What a captivating read! I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this since I'm used to fast-paced stories and historical fiction can some times be slow, but this one delivers!

Unfortunately, this book is a DNF for me at 43%. I'm quite surprised by this. This book sounds like something I would love and I had very high expectations.

I have to admit that I have a poorly formatted copy, which I'm sure affects my enjoyment. There is a lot of places where "copyrighted" or "material" show up in the middle of sentences in big bold letters and some of the surrounding words are in that font as well. There are also many unfinished sentences at the end of paragraphs. You'll be reading along, then poof the paragraph just ends mid-sentence. I have no idea if there are just a few words missing or several sentences. This obviously makes it difficult to get into a flow with the book.

However, I think part of my issue is the writing too. There have been some interesting parts, but mostly I'm just bored. The writing hasn't really drawn me in and it feels a bit simplistic. I'm not emotionally attached to any of the characters and I'm struggling with picking the book up once I've put it down.

Unfortunately, I think this is just not the book for me.

This is a book about hannah, a 14 year old girl and her family trying to escape hitlers army is the Ukraine.

I absolutely loved it, i found it very emotional and you could tell that the topic was well researched. I definitely think this should be something everyone reads so everyone can experience the horror that some families had to go through at this point in history without feeling like they are reading a textbook.

Thank you Mandel Vilar Press for sending me an early copy in exchange for an honest review through Netgalley.

‘My name is Hanna Slivka. I was born on February twenty-second, in the winter of 1928. I am still breathing. This is my story.’

The simplness of this story is what I found most endearing about this novel. It is told in a straight forward manner with no ‘fluff’, which I appreciated. Hanna’s story comes as her daughter asks about a book she finds with marks in it. What follows is a story of survival under the most extreme circumstances. The huge lose of human life is so incomprehensible. With every novel I read about WWII my eyes are opened wider and my heart is left a little more broken.

Loosely based on a series of real-life events. Hanna, her family, neighbors, and extended family are forced to live in the forest and then a series of caves to hide from the Nazi after they take over their small town in the Ukraine during World War II. Imagine living in a cold, damp cave with no light and little to no food, not just for days but years. Their choice was to live on the brink of death in the caves or die at the hands of the Nazis.

Young adult readers will enjoy this title.

I really enjoyed getting to know Hanna. I felt like I was part of her family trying to survive in Nazi-occupied Ukraine. Although the story is fiction, the author was inspired by real stories which she shares at the end of the book. If you love WWII historical fiction like I do, this is a must read!

Thanks to Netgalley the author and publishers for a copy of this book. Hanna Slivka, a Jewish child growing up in the Ukraine is forced to grow up quickly as the German Army approaches their village. With rumours of unheard atrocities the families go into hiding. I developed an affinity with these characters living in extreme conditions with the threat of death looming over them from lack of food as well as the approaching enemy. Excellent read.

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This wasn't a very long novel but it was a powerful one. It tells the story of Hanna and her family as they struggle to survive the Russian, then German, then Russian occupation of their small Ukrainian town during World War 2. It's a story about family, struggle, survival, love, friendship, religion, and it touches on the Holocaust.
The passages at the beginning of each section taken from Hanna's Joan of Arc book are beautiful and fitting. I also like the brief but informative way the author told the story in little paragraphs rather than rambling on and on. It was easier to keep track of time and also become more engaged with the characters.
This was a hopeful story and I enjoyed it. I'd recommend for anyone interested in World War 2.

My Real Name is Hanna

by Tara Lynn Masih

My Real Name is Hanna is the story of a Jewish girl and her family who live under horrible circumstances in Ukraine to escape death at the hand of the Nazis and others. This book by Tara Lynn Masih has much potential. Many parts of the survival tale are drawn from the story of a real family that had to live underground. The first part of the book bounces around a little and then settles down into a sequential tale. Although it is a sad story, I didn’t really find myself emotionally involved with any of the characters. Parts of the narrative got my attention, such as when family members were in danger. I wanted to see them survive, but mainly I wanted the book to be over.

The author uses words from other languages freely. I like the authenticity of that but I would have appreciated a glossary, and I think young people would find that helpful as well. The area the family lives in has been occupied by many countries so there are competing cultures and languages—Jewish, Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, and German.

I actually found the “Historical Notes” at the end of the book more interesting than the book itself. Unfortunately, the author includes her own political stance on current events in these historical notes. If she wants to put forth these ideas in her book, I would suggest she do it in an editorial type section separate from a discussion of the historical basis of the book. Like the author, I hope the day will come when we don’t need reminders of the Holocaust as cautionary tales against cruelty. I don’t think, however, that it is appropriate to use her historical notes as a platform for indoctrinating young people into her political views. The story should stand on its own merits, and young people are capable of reading the book and making their own moral conclusions.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Mandel Vilar Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3/5

Category: Historical Fiction, Teens

Notes: Interest Level—Ages 12 and up
Grade Level 10-12

Publication: September 25, 2018—Mandel Vilar Press

Memorable Lines:

I see in my mind again those posters in the window, the big red letters, the lice, the blaming of Jews for the war. Someday, someone will betray us. For money, for food, for their own lives spared.

I can now hear what sounds like heavy boots approaching the house from down the lane, grinding the dirt and gravel with their murderous purpose.

When you’re hidden away, with no freedom, you crave news of the outside world as much as you crave food.

The story begins with us meeting Hannah as she tells her granddaughter “I will say my real name to you for the very first time” and from that very first sentence I was intrigued to learn Hanna’s story. She tell us the story of how her family came to their underground sanctuary, how they stayed alive, how their spirits were tested while the world above carried out their crimes.

My Real Name Hanna focuses on an Ukrainian Jewish family and their story of survival and sacrifice and is inspired by actual events. I have read so many stories of survival in camps and have often wonder about the people who hide and their stories of their survival. Hanna and her family consumed my thoughts and my heart while I read their story.

We are taken back to the past where we meet young Hanna a strong and inspiring character who makes this book an excellent choice for a YA read. I was moved by the bravery of Hanna and her family and heartbroken with the things they had to experience while hiding in the forest and then eventually being pushed further away to live in underground caves. We could feel and imagine the darkness around them that increased our worry for the hunger, sickness and danger they faced.

My Real Name Hanna is written with compassion, empathy and hope. We could see from the detailed description the research and consideration Tara Lynn Masih, put into this story. The characters came alive for us and I kept imaging the real family Tara Lynn Masih, based this story on.

I highly recommend this one as a must read for any Historical Fiction lover and for readers looking for an inspiring story of survival and sacrifice.

Thank you to Mandel Vilar Press and Tara Lynn Masih for a copy to read and review.

A rather interesting story. It's an interesting and well written story that I found surprisingly entertaining to read.

This book was absolutely beautiful. There are definitely not any tears streaming from my eyes right now. The story just swept me away from my life and into the harsh and very real reality of the Holocaust. Though not much happened in this story in terms of action, it was amazing nonetheless. The writing really transports you, and I felt everything that the characters felt. I love books and documentaries regarding the Holocaust and World War II, and this book is yet another great one on the list. It was so powerful, and there was a very refreshing theme of a strong family. I just loved this book, and I would highly recommend it to everyone. It is so powerful and evokes so many thoughts and emotions, it should be considered a must read for everyone.

Unfortunately my kindle broke and I was unable to download this onto my new one as it said the title had expired.

My Real Name is Hannah is a beautifully written story based on a compilation of real life stories. 

The story is told from the perspective of a young Ukrainian girl set during WWII. It is the story of struggle and survival at a time when it was a death sentence to be a Jew. I was unclear while reading the book if it was meant to be for adults or, perhaps, teens but the simplistic writing style would suggest that latter. One of the aspects that I most enjoyed was the author's inclusion of Ukrainian folk tales. Unless one is very interested in eastern literature, and I am, then I'm sure that these will be new and enlightening. 

My Real Name is Hannah is now sale at your local bookstore and can be found in most libraries. I also suggest that you read Diary of a Young Girl: Anne Frank and The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

Many thanks to Netgalley, Mandel Vilar Press and Tara Lynn Masih for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advanced copy.

First and foremost, I want to say that for the subject matter alone, this should get 5 stars. This is an account of a fictional character’s experience during the Holocaust. It is loosely based on the story of a real person, Esther Stermer, her extended family and four other families. If interested, there is a documentary film called “No Place on Earth” that relates the true story of what happened. I believe reading, hearing, listening to Holocaust stories are of the utmost importance. Documenting these first hand accounts are crucial as these survivors will soon no longer be with us to tell their stories. Masih relates this story in a way that is an appropriate entry point for children, or young adults, because it doesn’t get into the horrific details of what happened during that time. There are no concentration camps in this story. You do, however, get to know Hanna as a child, see how her life was like before the war contrasted against what she had to endure over years.

It was difficult to read this copy of the book because of the state I received it in. That can sometimes happen with ARC’s, there can be grammatical errors, certain parts may be rewritten, it is in an unfinished state. I had not yet received one in the condition this book was in, so it affected the reading for me. There were sentences that were dropped, left unfinished, paragraphs weren’t split where they should have been and extra text was inserted in each paragraph that didn’t belong there. Regardless, I believe it will be outstanding, once the completed version is released.

The story is told from 14 yr. old. Hanna’s perspective, from what I can tell it has an almost testimonial feel, an admission of what happened to her as a child. You can feel the raw emotion underneath her words and how difficult it is for her to talk about her experience. This is a matter of fact telling from a little girl who had to be so brave, with no drama. But because of the stark way the story is told, it juxtaposes how horrible it must have been. There is no way you can not be moved by what happened. You can feel her hunger pangs. You will wonder how people could do this to each other? You can appreciate how much the smallest kindness can mean to people who are fighting for their lives. As a teacher, this story is rich in lessons for students to learn from, many entry points for the child in to this story. This is something I will use and I strongly recommend.

Hanna lives in a rural town in the Ukraine, on a farm with her family. She is the eldest of three, with a brother and a sister, both of whom she loves dearly. Her family are observant Jews and she learns the traditions and the meaning behind them from both her father and her mother. She has friends and goes to school. They are not rich, but they do not want for anything. Birthdays are special and Hanna feels loved, safe and secure. Things change slowly, but they don’t fear because they have been taken over by the Russians, so now it is the Germans, it happens. They live in a remote village, so sometimes war doesn’t reach them, but of course this time it does. They don’t always hear the latest news, or realize where the trains are taking people, or what the smoke means, until they do. Food becomes scarce, they can no longer go to school, but it is not the first time their parents have had to scrimp and go hungry. Until this time it is different. Until it is too late to leave the country, until they are forced out of their homes. Hiding in the forest, it seems like things couldn’t possible get worse. Until they have to live in a cave. Of course, there is much more to the story. But it is important to hear it in Hanna’s words.

The most important thing is that they did survive the unthinkable. In the face of evil, they triumphed. They eventually left their home, but they continued to live and prospered. The human spirit is truly remarkable.

Inspired by real events, My Real Name Is Hanna centers around Hanna, a young Jewish girl living with her family in Ukraine when German forces invade and they, along with the other Jewish families in their village, suddenly face the choice between camps or going into hiding.

This one really packs a punch, folks. Written as a letter from Hanna to her daughter, we know right from the very start that Hanna survives, which I felt lend a particular dimension to the book - everything we're about to read leads to a happy ending. The author knows how to use this; the horror kind of sneaks up on you: at first everything is all good and well, we know bad things are going to happen but since they're not around yet we can relax and enjoy the writing. And then, when we've been lulled into that false sense of security, boom, out pops the bad guys and things get serious. From here there's that continued sense of foreboding, the kind that makes us think "what's gonna happen next? Will everything be okay?" while at the same time we know that the worst is not going to happen. This is a "happy" book, compared to a lot of other WWII novels.

A fresh new title on the ever-growing shelf of WWII-YA, this one deserves every single positive word sent in its general direction. To top it all off, the author has a way with words that suits this book so incredibly well - the prose never gets dark or gritty, it always retains that lyrical flow and a sense of positivity even in the darkest places. Pun absolutely not intended.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the different point of view of this book. Most books like this follow the Jews that went straight into concentration camps, it was very interesting to hear of Jews that hide in the forest and a cave and what it was like to do so.

Following a young girl as she becomes the communicator for the family you get to see the amazing strength and bravery a young person can have when needed.

I would recommend this to anyone that like historical fiction based on true events.

Tell me a story...

Okay, this is a story of Hanna Slivka, a jew who lived in Holocaust period and survived it along with her family and others. Now, that seems like a spoiler but I want you to read this book as a tale and not some suspense fictional story you would soon forget. This is a tale of a family, of beliefs, of friendship and of survival. Of hope.
“I will say my real name to you for the first time. Hanna Slivka. Don’t be scared. I am still your mother. Born on February twenty-second, in the winter of 1928. Your grandmother often told me to remember this date because that is the day that God allowed me into this world to breathe my first soul breath of chilled Ukrainian air.”


This is the opening paragraph and I think it's one of the most intriguing opening lines I've ever read, especially the first four sentences that ends with I am still your mother. These words sucked me in right away because it already taught me something. Names may change your fate but it won't change who you are. And goodness gracious, it's one of the lessons hidden in Hanna's story which became clearer by the end.

And along that lesson, Hanna's moving story is filled with them. The author though fictional(but based on a real person), created in Hanna a memorable character: strong and inspiring. She's so real to me, I can't help but taste the story she's telling. I can still taste the bitter dirt on potatoes' they've eaten, my back still aches from lying on dirts in cave floor, and the raspy crumbs of stale breads are still in my mouth. Most importantly, I can still feel the tension and fear brought by the war.

I don't really read war stories like this. I know they matter and that I have to read them but I find it so hard. I just can't stand the hardship these people went through. I guess they make me fell guilty. Like I said in my update while reading, it's so hard to think I'm here worrying over slow internet when these people, these innocent people, had to fear for their lives. But I'm so glad I read this book.
“Abram Slivka (my Papa)
Eva Slivka (my Mama)
Hanna Slivka (14 years old, loves to read)
Leeba Slivka (12 years old, loves to sew)
Symon Slivka (10 years old, a really good bit who
Loves his dog) Ovid (our dog)
Steed (our horse)
We all lived in this house until October 12, 1942. If you
find this, say these names out loud, please, and bury this paper
in the yard.”


The author did captivate me in her lyrical prose, it was really beautifully written, I finished it in less than four hours. I love the way the author managed to write about the beauty of the surroundings and cultures, different cultures, balancing it to the tension of the war. Also I love the symbolism between Hanna's friendship to Alla. Alla's influence to Hanna was a big part of the story and it made me ache in a good way.

I'm sorry I may not be the right person to review this because I'm clearly run by my emotions. But this is all I can say: Read this. If you want a war story that doesn't have much of history dumping in it, then this one's for you. Hanna's tale will make you smile, weep, hope, believe and love. But most of all, it won't leave you, so you're not alone.

This was such an emotionally intense read, although thankfully, I knew what I was getting into when I started the book.

My Real Name is Hanna is the story of Hanna Slivka, a fourteen-year old Jewish girl living in Ukraine. Her childhood is happy, until Hitler comes. And with the Gestapo comes persecution, as their food runs low and once-friendly neighbours turn their backs. And then one day, Hanna and her family hear that Hitler plans to make their town Judenfrei - “free of Jews” - and know that they must leave their home in order to survive.

This book isn’t an adventure story. It is the story of one girl and her family trying to survive with dignity. As Hanna’s father says, “This is what those Nazis make us do, huh? Live like barbarians. But the best revenge, my Eva, is just that - to live...”

And live they do. It is not an easy experience, especially for a girl on the cusp of womanhood, but Hanna and her family do their best to hold on to their faith and culture even in the worst of times. While they are sometimes forced to break certain rules, such as eating non-kosher meat, they try their best to live in a way that gives them dignity, and that means honouring their religion and culture.

I really appreciated how this book brought out the strength of the human spirit and of friendships. Next to Hanna lives Alla, a non-Jewish person who sells pysanka, eggs decorated with traditional folk designs. These eggs hold deep meaning and even though they are not Hanna’s culture, they represent the friendship she has with Alla and the strength that Hanna gets from it.

If you want to read about a World War II story set in a less traditional location, you’ll want to pick this up. It’s got heart and it’s got character, and though it is dark, it is also uplifting.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mandel Vilar Press for an ARC of this book.

I feel really bad giving this such a low rating, but I just did not like this book. The whole thing felt like one run on sentence. There were no chapters, which contributed to the problem, and it jumped around so much. The characters would be having a conversation, and then in the next paragraph it would jump ahead to months later.

The plot was weak and boring, not too much happened. I realize that it was loosely based on the true story of a family who survived the Holocaust, and truly their story is one to be remembered. But living in a cave for over a year is not much to base a book on. Nothing really happens throughout the book, and the few moments of action are over within a few paragraphs.

I also feel like the writing had no emotion. I could have been reading a Wikipedia article about the events rather than a novel. And that’s pretty coming from a first person POV novel. Usually just that infuses some emotion, but it was so bland. I never came to care about what was happening with any of the characters, or really got to know there personalities at all. There weren’t even that many characters, just the 4 families living in the cave, and yet they could have all been one person for the lack of personalization. I feel like I know nothing individual about any of them.

This was a very short book, Kindle said while I was reading that it was only about 3 hours. And yet I felt like I had to force myself to finish. It took me so much longer than a 3 hour book should have taken because I just wasn’t interested.

As I said, I really feel terrible rating a book on this subject so low, because I do care about the people who survived, and didn’t survive, the Holocaust. It’s the reason I was interested in this book in the first place. I might be interested in reading the true memoir this was based on, maybe there would be some more emotion to it. And it’s incredible that in real life an entire family survived the Holocaust in this way. But I think while the idea may have sounded good in theory, a book about hiding in a cave with very little action was not made to be a novel.