My Real Name Is Hanna, Tara Lynn Masih
My Real Name Is Hanna, Tara Lynn Masih
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My Real Name Is Hanna

Author: Tara Lynn Masih

Narrator: Suzanne Toren

Unabridged: 6 hr 31 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/15/2018


Synopsis

Inspired by real Holocaust events, this poignant historical novel is a powerful coming-of-age story.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 dye 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.

About Tara Lynn Masih

Tara Lynn Masih is author of the critically acclaimed short-story collection Where the Dog Star Never Glows and founding series editor of The Best Small Fictions. She is a National Jewish Book Awards finalist and received a Florida Book Award and a Julia Ward Howe Award for My Real Name Is Hanna, her debut novel.

About Suzanne Toren

Suzanne Toren, award-winning narrator, has over thirty years of experience in narration. She was named a “Golden Voice” by AudioFile magazine in 2019. She has won the American Foundation for the Blind’s Scourby Award for Narrator of the Year, AudioFile magazine named her the 2009 Best Voice in Nonfiction & Culture, and she is the recipient of multiple Earphones Awards. She performs on and off Broadway and in regional theaters and has appeared on Law & Order and in various soap operas.


Reviews

Goodreads review by jv on April 16, 2024

Friends---I'm taking MY REAL NAME IS HANNA by Tara Lynn Masih to a brand new group of students and I cannot wait! Sharing, as I knew you'd be excited, too. Hanna’s daughter has found her dog-eared, marked-up copy of Joan of Arc. And, the girl has always admired the pysanky, lovingly displayed under g......more

Goodreads review by BernLuvsBooks on December 01, 2018

5 Stars for this poignant, beautifully written debut YA novel inspired by real Holocaust events One of the most touching aspects of this book for me was the strength, determination, loyalty and love each of the characters showed during such a bleak and desperate time. It isn’t easy to sustain positi......more

Goodreads review by Debra on July 23, 2018

**This book was inspired by real Holocaust events "I have lost everything that can ever be lost. I have given everything that can ever be given." - my family's MA - Holocaust Survivor Hanna Slivka is almost fourteen years old when her entire world is turned upside down. Hitler's army has crossed into......more


Quotes

“Well written and highly recommended.” Jewish Book Council

“Poetic and vivid.” Foreword Reviews

“Unreservedly recommended, especially for middle school, high school, and community library YA fiction collections” Midwest Book Review

“It is refreshing to find an original voice that delivers such a harrowing, yet inspiring message for young readers..in this highly readable, affecting novel.” Historical Novels Review

“Offers seeds of compassion to young and experienced readers alike.” Small Press Book Review

“A brilliantly rendered memorial to survivors of the Holocaust…A strong choice for young adult shelves.” School Library Journal

“Toren’s narration makes the plight of these characters palpable…Toren skillfully conveys Hannah’s hope for an Allied victory and for building a new life.” AudioFile

“A carefully researched, often moving narrative of one family’s struggle and survival.” Kirkus Reviews

“Masih is to be commended for shining light on a little-known piece of Ukrainian history.” Tilar J. Mazzeo, author of The Widow Clicquot

“A stirring story of survival, resilience, and love.” Crystal Chan, author of All That I Can Fix


Awards

  • Paperback Paris Pick
  • Foreword Reviews Pick
  • Skipping Stones Honor Award
  • Florida Book Award
  • Foreword Reviews INDIES Book of the Year Award
  • Julia Ward Howe Award
  • National Jewish Book Award
  • School Library Journal Top Pick