My Real Name is Hanna by Tara Lynn Masih

“I am beginning to realize that freedom means you can be who you are meant to be, whatever that is. . . . That breathing without any thought to it is a gift. Now, I think about breathing all the time. What is it like to take your last breath? What if the sound of it gave you away?”

Hanna Slivka is on the cusp of fourteen when Hitler's army crosses the border into Soviet-occupied Ukraine. Soon, the Gestapo closes in, determined to make the shtetele she lives in "free of Jews." Until the German occupation, Hanna spent her time exploring Kwasova with her younger siblings, admiring the drawings of the handsome Leon Stadnick, and helping her neighbor dyes decorative pysanky eggs. But now she, Leon, and their families are forced to flee and hide in the forest outside their shtetele--and then in the dark caves beneath the rolling meadows, rumored to harbor evil spirits. 

Underground, they battle sickness and starvation, while the hunt continues above. When Hanna's father disappears, suddenly it's up to Hanna to find him - and to find a way to keep the rest of her family, and friends, alive. 

Sparse, resonant, and lyrical, weaving in tales of Jewish and Ukrainian folklore, My Real Name Is Hanna celebrates the sustaining bonds of family, the beauty of a helping hand, and the tenacity of the human spirit.

Generally speaking, once I have read a book I usually get straight on with the review while it is still fresh in my mind. However, every now and again I read a book that affects me so profoundly that I have to take a day or two to process what I have read. This was one such book and it completely took my breath away.

I have heard it said that the world really does not need anymore Holocaust/World War II stories but I would have to disagree. When writing is of this standard it is a welcome addition to the canon and I would strongly encourage you to read this book as it really does have something to add. The author's ability as a storyteller is unquestionable and although the story is about difficult issues, it is ultimately one of survival and hope, and as such, is inspiraring to read.

Aimed at a young adults, it would be a huge loss to literature if this superb book were to be confined to this audience only. Having said that, this book is very well written and I could see it fitting quite neatly within the academic syllabus as there is so much to be gained from reading it.

Ms. Masih writes with sensitivity and empathy and, thus, evokes the thoughts and feelings of her characters extremely well. I could sense the darkness and feelings of claustrophobia experienced by the characters hiding in the caves which the author has depicted so well.

It is rare for me to say that I felt privileged to read a book but as I turned the last page in this book I did indeed feel that way. I had not realised until I read the author's Afterword that she had based this book on true events; those of Esther Stermer and her extended family who survived the war. I have the utmost respect for the bravery of this family, and other survivors like them, that endured and survived these horrific circumstances. Also, for an exceptional author who brought  her fictional characters so vividly to life in order to impart their story.

Due to be published in September 2018, I would strongly encourage you to pre-order this book. As a debut novel it is outstanding and I really hope that Ms. Masih will be writing many more novels.

ISBN:  978 19422134510

Publisher: Mandel Vilar Press

About the Author:

Tara Lynn Masih is editor of the Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash Fiction (a ForeWord Book of the Year), The Chalk Circle: Intercultural Prizewinning Essays (winner of a Skipping Stones Honor Award; a New England Book Festival award; a Benjamin Franklin silver medal award; and a ForeWord Book of the Year Award), and author of Where the Dog Star Never Glows, a National Best Books Award finalist in the short story category. She is the founding series editor of The Best Small Fictions, and My Real Name Is Hanna, her debut novel for young readers and adults set in WW II Ukraine, is due out Sept. 2018.

Tara received an MA in Writing and Publishing from Emerson College, and has published fiction, poetry, and essays in numerous anthologies and literary magazines, and her essays have been read on NPR and translated to dance. Several limited edition illustrated chapbooks featuring her flash fiction, along with poet's farthing cards, have been published by The Feral Press.

Awards for her work include first place in The Ledge Magazine’s fiction contest, a finalist fiction grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, The Lou P. Bunce Creative Writing Award, multiple Pushcart Prize nominations, and Best New American Voices and Best of the Web nominations. 

Tara was the assistant editor for STORIES literary magazine, and a regular contributor to The Indian-American and Masala magazines. She divides her time between Andover, MA, and St. Augustine, FL.

I was gifted a copy of this book by the author in return for an unbiased review.