nicholas, an influential figure in the criminal organization. Hannah chose to honor her deal with Nicholas in exchange for her and Bailey’s safety.

So did she make the right choice? Let’s Analyze.

Grady’s Proposition

Grady Bradford— the U.S marshal sent all the way from Texas to supposedly investigate the case surrounding The Shop. He’s the best at what he does, and he wants Hannah and Bailey to enter the WITSEC so they can eventually follow the same path as Owen. Hannah tells him that she wants to follow a different path that doesn’t involve giving up Bailey’s whole identity and life.

When I was initially reading the deal Hannah struck up with Nicholas, I had the same concerns that Grady expressed. I was concerned that the family would harm Hannah as a way to enact revenge on Owen. Or even worse, they could have used Bailey as a bargaining chip to lure Owen out. At the end of the day, Hannah lead Bailey exactly to the threat Owen told her to protect Bailey from.

I also question allowing Bailey to be around family members with such questionable morals. They’re a family complicit with letting crime run rampant. Seeing how they were able to pull every family member in to remain loyal to the organization (including Owen), I worry about what affect they’d have on Bailey.

It truly seemed like going into the witness protection program was the right choice. But there was one hole in Grady’s proposal. If joining the WITSEC was such a good solution, then why didn’t Owen come straight to Grady in the first place? Grady reveals to them that in Owen’s previous experience of joining the WITSEC, there was a leak that forced him to take up a new identity and run away from his past on his own. This information is enough to dissuade both Bailey and Hannah from going under the protection of the government.

Nicholas’ Deal

Grady wanted Hannah and Bailey to enter the witness protection program, but Hannah wanted something else. So she sneaks out of his building on her own accord, and she makes the proper arrangements with Charlie to meet with Bailey’s grandfather, also known as Nicholas or “The Good Lawyer.”

It’s scary. Hannah is driven to a fancy property in the middle of no where, safeguarded with high tech security and armed guards. Nicholas talks with Hannah in a secluded room, telling her that Owen is a man not to be trusted.

While Hannah acknowledges that Nicholas has the right to feel betrayed by Owen, she sticks to what she knows about him. Owen is a good man who wants nothing more than to keep his family safe.

So Hannah attempts to do just that by making “a deal with the devil.” Picking up on Nicholas’ soft spot for Bailey, or rather Kristen, she makes a deal that so long as the family gets to meet Bailey, then they both will be kept safe. But it comes at great price. They will never see Owen again.

Hannah wants Bailey to decide. It’s a gift Hannah never had in her critical years after all. If Bailey chooses to meet her estranged family, then she will be able to stay herself. If she chooses to go into the WITSEC, then she will be living with the constant fear that her true identity will be exposed. She could never truly be herself. Her father’s past will haunt her for the rest of her life, and I’m sure this is a burden Owen wouldn’t want her to carry.

When Hannah reunites with Bailey, they both are sure as ever that reuniting with Bailey’s family is the best path for them to take. As long as they have each other, they are strong enough to move on in their lives without Owen.

Another Path?

I think Hannah should have followed Grady’s initial advice. It would have been best if she got a lawyer and lied low. When everything officially blew over, Owen could have reunited with them. Bailey wouldn’t have been exposed to her dangerous family, and Hannah and Bailey wouldn’t have to give up their current lives to stay safe. At the end of their journey, I think they lost more than they were able to gain.

This was undoubtedly the best path to walk.

But there’s no use dwelling on the past. Given the situation they managed to put themselves in, I ask myself again. Was it the best decision to enter into the witness protection program, or to reunite with the family?

What do I Think? Did Hannah Make the Right Choice?

Personally I think they should have entered into the witness protection program. As I’ve already expressed, I had some concerns about what it would mean for Bailey to reunite with her family. And Grady was pretty convincing about why they needed to enter into the WITSEC. I doubt that a leak would surface again after all those years. Besides, choosing either side comes with a risk, and I thought that risk was worth it. If Owen was wrong about needing to protect Bailey from the family, then maybe he was also wrong about not going to Grady for help.

But the biggest reason why I thought they should have entered the program is because they’d see Owen again…or Ethan. Whoever he was.

Hannah clearly loves him to stand by him through all his shady behavior, and well, that’s Bailey’s father. They could have reunited and rebuilt a happy life, as painful as it may be. Having Owen in their lives is worth it. Owen could have also explained to them his past with his own words. It’s the type of closure that I wanted.

In hindsight of the last chapter, I suppose everything did go fairly well. Bailey and Hannah seem to be carrying on with their lives as normally as possible without Owen. Even though I probably would have went the other way, I’m very impressed that both Bailey and Hannah were able to stand strong on this decision, even when it seemed like any way would have been the wrong way. They made the most out of their unfair situation, and I was satisfied.